Women's Soccer Conference Tournament Scenarios

As the America East prepares for the final day of women's soccer action before the start of the conference tournament, we wanted to give fans the full breakdown of what is at stake in the final games. Here is a team-by-team breakdown:

Albany: -The Great Danes can finish anywhere from No. 2 - No. 6
- Should Albany/Hartford/Stony Brook all finish tied 14 points...Albany would be the No. 4 seed
- Should Hartford and Albany finish tied at 14 points...Albany would be the No.3 seed if Stony Brooks loses its finale due to Tiebreaker Rule ii.
- Should Albany and Stony Brook finish tied 14 points....Albany would be the No. 4 seed
- Should UNH/Albany/Stony Brook finish tied at 14 points.....Albany would be the No. 2 seed
- Should UNH/Albany finish tied....Albany would be the No. 2 seed due to the head-to-head
- Should Albany/Hartford finish tied at 11 points and Maine finishes at 12....Albany would be the No. 6 seed
- Should Maine/Albany/Hartford finish tied at 12 points....Albany would be the No. 4 seed

Boston University: - The Terriers have clinched the No. 1 seed for the conference tournament

Binghamton University: - The Bearcats can secure the No. 6 seed with a win and a Maine loss or tie
- Binghamton can secure the No. 6 seed with a tie and a Maine loss

Hartford University: - The Hawks can finish anywhere from No.2 - No. 6
- Should Albany/Hartford/Stony Brook all finish tied 14 points...Hartford would be the No. 5 seed
- Should Hartford and Albany finish tied at 14 points...Hartford would be the No.3 seed if Stony Brooks wins its finale due to Tiebreaker Rule ii.
- Should Hartford and Stony Brook finish tied 14 points....Hartford would be the No. 2 seed
- Should Maine/Albany/Hartford finish tied at 12 points....Hartford would be the No. 6 seed
- Should Hartford and Maine finish tied at 12 points.....Hartford would be the No. 4 or No. 5 or No. 6 seed based on where Albany finishes


Maine: - The Black Bears can finish anywhere from No. 4- No.6 if they qualify for the conference tournament.
- Maine would secure a championship bid with a win over Boston U. or a Binghamton loss or tie
- Maine would secure a championship bid with a tie against Boston U. combined with a Binghamton loss or tie
- Should Maine/Hartford finish tied at 12 points....Maine would be the No. 4 or No. 5 seed depending on where Albany finishes
- Should Maine/Hartford/Albany finish tied at 12 points.....Maine would be the No. 5 seed


UMBC: - The Retrievers can not qualify for the America East conference tournament

New Hampshire: - The Wildcats can finish anywhere from No. 2 - No. 5
- Should UNH/Stony Brook finish tied at 16 points....New Hampshire would be the No. 2 seed
- Should UNH/Albany/Stony Brook finish tied at 14 points....New Hampshire would be the No. 3 seed
- Should UNH/Albany finish tied at 14 points....New Hampshire would be the No. 3 or No. 4 seed depending on where Stony Brook finishes
- UNH would be the No. 5 seed if it loses to Hartford, Albany defeats Vermont and Stony Brook defeats Binghamton

Stony Brook: - The Seawolves can finish anywere from No. 2- No. 5
- Should Stony Brook defeat Binghamton and UNH lose/tie against Hartford....Stony Brook would be the No. 2 seed
- Should Stony Brook/Albany finish tied at 14 points.....Stony Brook would be the No. 2 or No. 3 or No. 4 seed depending on where New Hampshire and Hartford finish
- Should Hartford/Albany/Stony Brook finish tied at 14 points....Stony Brook would be the No. 4 or No. 5 seed depending on where New Hampshire finishes
- Should UNH/Albany/Stony Brook finish tied at 14 points....Stony Brook would be the No. 4 seed

Vermont: - The Catamounts can not qualify for the America East conference tournament

Tune in America East Fans!!!!

For fans of the America East conference, this weekend offers two fascinating viewing opportunities.

For those who had the pleasure of watching Cindy Blodgett and the University of Maine women's basketball program, as well as those people who may not may be familiar with her legacy, be sure to check out the premiere of "Her Game" this weekend.

