Top Moments of the Week: 1st Edition

Check out these video highlights of the week's best moments around the league footprint, including flips, somersaults and OT game winners. After you take a gander, slide over to the America East Facebook page to vote for your favorite moment and let us know what you think of this new weekly feature!

UNH Women's Soccer Falls to Brown Late

As the UNH Women’s Soccer Team battled with the Brown University late into the second half, it looked as though the underdog Wildcats were going to be able to extend the game into overtime. Unfortunately for UNH, the Bears had other ideas.

Brown scored a goal with 6:07 left in the game to defeat the Wildcats 1-0 on a cold, rainy Thursday afternoon at Lewis Field. The loss drops the Women’s Soccer team to 1-6 on the season.

It was a frustrating 90 minutes for the Wildcats, as they were dominated by Brown for the majority of the game. The visiting Bears team held possession for most of the game, outshooting the Wildcats 12-4.

Brown used their speed and tough defense to prevent UNH from gaining any momentum through the afternoon. Even though UNH struggled to keep up with Brown, it was still a game they felt they should’ve come out on top.

“This was definitely a winnable game,” said UNH Co-Captain Stephanie Gilkenson. “It should’ve been a winnable game. It’s frustrating when you don’t play to your potential.”

Early on in the first half it was shaping up to be a one sided contest as Brown’s quickness and aggressive style allowed them to stay on the attack from the start.

UNH’s attempts to generate any type of offense were normally thwarted by the swarming Brown defense. The Wildcats would cross midfield only to be met with numerous Brown defenders preventing any type of deep forward progress.

Despite the constant push from Brown’s offense, the score remained scoreless at halftime, mainly due to the fact that the Wildcats were preventing Brown’s offensive attack from getting decent looks.

“They didn’t get too many good shots on me,” said UNH Goalkeeper Erica Correa. “Our defense did really well. Even though they were swarming the ball at times, we moved the ball quickly and kept it away from them.”

After getting outshot 9-2 in the first half, the Wildcats were able to even the amount of possession between the two teams in the second half. UNH had some solid looks while limiting Brown’s scoring attempts.

“We did get some more attacks in the second half because at halftime we reminded them about some of the things we do,” said UNH Head Coach Michael Jackson.

As regulation was coming to a close, it looked as though UNH was going to have a shot in overtime. It wasn’t until the 83^rd minute that Brown’s Chloe Cross boomed a shot from the right side past the diving Correa to give the Bears the victory.

Despite keeping it close with Brown, the Wildcats understood that they needed to do more if they wanted to come out victorious. Jackson said the reason why they didn’t win was simple. If the Wildcats don’t put the ball in the net, they aren’t going to win.

The loss to Brown was the fourth time that the Wildcats have been shut out this season. The team’s struggles have been noticed by Jackson, but the coach sees that the players are seeking improvement.

“We are not playing well enough to win,” said Jackson. “You don’t score goals, you don’t win. You don’t execute game plans, you don’t win. I believe the players are taking responsibility for it so we got to back to work.”

Even though the beginning of the season has been tough for the Wildcats, the team is not giving up on their mission to become a strong team.

“We want to win America East,” said Gilkenson. “We keep joking we’re getting all the bad out of the way now and once conference comes we need to win games and we are going to do that.”

The Wildcats travel to Bryant University on Sunday before returning to Lewis Field Wednesday night to play Holy Cross.

America East Daily Word - September 16

It’s time for a new addition to the Daily Word.  It unofficially started yesterday with Albany’s Will Brown tweeting about his car’s oil change but we’ll set it in stone now.  

Ladies and gentleman, introducing the ‘America East Daily Word Tweet of the Day.’  

Clever name, right?  I really stretched my creativity to come up with it.  Any suggestions for a new name for the segment are welcome.

Today’s tweet comes courtesy of conference photographer Steve McLaughlin (@SMPhotog).  “Picture Day – Once you’re on the set, you’re mine.”  Check out what he’s talking about, here.

General Electric makes all sorts of goodies – from microwaves and toasters to washers and dryers.  And now, in partnership with conference member Albany, GE will make many a child’s day.  

Starting with tomorrow’s Albany versus Maine football game at University Field, the inaugural GE Kids-in-Free Program begins.  The program gives children age 12-under the opportunity to attend Great Dane athletic events.  According to the official release from the Albany athletics office, “During the 2011-12 academic year, children 12 and under will receive a free game ticket when accompanied by an adult with a ticket…”

In addition to all Great Dane home football games, children will also be able to attend select men’s and women’s basketball games this winter and every men’s and women’s lacrosse game in the spring.  

