The Friday Fives

Championship season is officially underway with the victories of Vermont and Stony Brook yesterday in the women's soccer quarterfinals. We're now set up for the semifinals and those games will come on Sunday. We're also going to be at the cross country championship on Saturday for what should be two awesome races. A lot of great things to look forward to this weekend and it all starts with the Friday Fives.

Top Plays




Games to Watch

WSOC: Semifinal action comes your way on Sunday with No. 1 Hartford hosting No. 4 Vermont and No. 2 Maine welcoming No. 6 Stony Brook. Both games will begin at 2 p.m.

MSOC: We talked about this game yesterday on the blog: Stony Brook at Vermont on Saturday at noon for the regular season title.

MSOC: UMBC is trying to stay hot and Binghamton is trying to get back on track this weekend when the two teams collide in Baltimore on Saturday.

XC: The America East Championship, of course. Visit Championship Central for all the info you need to get ready for the action.

BB: How about some basketball? The regular season is still a few weeks away, but Vermont will host a pair of exhibitions on Saturday. You can watch the women at 4 p.m. and the men at 7 p.m. Both games will be streamed for free on CatamounTV.

The Numbers Game

8: The number of goals UMBC forward Pete Caringi III has scored in his past four games, including a four goal showing against Hartford on Wednesday. He is the America East points leader with 30. While we're talking about Caringi, check out this article from the Baltimore Sun which talks about a pair of father/son tandems in UMBC athletics right now.

10: A career high in saves came yesterday for Vermont freshman goaltender Ally Ramos to help the Catamounts advance past Albany. Ramos also made three huge saves in penalty kicks for Vermont.

1 minute, 10 seconds: The average margin of victory for Maine cross country runner Corey Conner this weekend. The women's individual champion in 2009, Conner is a front runner for this year's title.

6: The Stony Brook women are in aiming to win a sixth straight cross country title. This would be the longest streak since Boston U. won seven titles from 1996-2002.

11: With a win over Stony Brook tonight, Albany would clinch a spot in the America East Championship for the 11th straight year. The Great Danes have won six titles since 2002.

Lights, Camera, Action

The Stony Brook Get Your Red on Minute is back with a look at this weekend's cross country championship.

Binghamton is getting ready for the Swimming and Diving season with its 2012-13 season preview.

Take a look at some Hartford student-athletes participating in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk.

The latest in Albany's Get To Know Your Great Danes series.

Some football for your Friday, check out everything that goes into making game day for New Hampshire football a success.

Social Media Central

To stay up to date on the America East Championship action this weekend, here some Twitter accounts you should follow and hashtags you can use:

The four women's soccer semifinalists

@UHartladyhawks -- Hartford women's soccer team
@UVMWSoccer -- Vermont women's soccer team
@BlackBearNation -- Maine general athletics account
@SBAthletics -- Stony Brook general athletics account

Official championship hashtags

#AEWSOC -- women's soccer
#AEXC -- cross country

Daily Word: Weekend Preview

There is a ton of action to be excited about this weekend, starting this afternoon with two women's soccer quarterfinal matchups. You'll also see the cross country championship, the women's soccer semifinals and the final weekend of conference play for both men's soccer and field hockey. We're coming down the home stretch in the fall sports season and you can get ready for all the action with today's preview.

Women's Soccer

Quarterfinals

No. 6 Stony Brook at No. 3 New Hampshire, 2 p.m.
No. 5 Albany at No. 4 Vermont, 2 p.m.

What To Watch For

• Stony Brook beat New Hampshire just a week ago in double overtime 1-0.
• New Hampshire is looking for its first America East Championship win since 2007, while Stony Brook returns to the playoffs after missing last season. Prior to that, the Seawolves had made four straight semifinals.
• Vermont is looking for its first win in America East Championship play.
• Earlier this year, Vermont defeated Albany 2-1.
• Shayla Bergeron is red hot for Albany, which advance to the championship game last season. In her final game of the year, the first-team all-conference striker netted three goals.

No. 1 Hartford awaits the lowest remaining seed for a semifinal matchup on Sunday. No. 2 Maine will host the other semifinal. Click here for a more detailed preview of today's quarterfinal matchups.