Here is a preview of the event from the University of Maine athletics website (click here for full story)/ (click here to watch trailer):

ORONO, Maine – "Her Game," a 75-minute documentary movie made in Maine, will show in Bangor and Waterville on Saturday, October 23.  Come join your 2010-11 UMaine Women's Basketball Team at the screenings for a spotlight on leadership!

Facing high community expectations the season of Cindy Blodgett's senior year, the University of Maine Women's Basketball Team learns the meaning of individual and group leadership, on court and off.  The film follows the team throughout that season, and the screenings will begin and end with pieces on the UMaine team Cindy now coaches.

The film will be shown at 10 a.m. at the Penobscot Theatre in Bangor and again at 3:30 p.m. at the Railroad Square Cinema in Waterville. Both screenings of the film are free to the public, and the current team will be in attendance at both screenings.  Admission is first come, first served.

Steve Phelps, who graduated from the University of Vermont in '85, is set to appear on "Undercover Boss" this weekend on CBS. Here is a release from the University of Vermont athletics about the show (click here for full release):

BURLINGTON, Vt. -Steve Phelps '85, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing), will be featured on the hit CBS reality television series “Undercover Boss” airing Sunday, October 24, at 9 p.m. eastern time.

Phelps was a indoor and outdoor track and field athlete at Vermont from 1981-1985. Phelps also ran cross country in 1983 and 1984.

Hitting the Links: 10/22/2010

Good afternoon AExtra fans.

I'm sure you are all preparing for the weekend ahead, but in America East, the week that was sets up some excitement that is to come in the next two days.

This is particularly true in women's soccer. Last night's league action cleared very little of the America East tournament picture. Only two things are certain: Boston University is the outright regular-season champion and Sunday afternoon is hugely important to the seeding of the America East tournament.

Only one team is set, and that is Boston University. The Terriers won their fourth straight regular-season league title after topping Albany, 2-0, at Nickerson Field last night. Boston University's Daily Free Press did a full write-up on the champion Terriers.

Also last night, four other teams, New Hampshire, Stony Brook, Albany and Hartford, clinched spots in the upcoming tournament. New Hampshire earned a 1-1 draw against Binghamton that solidified a tournament berth for the Wildcats. The match was covered in New Hampshire (Seacoast Online) and Binghamton (Press & Sun Bulletin). The tie keeps Binghamton in the thick of the chase for the No. 6 seed.

Meanwhile, Stony Brook topped Maine, 2-1, as was covered by the Bangor Daily News. The win put the Seawolves into the tournament and drops Maine to sixth in the America East standings, just ahead of Binghamton for the final playoff spot.

Also, Hartford rolled past UMBC, 2-0, guaranteeing the Hawks a tourney spot after the missed out on the conference tournament last season. Now, all that is left is a jumbled mess of scenarios that will determine who gets the final spot, seeding and scheduling for the conference tournament, which begins next week. Check in to AExtra on Sunday morning for more information on potential scenarios and tie-breakers that will focus the playoff picture.

Elsewhere in America East, basketball has been generating quite a buzz over the past couple of days, especially in Orono, Maine, where both Black Bear teams are getting some ink. Maine basketball held its annual media day on Wednesday. In looking at the upcoming season, headlines from two Maine papers, the Bangor Daily News and the Portland Press Herald, paint a consistent portrait of the two squads:

"UMaine basketball: Men’s expectations high; women seek improvement" (BDN)

"UMaine reaches season of hope" (PPH on men's team)

"They realize, and they hope" (PPH on women's team)

If you look at these articles, you will see that many see the men's team as legitimate contenders in the conference in 2010-11. The Black Bears have almost all of last year's 19-win team back. They have been picked third in the coaches poll, but have also appeared as the preseason favorite in several publications. It is more than fair to say that the Black Bears are setting a high bar.

As for the women, the hope is a little different. The Black Bears know the history of the program, both the glory days when current head coach Cindy Blodgett was leading the team as a player and the recent history that has this year's team poised to surprise the conference. That's what junior forward Samantha Wheeler believes. And to quote Steve Solloway's article in the Press Herald, "It's time, Blodgett told her players, to restore some respect in the program." That is the charge for the women this sesaon.