We’ve got a couple events this weekend that might not be on your radar with non-conference fall schedules winding down.  In Binghamton, several softball teams converge for the BAGSAI Tournament.  Albany and Binghamton will both be participating in the eleven-team, 2-day tourney.  Meanwhile, defending America East Conference baseball champion Maine is well underway in its fall schedule.  The Black Bears play USM this weekend.  Also, at Sunday’s Boston U. versus Yale women’s soccer tilt, Deidre Enos Lovett, whose 51 career goals is a record for both the men’s and women’s soccer programs, will have her jersey retired by theTerriers.

Vermont's Nick O'Neill

Now, onto the weekend’s in-season contests and there are a slew of great games.  Tonight, on the soccer pitch, the Boston U.men’s soccer team tangles with its third straight Big East opponent, No. 2 Connecticut.  Binghamton hosts its firstmen’s soccer home games of the year when Central Connecticut comes in to take on the Bearcats.  On Saturday, the big games are on the field hockey turf as Maine tussles with Michigan State and No. 16 Albany hosts Davidson.  And in volleyball, Binghamton and Albany look to continue their winning streaks with matches in the Columbia Tournament and Ohio State Sports Classic, respectively.  To cap off the weekend, No. 14 Boston U. field hockey faces No. 13 Michigan and Vermont looks tocontinue its hot start against Harvard in men’s soccer action.

For the complete schedule make sure to check out AmericaEast.com.

And for all the news around the conference, here are some stories for your reading pleasure…

Fosters Daily Democrat: Frates honored by ECAC
Portsmouth Press Herald: UNH women's soccer suffers 1-0 loss
Burlington Free Press: Hutson commits to play for Lady Cats
Pipe Dream: 'Cats drop non-conference finale to Big Red
Pipe Dream: Catching up with...Kyrie Sutton
Vermont Cynic: UVM athlete spotlight of the week
Hartford Informer: Misfortune plagues men's soccer
Hartford Informer: Hawks on cloud '99
Hartford Informer: Hawks and Louis struggles in debut
Hartford Informer: Nethersole and company restore success for Hawk Volleyball
Stony Brook Statesman: Men's soccer drops home opener

America East Daily Word - September 15

Albany men’s basketball coach Will Brown brought his car to get an oil change this morning. 

Ah, the joys of Twitter. Thank you Coach Brown for contributing to today’s Daily Word.

Boston U's Joe Jones (left) and Maine's Richard Barron

Let that be a lesson to all coaches who tweet – send a good message into the Twitosphere and maybe, just maybe, I’ll put it in the Word.

All kidding aside, basketball is the theme today as we inch closer and closer to the 2011-2012 tip-off.  Official practices begin the first week in October, less than three weeks away. 

When Patrick Chambers left Boston U. to become the new head coach at Penn State, Boston College associate head coach Joe Jones was selected to lead the Terriers.  It was the best job in America East, so writes ESPN’s Andy Katz.  The Terriers are perennially at the top of the standings and Jones didn’t have to move.  What could be better?  Katz features Jones in a recent entry on hisESPN.com blog.  Jones chats about exceeding expectations and working with a team that is virtually the same less 2011 America East Player of the Year John Holland.  Everything is in place, Katz says, for the Terriers to make another run at a conference title.

Over to the women’s side now, Maine’s first-year head coach Richard Baron inherits a team that went a league worst 4-25 last season but brings a new attitude and excitement to Orono.  Maine’s student newspaper The Maine Campus sat downwith the new coach to discuss the 2011-2012 campaign.  No one can predict records but the Lady Black Bears suffered a blow in a pick-up game a few weeks back.  Ali Nalivaika tore her ACL and will miss theentire season.  Nalivaika was used in a reserve role mostly last season but was seen to be a big asset in the Maine front court this year. 

Sticking with the new coach theme, Stony Brook’s Beth O’Boyle allowed Seawolf athletic communications to take a peek at some preseason workouts.  Take a look…

News of Vermont’s Virtue Field, which will be the home of the Catamount soccer and lacrosse teams starting in 2012, hit the press yesterday.  The upgrade includes plans for grandstand seating for 3,000 spectators, according to the UVM release.

