The Friday Fives

Another week has come and gone in the America East. With fall sports non-conference play coming to a close, let's look back on the week that was and ahead to the weekend that's in store. Here are your Friday Fives.

Top Plays (with some bonus football action)




Games to Watch

- FH: (16) New Hampshire visits (5) Connecticut tonight at 7 p.m. The Huskies come in with the best RPI in the country and have already defeated one America East squad (Albany). This is a huge game for New Hampshire.

- WSOC: Albany and Boston U will tangle on Sunday in Boston at 2 p.m. As we talked about yesterday, this is a rematch of last year's America East championship game.

- WSOC: Binghamton is off to a fast start (7-2) and they're out to prove themselves with a visit Hartford on Sunday at 2 p.m.

- MSOC: Stony Brook brings a four-game win streak into a road matchup with Central Connecticut State on Sunday at 2 p.m. More on this game in a second...

- VB: Binghamton will try to follow up its big win over Syracuse when UMBC comes to town tonight at 7 p.m. The Retrievers are arguably the hottest team in the America East right now, having won four out of five.

The Numbers Game

28 & 25 -- Here's why you need to watch the Stony Brook men's soccer game on Sunday: Leonardo Fernandes has 27 career goals, which is good for fourth in Stony Brook history. If he gets goal number 28, he'll move into a tie for third. In goal, Stefan Manz is looking for his 25th career victory as the Seawolves' keeper. If he gets it, he'll move into a tie for the most goalkeeper wins in school history.

2 minutes, 24 seconds -- This is Corey Conner's combined margin of victory over her last two cross country races. The Maine harrier has dominated her competition this year and she looks to continue that trend this weekend against New Hampshire.

.934 -- The Albany volleyball team has won 43 of its last 46 conference matches, good for a .934 winning percentage over that span. On Sunday, one of the last three squads to beat the Great Danes comes to town -- the Hartford Hawks.

30 -- The number of goals that the New Hampshire field hockey women have tallied this year. If it looks like a lot...well, it is. The Wildcats have 12 more goals than any other America East team this season and as of 9/17 the squad ranked fifth in the country in goals per game.

25 -- This number represents the dominance of the Boston U. women's soccer team lately. Coming into the opening conference matchup, the Terriers have won 25 straight America East games. Included in that span are two conference titles.

Linked Up: Friday Fives Edition

The Times Union has a great piece about Albany's growth spurt.

Stony Brook president Dr. Samuel Stanley recently gave his "state of the university" address.

The Press and Sun looks at the Binghamton men's basketball team and its fresh start.

Vermont posted the second edition of Catamount Weekly.

Not to be outdone, Stony Brook just rolled out the first edition of the Get Your Red on Minute.

#AELive

Here are five hashtags you can use on Twitter this weekend to stay up to date on all the America East action:

#AEMSOC -- Men's Soccer
#AEWSOC -- Women's Soccer
#AEFH -- Field Hockey
#AEVB -- Volleyball
#AEXC -- Cross Country

Daily Word: Weekend Preview

Shayla Bergeron is the America East's leading scorer.

Non-conference play for America East squads this season has taken them all over the country -- as far as Hawaii in the case of Albany's volleyball team. Now it's time to get back in conference and find out which schools will be fighting for this year's America East fall championships. For two sports, women's soccer and volleyball, that journey begins this weekend. Let's take a look at some of the matchups...

Women's Soccer

The women's slate gets going on Sunday with four conference matchups as Stony Brook gets a bye. We won't waste any time picking up right where we left off last season, with Albany visiting Boston U. Of course these two squads played in last season's America East Championship Game, with the Terriers earning a 2-0 victory. Boston U. was unanimously picked to win the conference regular season and Albany was selected to finish third after their strong run in 2011. This match will be a good test for the Great Danes, who have struggled on the road so far this year. On the flip side, the Terriers are .500 at home and will look to build off their tough non-conference schedule.

Another great matchup this weekend pits Hartford against Binghamton. The Hawks were selected to finish second in the preseason poll and return a great crew of upperclassmen. For the Bearcats, 2012 has been about proving people wrong, after they were selected to finish eighth out of nine in the America East preseason poll. All this group has done is get off to the program's best start since 2004 at 7-2. When Hartford comes to visit this weekend, it will be a great chance to make a statement to the rest of the conference.

Elsewhere around the conference this weekend, Maine will travel to Burlington to face a Vermont team that is still looking to hit its stride after making the playoffs last season for the first time since 2006. New Hampshire is set for a visit to UMBC on Sunday, as both teams look to start conference play on the right foot.

Volleyball

Preseason conference favorite Albany travels to Hartford this weekend to face a squad that is feeling good after winning three of its last five matches. The Great Danes played a tough non-conference schedule and will be looking to hit a groove after losing the last two matches.

In other action, Binghamton will visit UMBC and New Hampshire hosts Providence. UMBC is flying high after winning four out of five matches and sweeping the America East weekly awards given out on Monday. New Hampshire is also feeling good after posting the best record in non-conference play at 7-8 and winning its last two matches.