Finally, one series this weekend has huge tournament implications in America East volleyball. A pair of SUNY rivals, Binghamton and Albany, square off with a two-match, home and home series for the top spot in the conference standings. Albany has dominated regular-season conference play over the past few years, but Binghamton topped the Great Danes in last year's championship match. Now, the Great Danes look to get back at the Bearcats and set themselves up for a tournament run. Both teams are 4-1 in America East play in 2010. For more on this weekend showdown, check out the Binghamton University Pipe Dream.

That will do it for this edition of the Links. Be sure to check back to AExtra for all the latest and greatest from the campuses of the conference.

Albany's Cutting Edge Breast Cancer Fight

October gets a lot of press as Breast Cancer Awareness month, but there's one type of breast cancer that doesn't often get much mention or attention. Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC) comprises an incredibly small number of breast cancer cases, about 2 percent, but once diagnosed, the life expectancy is less than 4 years. University of Albany's Cancer Research Center is working diligently with cutting-edge technology to improve this survival rate.

"Because the disease is already well advanced at diagnosis, the therapies designed for other forms of breast cancer (anti-estrogens, aromatase inhibitors, herceptin, and radiation) are not very effective for the treatment of IBC," said said Empire Innovations Professor of Biomedical Sciences Martin Tenniswood, who also serves as director of the Cancer Research Center. "So it is essentially up to us to figure out why the current therapies don't work and to develop new leads."

"The median age at diagnosis is 51 years and the median overall survival is less than 4 years," said Tenniswood. "This means that women with IBC are diagnosed 10-15 years earlier than other forms of breast cancer, and die of the disease 15-20 years earlier."

Albany researchers are working side-by-side with students from across the U.S, including Matthew Mullins, a junior from the University of Maryland Baltimore County who participated in the Albany Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP).

Like their counterparts in academia, Albany athletics teams are doing their best to fight the deadly disease. Last week, several teams took part in a breast cancer walk, including the baseball team which sported pink caps while doing so.

In conjunction with the basketball team's purple and gold scrimmage and the football team's televised game against Central Connecticut State tonight, fans can get in on the fight with free pink t-shirts and supporting the cause. The volleyball team's October 31st "Dig Pink" match against UMBC extends Albany's awareness campaign into a month-long effort.

Several America East volleyball programs have already participated in the Sideout Foundation's "Dig Pink" program this fall, or will be soon. For more information specific to Albany's event, and for details on the Sideout Foundation's initiative, visit here.

America East supports the fight against breast cancer is thanks Albany for its efforts. For more information on the University's Cancer Research Center, which is commemorating 25 years of academic and research excellence in 2010-11, visit its web site here.

Congrats to Boston University!!!!!!!

AExtra would like to congratulate the Boston University women's soccer team on winning the America East regular-season championship with its 2-0 win over Albany at Nickerson Field.

Hitting the Links: 10/21/2010

Good Afternoon AExtra fans.

I hope that you are all getting ready for the excitement that is coming up in America East in the next few weeks. Fall championships are just over a week away, one winter sport (swimming & diving) is already underway. Basketball teams are practicing and start the regular season in less than a month. Even the spring sports are coming up in the mix with some busy fall scheduling. And to top it off, AExtra's own Max Mandel is the host of a new America East web show that will cover all of it! Big things, my friends...big things.

So let's get right into it all.

As the women's soccer season begins to wind down, AmericaEast.com has released the ballot for the Fan's Choice Women's Player of the Year. Who is your favorite America East women's soccer player? You can make your voice heard here by commenting on AExtra and you can make your vote count at AmericaEast.com.

The nominees are:
Shayla Bergeron, Albany
Sarah Furminger, Binghamton
Lisa Kevorkian, Boston U.
Amelia Pereira, Hartford
Kelsey Wilson, Maine
Lauren Kadet, UMBC
Carole LeBlanc, New Hampshire
Dominique Adamo, Stony Brook
Haley Marks, Vermont

Another fall sport that is quickly winding down is cross country. America East will hold its championship meet on October 30 at Franklin Park in Boston, Mass. In preparation for the America East race, and likely some races after that, Stony Brook's Lucy Van Dalen won the pre-national meet. Van Dalen paced a field of some of the top runners in the nation. With the performance, Van Dalen was named America East Cross Country Performer of the Week. The win was Van Dalen's second in as many races in 2010. She also won the Notre Dame Invitational. Holly Van Dalen, Lucy's twin sister, finished eighth at the pre-national meet.