Men's Soccer

Stony Brook at Vermont, Saturday 12 p.m.

Albany at Hartford, Saturday 7 p.m.

Binghamton at UMBC, Saturday 7 p.m.

Boston U. at New Hampshire, Saturday 7 p.m.

The Playoff Picture

Vermont, Stony Brook, UMBC and Binghamton have all clinched playoff spots, meaning there are two more spots up from grabs on Saturday. Albany and Hartford will play a virtual playoff game, with both teams fighting for those final two spots. New Hampshire is also in a must win game against Boston U. One of those three teams will be left out so Saturday's games will have plenty of drama.

The Big Game

Saturday's game at Vermont will be some kind of showdown. The rivalry between Stony Brook and Vermont will head to the pitch as the two squads battle for first place. This one is pretty simple: whichever team wins is the regular season champ. Exactly the type of game soccer fans will love. The Catamounts are undefeated in America East play and goaltender Conor Leland just posted his fourth straight shutout. Vermont would also win its first regular season title since 1989 with a victory. Meanwhile the Seawolves are coming off an emotional Senior Night victory over New Hampshire in which senior Raphael Abreu scored both goals. This one is going to be fun, ladies and gentlemen.

Field Hockey

New Hampshire at Maine, Saturday 12 p.m.

Fairfield at Boston U., Saturday 1 p.m.

Albany at Vermont, Saturday 3 p.m.

Harvard at Vermont, Sunday 2 p.m.

Boston U. at Yale, Sunday 2 p.m.

Dartmouth at New Hampshire, Sunday 3 p.m.

The Playoff Picture

New Hampshire has already locked up the No. 1 seed for the America East championship while Maine and Albany have already locked up playoff berths. However, Maine and Albany are tied in the standings, both with 2-2 America East records, and are looking to get a win to secure the No. 2 seed. Albany controls its own destiny though, as it can guarantee home field advantage in the first round with a win over Vermont. Fairfield has also locked up its playoff spot, completing the championship field.

The Big Game

New Hampshire and Maine will tangle in Orono to help decide seeding for the tournament. The Wildcats are looking to preserve a perfect conference record, while Maine wants to lock up that No. 2 seed. The Black Bears are also looking to get back on track with the playoffs approaching after losing the last two conference games. 

Volleyball

Stony Brook at Albany, Friday 7 p.m.

UMBC at Providence, Friday 7 p.m.

Binghamton at New Hampshire, Friday 7 p.m.

UMBC at New Hampshire, Sunday 1 p.m.

Binghamton at Providence, Sunday 1 p.m.

Stony Brook at Hartford, Sunday 2 p.m.

The Playoff Picture

We still have three weekends of conference play to go, but four teams have begun to separate themselves from the pack. Albany has again been dominant in conference play, a perfect 7-0 so far. Below that, there are three teams within a game of each other for the other three playoff spots. New Hampshire will play both Binghamton and UMBC this weekend and both of those teams are tied for third. Stony Brook at Hartford are both within striking distance, but will need to finish strong.

The Big Game

UMBC travels to New Hampshire on Sunday riding what may become a three-game winning streak if the Retrievers are able to beat Providence. New Hampshire has gotten back on track after losing two straight in conference and will be aiming to solidify its place as the No. 2 seed for the upcoming tournament.

The America East cross country championship is on Saturday. Look for a detailed preview of that race on AmericaEast.com later today.

Swimming and diving has a full slate this weekend, as some conference squads are competing for the first time this season. Check out the weekly release for information on which team is swimming where over the weekend.

Linked Up

New Hampshire has released the latest episode of Inside Wildcat Country.

In case you missed it last night, Pete Caringi III tied a UMBC record with four goals against Hartford. Check out the highlights.

The Times Union takes a look at new Binghamton men's basketball coach Tommy Dempsey and why this job was the one he wanted.

Make sure to cast your vote for the America East Fans' Choice Men's Soccer Player of the Year!

Daily Word: Media Day Recap

Eric Frede with Albany women's coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson
at yesterday's basketall Media Day.