Box Scores, Recaps and Highlights

Men's Soccer

Leonardo Fernandes notched another game winning goal as Stony Brook won its fourth in a row: at Sacred Heart (Box/Recap)

DJ Edler racked up two goals as Vermont won: at Hofstra (Box/Recap)

Hartford has now won four straight mathces: vs. Quinnipiac (Box/Recap/Highlights)

Two goals six minutes apart gave UMBC a victory: vs. Loyola (Box/Recap/Highlights)

Binghamton fell to a nationally-ranked squad: vs. Cornell (Box/Recap)

Women's Soccer

Allie Coppenrath's game-winner in OT game sparked New Hampshire: at Holy Cross (Box/Recap)

A late goal sunk Vermont: vs. Siena (Box/Recap/Highlights)

Volleyball

A team-record 20 service aces help Binghamton erase a two-set deficit: at Syracuse (Box/Recap/Highlights)

Albany dropped its final non-conference match in straight sets: at Yale (Box/Recap)

Linked Up

Not much news today, so make sure you check out our recap of WLS Day 2 below!

What's Next?

Field Hockey

Holy Cross at Fairfield -- 4:00 p.m.

Women's Soccer

Boston U. at North Carolina State -- 7:00 p.m.
Iona at Hartford -- 7:00 p.m.

Daily Word: WLS Day 2

We're underway here in Boston with the second day of presenters for the Women's Leadership Symposium. Day one saw its fair share of big names -- Jim Fiore of Stony Brook and our Commissioner, Amy Huchthausen, represented the America East Conference -- speaking about a broad range of topics aimed at empowering females in the industry. Several of the presenters were nice enough to give us a few moments of their time to talk about their subject and what they hope participants will take away. If you haven't seen the video already, click below to check it out.

The rest of day two will feature stars from the field such as NACWAA CEO Patti Phillips, Hartford women's basketball coach Jen Rizzotti,  Boston U. Athletic Director Mike Lynch and many more. Keep following along with the official hashtag: #WLSBoston.

Box Scores, Recaps and Highlights

Field Hockey

Boston U. got another overtime victory, its fourth of the year: at UMass (Box/Recap)

Men's Soccer

New Hampshire took a tough loss in overtime: at Rhode Island (Box/Recap)

Boston U. racked up four goals in an easy non-conference win: vs. Holy Cross (Box/Recap/Highlights)

Volleyball

Hartford has now won back-to-back matches for the first time this season: vs. Bryant (Box/Recap/Highlights)

Morgan Thatcher led New Hampshire to a five-set victory: vs. Harvard (Box/Recap/Highlights)

Linked Up

A pair of Maine freshmen were featured in the Bangor Daily News.

Albany women's basketball head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson agreed to a contract extension.

UMBC is building a new performing arts center.

A Maine football alum talks about getting the chance to play in the NFL.

Make sure you check out the work of Kayla McCulley, who is blogging about WLS for her site, Women Talk Sports. Look for a post about her experience soon!

WLS attendees at the reception.

What's Next?

Women's Soccer
Vermont vs. Siena -- 3:30 p.m.
Albany at Colgate -- 6:00 p.m.
New Hampshire at Holy Cross -- 7:00 p.m.

Men's Soccer
Stony Brook at Sacred Heart -- 3:30 p.m.
Vermont at Hofstra -- 6:00 p.m.
Hartford vs. Quinnipiac -- 7:00 p.m.
Binghamton vs. Cornell -- 7:00 p.m.
UMBC vs. Loyola -- 7:00 p.m.

Volleyball
Albany at Yale -- 7:00 p.m.
Binghamton at Syracuse -- 7:00 p.m.

Links for the live stats and streams can be found at AmericaEast.com.

Daily Word: WLS Comes to Boston

Boston WLS 2012 (Photo Credit: John Lukach)

Today the America East is taking a little field trip down the road to the Marriott Copley Place hotel for the Boston 2012 Women's Leadership Symposium. After months and months of planning, it is finally here. For the next two days, students, coaches and administrators alike will come together to attend presentations from some of the finest professionals college athletics has to offer.

Our own Shonna Brown is the Co-Chair of the event, but many America East staff members have been working to make this event one that is a real benefit to women in intercollegiate athletics. To find out more about this event and its history, you can visit the WLS website. Stay tuned to the blog also, as we'll have more content from WLS 2012 in the coming days. Also, if you want to follow along with the event from home or anywhere else, you can do so on Twitter with the official hashtag of the event: #WLSBoston.

No games last night, so let's get right into today links...

Linked Up

Stony Brook's Sa'sha Kershaw was also named the Big Apple Women's Player of the Week.

The Boston U. Daily Free Press has an in-depth look at the women's soccer team and their tough early season schedule.

Check out this story about how former New Hampshire football coach Chip Kelly developed his trademark offensive style.

The Statesmen has a piece about Stony Brook's growing reputation.

Three America East teams remain in the newest NFHCA field hockey rankings.

What's Next?

Men's Soccer
New Hampshire @ Rhode Island
Boston U. vs. Holy Cross

Volleyball
Hartford vs. Bryant
New Hampshire vs. Harvard

Field Hockey
Boston U. @ Massachusetts

Visit AmericaEast.com for links to live stats and streams!