On the hardwood, teams continue to prepare for the upcoming season. A video from WBNG Sports in Binghamton featured the Bearcats' men's and women's teams in regards to last week's release of the America East preseason coaches' polls. As the video points out, the men's team consistently finished at or above its preseason ranking. The Bearcat men were selected 7th by the coaches. The women came in at 3rd.

Also in the name of preparing for the season, the New Hampshire Wildcat men announced Tyrone Conley and Alvin Abreu as captains for the 2010-11 season, according to Seacoastonline.com.

In women's basketball, Erica Beverley, the director of basketball operations for the Hartford women and last year's America East Defensive Player of the Year was named Sportsperson of the Year in her hometown of Bridgeport, Conn.

Spring sports have also been in the news lately for fall action. Binghamton men's tennis player and 2009-10 America East Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year Sven Vloedgraven made the pages of the Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin for winning the ITA Northeast Regional singles title on Tuesday.

In softball, Hartford sophomore Nicole Springer, a pitcher and designated player for the Hawks, was recently featured in an article by Lori Riley for the Hartford Courant that focused on her battle with diabetes.

In lacrosse, Stony Brook hosted a fall ball lacrosse tournament last weekend. The tournament, which featured Brown and Hobart along with the Seawolves, was covered by Inside Lacrosse.

Also on the Inside Lacrosse website are special Fall-Ball Check-ins with Stony Brook and UMBC.

The site also covered the Catamount Classic, a 12-team fall ball invitational hosted by the University of Vermont. The tournament was a benefit to raise money for testicular cancer research. Two other America East schools, Albany and Hartford, played at the tournament. For more on the Catamount Classic, check out the feature from the premiere episode of America East Online.

America East Online is a new web show hosted by AExtra's Max Mandel. The show features current events in the conference, both on and off the field, showcasing academics, athletics and leadership as displayed by America East student-athletes. The entire episode can be found on the America East website or you can check out the individual segments at the America East youtube page.

Record-Breaking UMBC Women's Swimming 200-Medley Relay

Here's video of the 200-yard medley relay from UMBC women's swimming and diving vs. Rider on Oct. 16 at the UMBC Natatorium. The relay team (lane 5) of Kathryn Moorby, Talor Tadena, Sarah Ryan and Abbey McKenney broke the pool record in a time of 1:46.70. The previous record was held by New Hampshire in a time of 1:47.01 in 2005.

Interesting video on the Art of the Throw in from Vermont athletics

King Provides Veteran Presence for UMBC

During his four-year career at George Washington, Travis King provided an athletic defensive presence on the perimeter for the Colonials and an occasional basket on the offensive end. Following his graduation from GW, King decided to continue his basketball career while attending graduate school. With a need to add backcourt talent and experience, King emerged as the perfect fit for head coach Randy Monroe and the UMBC Retrievers.

“Travis was definitely looking for some place to go,” said Monroe. “He was done at George Washington and he left on very good terms. The coaches at George Washington spoke very highly of Travis, and we certainly remembered him from a couple of years ago when we played against him. He took us to the woodshed when we played George Washington and we certainly didn’t forget him.”

Once Monroe learned about King’s situation, it didn’t take long for UMBC to express a sincere interest in bringing him into the program.

“He had graduated from George Washington, which is a very good academic school,” Monroe explained. “It has great basketball tradition and has a very good program. When we found out about his situation, we immediately expressed our interest because we knew that Travis was the type of young man that we want in our program. We want him to be a tremendous asset and a tremendous leader to the young people that we have. I think he brings a wealth of knowledge and playing experience, which will definitely help us.”

It was King’s character and leadership qualities that made the decision to bring him into the program much easier for Monroe to make.