It was a great day at SEFCU Arena in Albany yesterday. For many, yesterday was a symbolic beginning of the 2012-13 America East basketball season, a time that we all look forward to. While it still seems like just yesterday that we were on this blog talking about the start of fall sports, regular season men's and women's basketball is just around the corner, and being in Albany you could feel a buzz in the air. People are excited about this season. Everyone we talked to raved about the parity of both the men's and women's game this season and pointed out that although each preseason poll had a winner, really anyone could win the league. All in all, it was a great chance to see everyone before the intensity of the regular season kicks in.

In case you missed it, Vermont was picked to win the league on the men's side, while Albany was tops in the women's poll. Both of those squads are coming off of conference championships in 2011-12 so they were already prepared to receive everyone's best shot during conference play. Junior Brian Voelkel represented the Catamounts on the men's preseason all-conference team and a pair of Great Danes in Ebone Henry and Julie Forster made the women's list. 

For complete coverage of both preseason polls and all-conference teams, head over to our Media Day page on AmericaEast.com. You'll also find video footage of the interviews with all 18 coaches. Below, check out our recap of the day!

There are a ton of links out there from Media Day, so we'll do an extended version of Linked Up below...

Linked Up

The Hartford Courant has its story up this morning, complete with quotes from Jen Rizzotti and John Gallagher.

Change is in the air for the America East, writes the Press and Sun.

The Times Union wrote about Mike Black, who was a preseason all-conference choice for Albany.

The Troy Record profiled the Albany women, complete with a video interview of Coach Abrahamson-Henderson.

Alasdair Fraser's preseason all-conference nod headlined the Bangor Daily News' story.

From the Burlington Free Press, Vermont is the men's preseason favorite.

Not from Media Day, but a great story out of Vermont, as the Catamounts newest roster addition is 10-year-old Keegan Place, who is living with cystic fibrosis.

Newsday tells recaps the Stony Brook news from Media Day.

In some non-basketball news, congratulations to Amelia Pereira, who was voted the America East Women's Soccer Fans' Choice Player of the Year!

What's Next?

Men's Soccer

Binghamton at Boston U., 7 p.m.

Hartford at UMBC, 7 p.m.

New Hampshire at Stony Brook, 7 p.m.

Vermont at Albany, 7:30 p.m.

Daily Word: Basketball Media Day

The America East has trekked the Mass Pike and we're now in Albany for today's Media Day festivities. The University at Albany's SEFCU Arena is the stage for today, as coaches from all nine schools will speak to the media and we will unveil our preseason poll and preseason all-conference videos on the big screen. If you haven't heard already, you can follow along with everything live online today. Just visit our Media Day Central for streaming video and links to everything you need to know as we get ready for America East basketball season. We will also unveil the theme for our men's and women's basketball championships today, so keep an eye on that. You can use #AEHoops to join the conversation on Twitter all day!

Eric Frede is here running interviews with all of the coaches, and you'll be able to see all of them on our live stream. In addition, we got a chance to catch up with a few coaches ourselves, including New Hampshire men's coach Bill Herrion and Vermont women's coach Lori Gear McBride. Both coaches are very excited about their respective squads, as the Wildcats were voted sixth in the men's poll and the Catamounts tied for fourth in the women's poll.

We also talked with Albany Athletic Directory Lee McElroy, who praised the "the enthusiasm" of all that participated in the planning of this event. The Great Danes hosted Media Day in 2009, but that was before the America East started the combined format that is being carried out today. He also let us in on the outlook for the men's and women's teams for the upcoming year. For the men, McElroy told us that the new additions to the team have meshed well and that fans can look forward to the Great Danes "really moving the ball up and down the floor". The women, who are the favorites according to the coaches, are back with great "leadership and depth". McElroy was also very excited about hosting the America East Championship this season, saying, "attendance is going to great, competition is going to be great and the parity of the league is fantastic". Definitely something fans can look forward to.

Albany Coach Will Brown with Eric Frede.

Herrion told us he's looking forward to playing more "inside-out" style of basketball this year after being very perimeter orientated in the past. He also mentioned that although last year's graduating class was the "winningest four year class in the history of UNH basketball," he is really excited about how his squad looks now.