Daily Word: Weekend Roundup

Stony Brook's Sa'sha Kershaw.

It was good weekend to play soccer for Stony Brook. Both the men and the women netted perfect 2-0 weekends and hit some milestones along the way. First off, congratulations to women's soccer coach Sue Ryan who captured career victories 200 and 201 over the weekend. At the helm for an incredible 28 seasons, Ryan saw her Seawolves' earn victories over Manhattan and Lehigh thanks to a pair of game winning goals from Sa'sha Kershaw.

On the men's side, Leonardo Fernandes, this week's America East Player of the Week, netted three goals and one assist over the weekend as his squad went undefeated. Fernandes is currently on pace for 29 points this season, which would break his previous career high and become the third highest single-season total in Stony Brook history. His teammate, goalkeeper Stefan Manz also made some history as he notched his 15th career shutout, which ties him for the most in school history. The shutout of Buffalo was also his 23rd career victory, good for second in Seawolves history. Both marks should fall before seasons' end. 

Box Scores, Recaps and Highlights

Men's Soccer

Stony Brook improved to 3-0 at home with its two wins: vs. Fordham (Box/Recap), vs. Buffalo (Box/Recap)

Javoni Simms was America East Rookie of the Week again as Hartford won: at Siena 

(Box/Recap/Highlights) 

Jake Keegan's offensive onslaught continued, as he brought home some hardware in a 1-1 weekend: vs. Appalachian St. (Box/Recap), at UNC-Wilmington (Box/Recap)

Vermont carries a three-game unbeaten streak thanks to a draw on Sunday: at Colgate (Box/Recap)

A Jordan Thomas PK goal help New Hampshire earn a draw: vs. UMass (Box/Recap/Highlights)

UMBC fell just short in its comeback bid: at George Mason (Box/Recap)

Albany lost two tough road games: at Penn St. (Box/Recap), at Bucknell (Box/Recap)

Women's Soccer

Stony Brook outshot its opponents 50-13 on the way to a pair of victories: vs. Manhattan (Box/Recap), vs. Lehigh (Box/Recap)

Rookie of the Week Lauren Swant led Maine to a 1-0-1 weekend: vs. Fairfield (Box/Recap), at Rhode Island (Box Recap)

Brittany Walsh's late goal on the road pushed Binghamton to 6-2: vs. St. Bonaventure (Box/Recap), at Fairleigh Dickinson (Box/Recap/Highlights)

Erin Quinlan notched her third shutout as Hartford earned a draw on the road: at Temple (Box/Recap)

UMBC played a scoreless draw on the road: at VCU (Box/Recap)

Boston U. dropped a close one to an in-state rival: vs. UMass (Box/Recap/Highlights)

Albany came up empty as it played two matches on the road: at Hofstra (Box/Recap), at Northeastern (Box/Recap)

New Hampshire lost a pair of games to rival schools: at Dartmouth (Box/Recap), at UMass (Box/Recap)

Vermont suffered two setbacks in its weekend trip to the state of Rhode Island: at Rhode Island (Box/Recap), at Bryant (Box/Recap/Highlights)

Field Hockey

New Hampshire had a big weekend that included a win over No. 7: vs. Pacific (Box/Recap/Highlights), vs. Northeastern (Box/Recap/Highlights)

Maine extended its win streak to four with a perfect weekend: at Holy Cross (Box/Recap), vs. Pacific (Box/Recap)

Head coach Phil Sykes got his 100th win as Albany went 1-1: vs. Missouri St. (Box/Recap), at Iowa (Box/Recap)

Michigan continues to be a thorn in the America East's side, as it stopped Fairfield's five-game win streak: vs. Saint Louis (Box/Recap), at Michigan (Box/Recap)

Boston U. suffered its first road loss on Friday: at William & Mary (Box/Recap)

Vermont dropped a pair on its weekend road trip: at Lock Haven (Box/Recap), vs. St. Francis (Box/Recap)

Volleyball 

America East teams went 6-14 on the weekend. UMBC led the way going 2-1 on the weekend at the East Carolina Tournament.

Cross Country

The America East Pre-Conference meet happened on Friday at the University of New Hampshire. Albany, Boston U., Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont were all there, so it was a pretty good look at where everyone stands in 2012. On the men's side, Boston U. took first with junior Rich Peters racing to the individual crown (results). For the women, Maine's Corey Conner blew away the field to win the individual title, but Vermont placed four in the top 10 to win the meet (results)

The Stony Brook men placed seventh and the women fourth in the Wolfie Invitational.

UMBC's men took fifth while the women took seventh at the Navy Invitational.

Linked Up

It was a nice weekend for Maine athletics.

Erika Mahoney of WBGN Channel 12 has a piece about a "blossoming" Binghamton University.

An 87-year-old Boston U. professor is making news.

Syracuse and Albany both put up a nice fight in their weekend football matchups.

The newest regional cross country rankings feature two America East men's squads and three women's teams.

What's Next?

No games tonight, but be sure to check out the weekly releases for men's and women's soccer, field hockey and volleyball today on AmericaEast.com.