“Sometimes you look at certain situations. Obviously, if Travis was a very good player, but he was a headcase or not a good person, we would not have taken him. It’s good to have talent, but I’m not going to take a risk on talent for the sake of my whole team. An individual that is transferring definitely needs to be able to fit in and get along with the rest of the players on the team.”

Despite the adjustments that will come from the switch in playing style and system, Monroe thinks that King should make a successful transition both on-and-off the court.

“I think Travis will be fine,” emphasized Monroe. “I think he loves to play basketball. He is competitive and he picks things up quickly. Still, it’s certainly an adjustment. When you have played one way for a number of years, and then all of a sudden you are going to have to play another way, it’s definitely an adjustment. I also think that if you have an open mind and an open approach, you can overcome any obstacle. I really do believe that Travis has that type of mentality.”

Monroe believes that a tightly knit and experienced roster is one of the keys to putting together a team that can compete for an America East championship.

“I look back at that team in ’08 that was so special,” revealed the seventh-year head coach. “Those guys made it special because guys like Cavell Johnson, Ray Barbosa and Darryl Proctor did not come into UMBC with big egos.  They didn’t come in with the mindset or the mentality of looking to get their stats since they have one year left. Those guys were like a hand in glove. They bought into the team concept and they bought into us winning a championship. A lot of it had to do with their mentality and focusing on the team as opposed to their individual glory.”

In order to bounce back from last season, the Retrievers will need the experience and leadership that King brings to the table. If he can mesh in the backcourt with junior point guard Chris De La Rosa, UMBC could have one of the more versatile and talented backcourts in the America East this season.

Hawks Overcome Black Knights in Overtime

WEST HARTFORD, Conn—Two non-conference foes squared off in front of 412 fans at Al-Marzook Field, a 2-1 overtime victory for the Hartford Hawks over the visiting Black Knights of Army.

The game marked the first time the two teams have played each other in the schools’ histories, and it was a much closer matchup than most expected. Army (1-11, 0-5) came to West Hartford riding a three-game losing streak, while the Hawks (5-7, 2-2) beat conference foe New Hampshire in their last game.
The Hawks came out of the gates and didn’t hesitate to make their mark on the game. They created several chances within the first 30 minutes and physically controlled the pitch, spreading the field and controlling the tempo.

Then in the 26th minute, the Hawks’ Liam Williams curled in a corner from the left side that bounced around the box before Tomas Boyle connected on a header, looping it over Army keeper for a 1-0 lead.
The Hawks started to slow down as their confidence rose, and Army pounced on the opportunity. They took all the air out of the Hartford offense and finally began to control the tempo in the last ten minutes of the first half.

“We didn’t play our game, not to our full potential,” said Hawks Assistant Coach David Kelly. “It was our responsibility, along with our captains, to get us at the right tempo.”

With five minutes left in the opening half, Army drove the ball down the field, throwing the Hawks defense off-balance. After Hartford keeper Luke Citritini parried a ball out of play, the Black Knights sent in a corner to the far post, which junior midfielder Jeffrey Pickett headed into the top corner.

It deflated the Hawks coming into the second half, with the team appearing slow and disorganized. Possession was well-balanced between the teams in the closing 45 minutes, with both sides creating sporadic chances, none of which could find the back of the net.

When the game began to get chippy in the second period, with three yellow cards handed out in ten minutes, the overall pace of the game almost came to a halt. Players began to slow their runs, and both teams seemed content with the inevitable overtime period.

However, Hartford began the overtime by creating chance after chance in the Army zone and was finally rewarded three minutes in.

With Hartford in possession and looking to move, captain and senior midfielder Sam Groves looked up and lofted a perfect pass from about 40 yards out, which was calmly collected by forward James Stamopoulos at the top of the box. He took one touch, then, without hesitation, slotted the ball into the far corner to seal the victory.

It may not have been the Hawks’ prettiest game, but they got the job done and finally won an overtime game on their third try. The double overtime losses at Rutgers and Binghamton loomed over the season until tonight, insists Kelly:

“We finally got that out of our heads, and now we can move forward and look to the next two conference games.”