Last night on the soccer pitch, the Boston U. women got back to their winning waysafter dropping two straight last weekend.  Kylie Strom scored twice to lead the Terriers to a 3-0 victory over Harvard.  Elsewhere, the Binghamton women fell toCornell, 1-0, and UMBC remains winless after a 2-1 defeat to St. Joseph’s.  The Hartford men battled tough against Nutmeg State opponent Quinnipiac but surrendered the game winner in the waning minutes of regulation to fall to the Bobcats, 4-3.

In action tonight, the Stony Brook men’s soccer team plays its home opener against the Pioneers from Sacred Heart while the New Hampshire women’s soccer team welcomes Brown to Durham. 

For all your news, make sure to check out AmericaEast.com and the links below.

Burlington Free Press: UVM basketball team lands wing player Brendan Kilpatrick

Daily Free Press: Women's soccer awaits second straight Ivy League opponent

Daily Free Press: Search for No. 300 continues for Roberts

Maine Campus: UMaine's Gardiner reaches 100-point milestone

Press and Sun Bulletin: Three still in running to become Binghamton athletic director

America East Daily Word - September 14

When I wrote the Daily Word yesterday, I told you the UMBC men’s soccer team was hosting ‘No.2’ Maryland.  Before the end of the day, however, the Terps jumped to the No. 1 team in the country and UMBC almost made that stay at the top a quick one. 

It was probably the game of the year so far in the conference.  But, you know what?  I’m going to say it was probably the game of the year in all of college soccer.  And it’s only September. 

There was pregame hype, the game was on TV, it featured two unbeaten teams, penalty kicks, overtime, comebacks and late game drama, somersaults, a packed house and it almost featured a UMBC win. 

The Retrievers and Terrapins battled to a scoreless first half, setting the stage for some serious fireworks in stanza #2.  After a goal apiece to start play after halftime, Maryland rattled off two straight to take a 3-1 lead.  With about 6 minutes to go in the game, UMBC’s Sean Rothe scored twice in a span of 71 seconds to draw the Retrievers even and send the game into overtime.  At this point, it was pandemonium on Twitter so it must have been unbelievable in person with all 2, 513 fans that turned out. 

Neither team scored in the first overtime but UMBC keeper Dan Louisignau made a number of terrific stops, the best of which coming on a Maryland penalty which would have given the Terps the win.  Dickie V – are you SERIOUS??!!

Maryland did end up scoring the game-winner in the second OT to cap off a 4-3 win.  But, UMBC’s three goals were more than Maryland had allowed in its five previous matches combined.

Catch your breath, we had more games last night.  Hartford volleyball grabbed a tough five-set win over Bryant while UNH volleyball came up just short, falling to Harvard in five sets. 

We are about a month away from our annual basketball tip-off event in Hartford, which means the Daily Word has to have some basketball built in.  The Baltimore Sun’s Matt Bracken broke down some the best Division I basketball players to come out of the Baltimore area.  Vermont’s Brendan Bald, the 2010 America East Defensive Player of the Year, is one of them.  Bracken chats with Bald and the man who recruited him, his new head coach, John Becker.  Bald was featured in today’s edition of the ‘Sweet 16’ detailing his journey into a Catamount uniform and now his quest to return to the NCAA tournament.  Syracuse disposed of Vermont in 2010’s tourney – Bald’s rookie season – and Cleveland State ousted the Cats from the NIT tourney last year.

Boston U.'s Jake O'Brien

Boston U. received some tough news yesterday on the injury front.  Forward Jake O’Brien underwent a second surgery on his foot and will be out for the season.  O’Brien broke a bone in his foot last year forcing him to miss out on the Terrier’s NCAA tourney run.  The 2009 Rookie of the Year will receive a medical redshirt this year giving him another season of eligibility. 

For today’s schedule and for more news head on over to AmericaEast.com or have a look at the links below...

Men's soccer ties Navy
 
Running towards greatness 

AOTW - Hallie Carter 

New Jersey prospect commits to men's basketball

Volleyball impresses at CCSU tourney 

Women's soccer drops two home games 

Men's soccer starts slow, finishes strong 

Out before the count 

Women's soccer looks to get back on track 

Field hockey prepares for midwest swing

America East Daily Word - September 13

Binghamton Men's Lacrosse Team

Sometimes in the wake of tragedy, of inexplicable terror and just downright awful news, sports offer us a brief reprieve from the devastation.  They provide us with momentary solace so we can feel some semblance of normalcy when we see our favorite players take the field.