Coach McBride talked about how today is "a symbol of the beginning of the season" and that coming here is a great feeling knowing games are right around the corner. Her Catamounts are healthy, something McBride says is a big key for them. She also told us that she's looking for her "experienced seniors" to lead the way for Vermont this season.

Make sure to keep following along on Twitter and Media Day Central, as there is much more to come here from SEFCU Arena!

Linked Up

UMBC volleyball is asking for your help in the fight against breast cancer.

The new $40 million dollar student recreation center opened on Stony Brook's campus.

The Vermont men's and women's basketball teams are hosting a food drive this Saturday during an annual scrimmage versus Saint Michael's College.

Albany baseball coach Jon Mueller will be inducted into the Capital District Hall of Fame.

Binghamton hosted a speaker to talks to its student-athletes about how to manage social media usage.

What's Next?

Still no games tonight, but there will be a flurry of content coming your way related to Media Day. Make sure to reach out to us on Twitter and Facebook to tell us what you have to say!

Daily Word: AEC Rewind

Congrats to the Terriers!

The women's soccer championship field is officially set, as the regular season came to a close over the weekend. Boston U. highlighted the action, wrapping up its sixth consecutive America East regular season title win a 1-0 win over New Hampshire. The other big storyline was the logjam in the standings heading into the season's final day. Maine, with 11 points, had finished its schedule and had to play the waiting game as New Hampshire, Vermont and Stony Brook were all just one point out of second place. To put it quite simply, every game on Sunday meant a lot in terms of the conference championship. Let's get into how everything shook out in women's soccer and with all the other action around the conference with the AEC Rewind...

Box Scores, Recaps and Highlights

Women's Soccer

Shayla Bergeron stole the show on senior day, as her hat trick help Albany beat UMBC 4-1: Box/Recap

Boston U.'s perfect regular season ended with its 32nd straight America East conference victory, the final one coming over New Hampshire. Congratulations to the Terriers: Box/Recap/Highlights

A pair of second half goals sparked Binghamton, as it ended the season with a 2-1 victory over Vermont: Box/Recap/Highlights

Hartford rolls into the postseason coming off a 2-1 victory over Stony Brook: Box/Recap

The championship bracket is officially set, with quarterfinal action starting this Thusday. Check out the pairings here. You can also visit the Championship Central page for all your postseason needs.

Men's Soccer

UMBC continued its surge, beating Stony Brook 1-0 to extend its winning streak to three games: Box/Recap/Highlights

Vermont and New Hampshire battled to a scoreless tie, as the Catamounts remain in first place: Box/Recap/Highlights

Dominque Badji put Boston U. ahead of Albany and the Terriers never looked back, winning 2-0: Box/Recap/Highlights

Hartford held on to a one goal lead to get past Binghamton on the road: Box/Recap

Field Hockey

New Hampshire locked up at least a share of the regular season title and the top seed in the upcoming championship with its 1-0 victory over Boston U.: Box/Recap/Highlights

Albany downed Maine 1-0, but both teams are ensured a spot in the America East Championship: Box/Recap

Fairfield will play in the America East Championship for the first time, thanks to its 3-2 overtime victory against Vermont: Box/Recap

Hofstra 1, at Maine 2: Box/Recap
(10) Northeastern 3, at (13) Boston U. 4: Box/Recap/Highlights
Penn 2, at Fairfield 4: Box/Recap
(23) Albany 6, at Yale 1: Box/Recap

Volleyball

UMBC is now tied with Binghamton for third place, after downing the Bearcats 3-1: Box/Recap/Highlights

New Hampshire took care of Providence in straight sets: Box/Recap

Albany stayed perfect in the conference playing, beating Hartford 3-1: Box/Recap

Linked Up

Binghamton students helped out in the Clean and Green campaign this weekend.

Student-athletes from Albany were a part of the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk.

Maine women's basketball sophomore Courtney Anderson has earned a scholarship after walking on a year ago.

Some football notes for you on this Monday:

• New Hampshire beat Maine to hold onto the Brice-Cowell Musket for another year.
• Congratulations to Miguel Maysonet of Stony Brook, who became the first Big South player ever to surpass 4,000 career rushing yards.

What's Next?

No games tonight, but look for a live stream of America East Basketball Media tomorrow from SEFCU Arena at the University at Albany!