Hartford improved to 5-1 at home, while Army marches back to West Point, winners of a single game. The Hawks remain third in the America East and play at UMBC on Saturday, before closing out their home stands on senior night against Stony Brook October 27th. Their last game if at sixth-placed Vermont before the America East Tournament begins November 6th.

In The Polls - Wednesday, October 20

Fall seasons are gearing up for postseason play shortly, and with that, America East teams are hoping for some National respect for tournament time. We're taking a look this morning at how the polls are looking this week.

Boston University men's soccer (9-3-1 record, 4-0-0 in America East) has been plowing through conference play and is now receiving a vote in the NSCAA National Poll. The Terriers, currently atop the league standings, sit in a tie for 6th in the Northeast with a pair of Big East teams in Georgetown and West Virginia. Both Stony Brook(7-5-3, 1-1-2) and UMBC (6-4-2, 1-1-2) sit on the outside looking in of the region's top 10.

Speaking of plowing through a league schedule, the Terrier women's soccer team (12-5-0, 6-0-0) is on a record-setting pace. Not having allowed a goal since September 12, Boston U.'s shutout streak of 9 games and over 800 minutes is the 12th-longest streak in NCAA history, and you can be sure Nancy Feldman's squad is looking to extend that streak. The Terriers, fifth in the Northeast NSCAA rankings, are the only non-Big East team in the top 10. Look for Boston U. to try to finish the regular season strong against Albany (8-6-2, 3-1-2) and Maine (7-6-0, 3-3-0), two teams jockeying for tournament positions.

Stony Brook women's cross country dropped to a #14 national ranking, down from its #12 position two weeks ago, but also moved up to second in the Northeast region behind #8 Syracuse. The Van Dalen sisters continue to pace the Seawolves, with Lucy capturing another individual win in a National meet and Holly following up with yet another top-10 finish.

With the America East Cross Country Championship coming up next for most of the league's squads, the UNH women rank next behind Stony Brook in 9th, while Maine sits in the 13th position. On the men's side, the field appears much more wide open. Binghamton, Albany and Boston U. rank 9th, 10th and 11th regionally, respectively, with the Terriers surging into the poll after not being ranked previously.

Field hockey teams continue to hold steady in the NFHCA poll. Boston U. (9-5, 2-1) fell to UNH (11-5, 3-0), but stays at #15, while the Wildcats are receiving 89 points and are still outside the top 20. Albany (12-4, 3-0) upended Vermont and lost by one goal to then-#9 American (now #7), and remains ranked #18 nationally. As it has for most of the season, Maine (11-4, 1-2) is still receiving votes, with 62 this week. The Terriers and Great Danes face-off in a dog match this Sunday in Albany at 3p.

And finally, to wrap up this edition of In the Polls, it's worth mentioning that CollegeInsider.com will debut the women's Mid-Major Top 25 this season, an excellent addition to their already-popular men's Mid-Major Top 25 Poll. 'Til next time, congrats to all the teams honored this week!

UNH Women's Soccer Continues Stellar Play

Senior Carole LeBlanc has 

been one of many offensive
leaders for the 'Cats this year.

After their latest win against America East rival Vermont this past Sunday, the UNH women's soccer team has won 3 in a row, and 4 out of their last 5. With their recent success, the Wildcats have vaulted up to second place in the conference with a 4-2 America East record. UNH trails only Boston University in the conference standings; the Terriers are a perfect 6-0 in conference.
The Wildcats have managed to win in a variety of ways, relying on both their offense and defense. Freshman goalkeeper Erica Correa has been a stalwart in the net for UNH, recording two shutouts in the last five games. The first-year player is second in the conference in saves (101), while her four shutouts rank third in the America East. Correa and the Wildcat defense have given up less than a goal per game over their last nine games, dating back to Sept. 19.
Offensively, the Wildcats are led by a scoring attack that has scored 22 goals so far this season, good for second in the conference. But the most goals scored by a single Wildcat this season is just 4, courtesy of senior Carole LeBlanc. This balanced scoring is a testament to UNH's depth and team chemistry, allowing a number of different players to step up and lead the Wildcats at different points so far this season. Lately, it has been LeBlanc leading the way, as all four of her goals this season have come in the last six games. The senior forward netted the game-winner in overtime for the Wildcats in their 3-2 win over UVM.
UNH (8-6-3, 4-2) will travel to Binghamton to take on the Bearcats this Thursday. They will then finish their regular season at home against Hartford on Sunday at Lewis Fields. The Wildcats have already improved on last year's conference record of 3-5 and are poised to have their best America East showing since 2007, when UNH finished with a 6-1-1 conference record. The 1st-seeded Wildcats made it all the way to the America East Final that year before losing to No. 2 seed BU, 2-1. Those top seeds could once again belong to the Wildcats and the Terriers, albeit reversed, if both teams continue their strong play of late.