Over the weekend, we remembered the events of September the 11^th, 2001 as we reached the one-decade mark since that horrifying day. 

The 9-11 terrorist attacks hit especially close to home for a current member of the Binghamton men’s lacrosse team who lost his father during the attacks.  To honor him, and all those who lost their lives on 9-11, the entire lacrosse team took part in the university’s ‘Walk to Remember.’  The players and their families raised over $1500 for the 9-11 Relief Fund.  Players spoke about their role in the Binghamton community and about their experiences on 9-11 ten years earlier.

Several student reporters throughout the conference published columns relating to the events of 9-11.  They discuss their own personal stories as well as the power of sport to unify an entire nation, regardless of team loyalties. 

Well done America East.

We didn’t have a single game in the conference last night – a rare event as we move into the thick of the fall schedule.  We’ve got a couple tonight though highlighted by what could be one of the best soccer matches we see this year.  Under the brand new lights at Retriever Soccer Park, on the plush Bermuda grass, UMBC’s men’s soccer team plays host to the No. 2 ranked team inthe country, crosstown rival Maryland.  The Retrievers will put their 12-game unbeaten streak on the line against the currently undefeated Terps.  This will be the first meeting between the two schools since the year 2000 when UMBC went into College Park and posted a 2-0 shutout.  Maryland, however, leads the all-time series with a record of 11-2-1 against the Retrievers.  For all of AExtra’s fans in the Baltimore area, you can check this game out on the TV.  Yes, the TV.  It will be the first local sports broadcast by ABC2’s digital channel the Live Well Network.

In the two other contests on the slate this evening, both on the volleyball court, Hartford travels to Bryant while New Hampshire looks to get its first win of the season when it visits Harvard.

Top Drawer Soccer began to release its in-season College Players to Watch Conference Rankings today and America East drew the first straw (these rankings may be released alphabetically).  Earning the top spot for the men was UMBC midfielder Andrew Bulls and for the women, Boston University’s Jessica Luscinski.  You can take a peek at the full rankings, here. 

No, we don’t sponsor hockey here at America East.  But we do support it and tickets for Frozen Fenway went on sale today!  Three of the four teams playing at Fenway in January are America East schools (Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine). 

For all your news and notes, check out AmericaEast.com, follow us on Twitter and take a gander at some stories from around the conference.

UNH Roundup

Field hockey falls just short against crosstown rival BC

Women's soccer experiencing share of highs and lows

Peters' win highlights successful first meet for cross country

Battling through it all

Cross country posts pair of third-place finishes at Cornell Tri-Meet

Women's soccer falls to 3-4 after OT loss to Siena

No. 11 OSU slips past Binghamton

Surging Bearcats pull to .500         

Hartford Lives It Up In France

The defending America East Champion Hartford women's basketball team put together a pretty cool video of its recent trip to France for some sightseeing, great food and preseason competition. Check it out below and get ready for basketball season.... less than two months away from the first regular-season games and exactly one month away from the America East preseason polls and Tip-Off/Media Day event!

UNH Tops Rutgers in OT

In a tightly contested game between the UNH Field Hockey team and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, 70 minutes of regulation wasn’t enough time to determine the victor. Luckily for the Wildcats, they didn’t have to wait long into overtime to keep their winning streak alive.

Hayley Rausch scored her second goal of the game only 2:56 into overtime to secure a 2-1 win over the Scarlet Knights at Memorial Field on Saturday. The victory improves the red hot Wildcats to 5-0 to start their season. It is the first time UNH has started the season 5-0 since 1984.

The win came on a day where defense was the theme of the game, as both teams gave stellar efforts to keep each other from scoring for the majority of the affair.

The strong defensive effort from UNH continues the early season trend of dominating defense, as the Wildcats have yet to allow more than a single goal in each of their first five games.

The ability to shut down opponents has been a very important factor in the 5-0 start to the season, and is an area of the game that is a point of pride for UNH.

“That’s where our maturity is,” said Head Coach Robin Balducci. “We got a lot of talent and experience between our goal keeper and two of our backs who are seniors. Our midfield is very athletic and can defend also.”

Early on in the game it was the Wildcat offense that was making noise, swarming the Scarlet Knight defense with numerous shots on goal. Even with a strong push, UNH would score their only goal of the first half with 9:49 left on the clock when Rausch punched in her first goal of the game.

The Wildcats didn’t allow many opportunities for Rutgers to get close to the net in the first half, but would give up their only goal off of a penalty corner with no time left on the clock.

