AEC Rewind

UMBC after capturing the 2012 America East title.

Another weekend has passed and another America East Champion has been crowned. The UMBC Retrievers won a second men's soccer title in the last three years on Saturday night, advancing past New Hampshire in penalty kicks after no goals were scored in the first 110 minutes. But while there were no goals, the game certainly had no shortage of heart stopping moments, including some brilliant saves from both keepers and a rocket off of the crossbar that could have won it for New Hampshire in the first overtime.

Of course men's soccer wasn't the only thing on tap for what was a huge weekend in the America East. Along with the dramatic championship game, the volleyball tournament field was set and basketball season began with 13 men's and women's games on Friday night and plenty more action throughout the weekend. As the fall season is ending, the winter season is just beginning. Never a dull moment here at the America East. Get caught up on everything with today's AEC Rewind.

Box Scores, Recaps, and Highlights

Men's Soccer

We told you some of the story up above, but this was some game. Just three minutes into the game, the America East Striker of the Year, Pete Caringi III, went down with what looked like an ankle injury. Unfortunately we did not see him again the rest of the night, as UMBC was forced to find different ways to attack a New Hampshire defense that, including the championship game, hasn't given up a goal in its last 400 minutes of soccer.

While the Wildcat defense was doing its thing, the offense stepped up and gave the home team several scares in the second half, getting seven shots off. In the end, though, it was Phil Saunders who saved the day in Baltimore. A point blank stop in the second overtime and two saves in penalty kicks, Saunders would go on to be named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

Box/Recap/Highlights

Volleyball

UMBC 3, at Stony Brook 1
Providence 0, at Albany 3
Hartford 0, at New Hampshire 3
Binghamton 3, at Stony Brook 2
Albany 3, at New Hampshire 2
Hartford 3, at Providence 2

Albany has once again clinched the top seed and the right to host the America East volleyball championship. The Great Danes 3-0 victory over Providence on Friday night gave them the league title, which is their fifth-straight and eight in the last nine years. Also joining the party will be Binghamton as the No. 2 seed, UMBC as the No. 3 and New Hampshire rounding out the four-team tournament. The Bearcats earned their spot in the playoffs at the expense of Stony Brook on Sunday, knocking the Seawolves out of playoff contention with a thrilling five set match. New Hampshire's could have been the No. 2 seed, but fell to No. 4 with its loss to Albany. Visit the recap on our website for box scores and other info.

With the championship coming up this weekend in Albany, fans can look forward to some really excellent matches as the four teams fight for a bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Championship Preview/Bracket/Championship Central

Men's Basketball

Carissimo had a big bucket in Vermont's
win over Siena.

Friday, Nov. 9

• Duquesne 66, at Albany 69: Box/Recap
• UMBC 75, at Penn 80: Box/Recap
• Boston U. 64, at Northeastern 65: Box/Recap/Highlights
• Vermont 54, at Siena 53: Box/Recap/Highlights
• Binghamton 45, at Loyola 71: Box/Recap/Highlights
• Stony Brook 60, at Marist 57: Box/Recap

Saturday, Nov. 10

• Suffolk 51, at New Hampshire 91: Box/Recap/Highlights
• Quinnipiac 65, at Hartford 61: Box/Recap/Highlights
• Maine 54, at Dartmouth 67: Box/Recap
• Albany 60, at No. 4 Ohio St. 82: Box/Recap/Highlights

Sunday, Nov. 11

• Brown 58, at Binghamton 49: Box/Recap/Highlights
• Mount Ida 57, at Stony Brook 93: Box/Recap

An eventful opening weekend for sure, with three of the top four teams according to the preseason poll earning close victories, and Boston U. losing a heartbreaker on a last-second three-point shot against Northeastern. Hartford suffered a narrow setback in the Connecticut Six Classic and Albany paid a visit to a national powerhouse in Ohio St. 

Women's Basketball

Daphne Elliot had 14 points for Hartford versus Loyola.

Friday, Nov. 9

• Maine 41, vs. Auburn 71: Box/Recap
• UMBC 61, at Morgan St. 72: Box/Recap
• Vermont 45, at Marist 66: Box/Recap/Highlights
• Loyola 50, at Hartford 64: Box/Recap/Highlights
• Boston College 46, at Boston U. 52: Box/Recap/Highlights
• Rider 62, at Stony Brook 50: Box/Recap
• Fordham 60, at Albany 43: Box/Recap

Saturday, Nov. 10

• Binghamton 34, at St. Bonaventure 61: Box/Recap
• Maine 76, vs. Wofford 79: Box/Recap

Sunday, Nov. 11

• Columbia 40, at Vermont 46: Box/Recap/Highlights
• Monmouth 68, at UMBC 71: Box/Recap/Highlights
• Navy 40, at Stony Brook 44: Box/Recap

There were some very challenging games right off the bat for the women this weekend, including Maine's tangle with an SEC tested Auburn squad. Vermont took on Marist, a program with a recent history of success in the NCAA tournament, including a trip to the Sweet 16 in 2007. The women finished the weekend strong however, as Vermont, UMBC and Stony Brook combined to go 3-0 on Sunday.

Linked Up

The Binghamton Bearcats Hooptalk radio show returns for its seventh season.

Staying in Binghamton, new head coach Tommy Dempsey is changing the culture in Bearcat country.

With 4:46 left in the first half of Albany's game versus Ohio St., the Great Danes had put a scare into the 13,000 Buckeye faithful on hand.

Congratulations to two America East cross country runners, Boston U.'s Rich Peters and New Hampshire's Keely Mcguire, on qualifying for nationals. Both earned one of four individual bids given out in the Northeast region.

Stony Brook AD Jim Fiore made his case for the Seawolves to get an at-large bid for the FCS football tournament.

What's Next?

Women's Basketball

West Virginia at Boston U., 7 p.m.

Men's Basketball

Boston U. at Canisius, 7 p.m.
Eastern at UMBC, 7 p.m.

In addition to these games, set the alarm clock a bit early tomorrow morning and catch Stony Brook play Rider in the fourth game of ESPN's Tip-Off Marthon. The Seawolves will lace it up for a 6 a.m. tip-off, in what is the first Eastern Time Zone game of the marathon. That game will be televised nationally on ESPN.