The Friday Fives

Yesterday we got you ready for championship season. Now let's take a look inside what will prove to be a great weekend on the field of play. Here a five big things to keep in mind this weekend, as championships are at stake.

Number 1

The America East women's soccer championship is at on the line this weekend, with No. 1 Hartford taking on No. 6 Stony Brook. The Hawks have history on their side in this one, as the No. 1 seed has gone on to win the title 16 out of 18 times in the America East Championship. Hartford also has a fair bit of tradition on its side, having won 10 conference championships. Senior Striker of the Year Amelia Pereira will have a hand in just about everything for the Hawks, as she recorded a point on both of the goals in the semifinal win over Vermont. Her speed and nose for the net will be huge in this game.

Stony Brook, meanwhile, is making its third appearance in the America East title game, having gone 0-2 previously. The Seawolves are an extremely young team, with 10 freshman on the roster as compared to just three seniors. After going on the road and winning two tough games, Stony Brook has shown itself to be tough, hungry and talented. So don't count them out. The No. 6 seed has made the title game just one other time in conference history, after Maine made it in 2010. The Seawolves are vying to become the first No. 6 seed to win it all.

Free of Charge

The America East and Stony Brook have teamed up to offer free admission to Saturday's men's soccer quaterfinal matchup between Stony Brook and Binghamton. It is a symbol of respect for the people of Long Island as they continue to recover from Hurricane Sandy. This should give the Seawolves a little extra motivation, as it is possibly the last home game for seven seniors, including First-Team All-Conference midfielder Leonardo Fernandes. Fellow senior First-Team All-Conference performer Jake Keegan will do his best to lead the Bearcats on Saturday. The striker has proven to be explosive throughout the year and it doesn't take much space for him to be able to make his move.

It should be an awesome atmosphere on Saturday night leading to a game between two really exciting teams. If you can make it to Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium, we hope you take advantage of a great event.

Back-to-Back

New Hampshire, ranked 19th in the country coming into the weekend, is attempting to become the first America East field hockey champion to repeat in five years. In doing so, the Wildcats will feature an offense that lead the conference in goals scored with 55. Junior forward Hannah Richard has led the charge, as she has 14 goals on the season. Her impressive total only trails Fairfield star Felicitas Heinein. Coincidentally, Heinen leads another high scoring attack, as the Stags are second in the conference in goals scored. If there is one thing we know about today's game, it is that the back of the cage is in danger. Both of these teams can really score and the two teams combined for five goals in the regular season meeting, as New Hampshire won 3-2 in double overtime.

Co-Offensive Player of the Year Daphne Voormolen

Prevent and Attack

It sounds simple, but that's what Albany does. The Great Danes will face Maine in the America East field hockey semifinals later today after an impressive regular season. Challenging itself with numerous matchups versus ranked opponents, Albany scored some big wins against Louisville and Massachusetts, solidifying its place among the nation's elite. The Great Danes were able to do this with an excellent combination of goal prevention and stellar attack. Among the many facts that evidence this style of play is that Albany boasts both the Co-Offensive Player of the Year in Daphne Voormolen and the Co-Goalkeeper of the Year in Kristi Troch. These two helped Albany to the 20th best scoring margin in the nation at 1.11, which is also the best mark in the America East. Maine, with Co-Offensive Player of the Year Annabelle Hamilton, is sure to give the Great Danes a real challenge, as it seems each of the four teams in the playoffs could easily win it all.

#MAYSONET4PAYTON

We mentioned this briefly on the blog yesterday, but it deserves another mention. Stony Brook running back Miguel Maysonet is a legitimate candidate for the Walter Payton Award, which is given annually to the top offensive player in the FCS. Maysonet has led the Seawolves all the way up the polls to No. 9 in the country and he is continuing to shatter records as he goes. Among the many records he owns are the Stony Brook all-time marks for rushing yards (4,263), rushing touchdowns (41), rushing yards in a season (1,633) and rushing touchdowns in a season (16). Maysonet could set a new mark in every one of those categories when Stony Brook takes on VMI this Saturday.

So if you have a second, visit the official website of his Payton Award campaign and help a deserving young man get some national spotlight.