Hitting the Links: 10/18/2010

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

Welcome to a late night round at the Links.

With the basketball preseason officially tipped off, by America East and by its member universities, many stories pertaining to the upcoming season have been popping up on the radar screen.

For example, the Albany Times Union recently wrote a feature on Great Dane sophomore guard Logan Aronhalt. Aronhalt broke his foot in his freshman season, forcing him to file the year as a medical redshirt. In 2009-10, his first full season as a collegian, he was still getting his game back. According to Aronhalt and head coach Will Brown, he's back to 100% and is ready to "dunk on your head right now," as Brown puts it.

Also in the Times Union, in the paper's "College Sports" blog, Albany beat writer Tim Wilken wrote about the Great Danes' first official practice of the 2010-11 season.

Aronhalt is not the only America East player getting press for his full return from injury. A pair of Vermont Catamounts are also getting some publicity for their recovery efforts. According to the Burlington Free Press "On Campus," Luke Apfeld is cleared for full participation after sitting out last season as a medical redshirt. Apfeld lost his freshman season to a knee injury. Fellow Catamount Ben Crenca, who suffered an injury late last year, his freshman season, is on the road to recovery.

With the injuries, the Catamounts will need all the leadership they can get from senior Evan Fjeld, who was named captain of the squad for the upcoming season. That story also comes from John Fantino and "On Campus."

As AExtra showed you earlier, a number of America East teams kicked off the 2010-11 hoops season with special events on campus. However, one of those campuses had its event covered in the local media. The Hartford Hawks' Midnight Mania, and the excitement for the upcoming season, was captured by Lori Reilly in the Hartford Courant. According to the article, new Hartford men's head coach John Gallagher compares the feeling of the beginning of the season to that of "Christmas Day."

While all of this excitement about the upcoming season has captivated much of the conference, one school, the University of Maine, is taking time to look back. That is because on Saturday, October 23, "Her Game" will be screened in two theaters in Maine. "Her Game" is a 75-minute documentary following the successes of the Black Bear women's team of 1997-98, a team that featured none other than current head coach Cindy Blodgett. Click here to view the movie trailer.

That will do for this evening round of the Links. Come back tomorrow for more from the best place in the blogoshphere to catch up on all that is America East.

College Basketball Season Offically Begins

For college basketball fans throughout the country, October 15 was a day of celebration. All of the preseason coaches' polls and publications officially mean nothing, as teams were able to begin practicing and working towards a special season. As University of Hartford President Walter Harrison explained at the Basketball Tip-Off Event, at this point in the season, every team is tied for first place. Here are some clips from the opening day of practice around the America East. Vermont will host the Catamount Tip-Off on October 23.

Albany



Hartford: Midnight Mania




Maine: Interview with Amber Smith



UMBC: Midnight Madness

Albany earns key women's soccer win

The Albany women's soccer team continued its strong play with a 1-0 win over UMBC. Here are some highlights from Albany athletics:

Local Star Returns to Vermont

It would be difficult to argue against the claim that Matt Glass is one of the most highly-touted high school prospects to come out of the state of Vermont in the past 20 years. During an acclaimed career at Mount Mansfield Union High School, Glass scored over 1,000 career points, and was the two-time Burlington Free Press Mr. Basketball for the state of Vermont.

However, it was not a direct path for Glass to end up at the University of Vermont. After finishing his decorated high school career, Glass played a prep year at Northfield Mount Hermon in Mount Hermon, Mass., and then spent two years playing at Massachusetts. Following his sophomore season at UMass, Glass made the decision to return to his home state and suit up for the Catamounts. According to Vermont head coach Mike Lonergan, the chance to play in front of friends and family will be a special experience for Glass.