Allowing the late goal was frustrating for the Wildcats, as it gave the Scarlet Knights hope in a half where they were outplayed by a considerable margin.

“You don’t want that ever to happen,” said Rausch. “You always want to leave the half having momentum.”

Even with the Wildcats playing a strong first half, the team felt that they left a lot of chances on the table.

“In the first half we possessed the ball most of the time so we should have come up with more,” said Kyle Lyons, who had an assist on the game winner. “We had a lot of opportunities we just didn’t finish earlier.”

The second half of the game was much more even paced as both teams had chances to break the 1-1 tie. Solid defense, great saves and a bit of luck kept both teams deadlocked heading into the final period.

Rausch’s two goals were her 8^th and 9^th on the year as she continues to lead the Wildcats in points and is a vital part of the team’s success going forward.

“She’s amazing,” said Balducci. “The kid has a phenomenal nose for the cage. She has a great stick. She’s big strong and athletic. She has all of the characteristics to be an All-American.”

Balducci went on to say that the combination of Rausch and fellow stand out Whitney Frates gives the Wildcats a strong mix of finesse and grit to help guide the Wildcats to victory.

Although the Wildcats are off to their best start in 27 years, the team is not letting their record get in the way of their ultimate goal. The team will continue to work day to day and not let their early success be a distraction down the road.

“We don’t really think about it beforehand,” said Rausch. “We always come in thinking that it’s 0-0.”

America East Daily Word - September 12

The Hartford women's soccer team grabbed the six spot in the America East preseason poll. 

Very few thought anyone would challenge Boston U. for conference supremacy.

But while Boston U. made a splash on the national stage, Hartford has quietly put together a mighty fine first month or so of play.  In fact, the Hawks haven't been beaten and their 5-0-1 record is good for tops in the conference.  The Terriers received a rude welcome-back to the East coast this weekend, dropping contests to UMass and UConn (their first two losses of the season).  Hartford, meanwhile, scored with under three minutes remaining in regulation to defeat LIU, 1-0, on Sunday.  

The 5-0-1 start marks the program's best start since the 1999 season.  That year, Hartford won the America East title and made all the way to the final eight in the NCAA tournament.  The Hawks didn't win their fifth game until Oct. 14 last year and only seven all year.  But dating back to the final three games of 2010, a 7-1-1 record has them singing a different tune.  Their current six-game unbeaten streak will not be tested again until Friday when the Hawks play at the Marist tournament in games against Lafayette and Cornell.  

As impressive as Hartford has been, it's tough to overshadow the hottest sport in America East right now - field hockey.  In last week's national poll, three teams were ranked and two others were receiving votes.  The only two losses this weekend (both 1-0 defeats) came at the hands of top-10 teams as Boston U. fell to #10 Boston College and Albany to #4 UConn.  Otherwise, schools went a combined 9-2.  Maine and No. 12 New Hampshire stayed unbeaten, No. 16 Albany rebounded from its Friday afternoon loss to pick up a win yesterday, Vermont has now won four games in a row and Fairfield swept its weekend games.  Overall this season, America East field hockey has a record of 27-9.

News out of North Carolina.  Stony Brook's men's soccer coach Ryan Anatol picked up his first win at the helm of the Seawolves on Friday when his team defeated High Point, 3-1.  Vermont and Albany were the only other men's program to record a wins over the weekend.  Vermont beat UMass, 1-0, on a penalty kick and Albany beat Buffalo in overtime, 2-1. 

Volleyball teams are back on the East coast and it appears as though the tough early-season tournaments are paying off.  Albany, UMBC, Hartford, Binghamton and Providence all recorded wins this weekend.  New Hampshire is still winless, but played better this weekend at its annual Holly Young Invitational Tournament.

Believe it or not, we don't have any scheduled contests tonight.  Hey, our athletes deserve a break after a very successful weekend.

CBSSports continues it's 'Trippin' series taking a look at college basketball squads that toured foreign countries this summer.  Jeff Borzello caught up with Stony Brook's Steve Pikiell to chat about the Seawolves' three-country exhibition.

And as always, for all your news and notes check out AmericaEast.com and the links below...

Crucial mistakes plague Terriers in overtime
 

Heartbreak kids

UVM athlete spotlight of the week

Binghamton U. men falter against Ohio State

Siena women's soccer edges Binghamton

UMaine softball coach Deb Smith resigns

UMaine releases schedules: Men to play UConn