“Being from Vermont makes it special for him,” Lonergan said of Glass’ decision to return home. “Getting to play in front of his fans, friends and family is something he is anxious for and looking forward to. I do think he will be comfortable here. I have known him since he was in 10th or 11th grade. The transfer was perfect timing and it will definitely work out. I’m happy for Matt. I think it will be nice for him to play in his home state.”

Lonergan has dealt with managing the expectations surrounding a high-profile incoming transfer, having coached Maurice Joseph following his transfer from Michigan State. However, the perception that guys will just come in and dominate the America East is something that the sixth-year head coach is quick to correct.

“I actually think the expectations were higher with Maurice Joseph, because he was coming from Michigan St.,” revealed Lonergan. “He actually played at Michigan St. It wasn’t like he was a bench-warmer; he was averaging close to 15 minutes per game. People just assumed he would dominate. However, people don’t fully understand how good the America East is. Transfers usually don’t dominate when they come into this conference.”

While expectations will be high because of his tremendous high-school career, Lonergan knows that it will take time before Glass is completely familiar with his teammates and the conference.

“We are really still just trying to get totally familiar with his game,” explained Lonergan. “Even though he practiced with us, it was mostly defensive stuff, because we wanted the guys who were able to play to get more time on the court in practice. Sometimes you have to worry if the kid is going to be rusty. When Maurice Joseph transferred in, he was much better this past year, which was his second year. Hopefully Matt will be ready. He should know the offense and he should be familiar with the league at least from seeing our home games.”

With so many key pieces gone from the team that advanced to the NCAA Tournament, it has become clear that Glass will be called on to play significant minutes and hopefully emerge as a leader for this young Catamounts team.

“A year ago, I definitely wouldn’t have thought we would need him to do as many things as we are going to need him to do,” Lonergan revealed. “When he transferred in here, I was thinking hopefully we would get eight-to-ten points out of him. Since then, Ben Crenca and Luke Apfeld have had ACL surgeries. We knew we were going to graduate three seniors, but we were shocked when Garvey Young decided to leave. So now, Matt could come into this season being our second-best player. He is going to play a big role for us, and hopefully he is up to that challenge. We need him to be a double-figure scorer night in and night out, and we need him to rebound.”

Vermont ties Stony Brook

Here are some highlights courtesy of UVM athletics from the 0-0 draw between Vermont and Stony Brook.

Chambers Announces Captains for 2010-2011 Season

Boston University Coach Patrick Chambers has recently announced his tri-captains for the upcoming season. The student-athletes leading the Terriers this season are juniors Jake O'Brien, Matt Griffin, and Patrick Hazel.

O'Brien was recently announced as a member of the 2010-2011 Preseason All-Conference Team. Last season he averaged 13.8 ppg and 6.4 rpg. He was also the 2008-2009 America East Rookie of the Year.

Griffin was one of three transfers that sat out last season due to the NCAA transfer rules. He spent two seasons playing at Rider University, where he was captain during his sophomore year. As a captain he played in 32 games and averaged 16.5 minutes per game.

Hazel was another transfer who sat out last season. Fan expectations are easily the highest for Hazel due to his impressive size and the fact that he played two seasons at Marquette. The Jamaica, NY., native fell into an awkward situation when he was recruited by Tom Crean, who left Marquette for Indiana University after Hazel's freshman season. The new Marquette coach Buzz Williams played a different style of basketball which was not advantageous to Hazel. Although Hazel did not play last season he was the winner of coach Chambers' Attitude Club.

“The Attitude Club is keeping the stats like rebounds, assists, steals, but some of the others like deflections, dives, charges,” Hazel said. “Some of the things that don’t show up on the stat sheet and are a recipe for winning, and a winning attitude. Attitude is just what we all believe in, like the [attitude] triangle over there, playing hard, playing smart, playing together. It is like a competition between us, and us competing like that just makes the whole team better.”

Boston University Athletics interviewed each of the new captains and asked about their leadership styles and how it feels to be captains in the programs 102nd season.