CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Following the opening the weekend of the 2008 women's soccer campaign, Maine's Laura Martel (Lewiston, Maine/Lewiston) and Hartford's Breeanna Robinson (East Hampstead, N.H./Pinkerton Academy) have earned the first weekly honors of the season. Martel took home Player of the Week accolades, while Robinson earned Rookie of the Week honors.
Martel, a junior attack, recorded a natural hat trick in the Black Bears’ season-opening 3-0 win over Sacred Heart on Saturday. She found the back of the net three times in the first 17 minutes of the contest. A second-team all-conference selection in 2007, Martel is the first America East player to score three goals in a game since former teammate Marie-Andree Canuel accomplished the feat on October 14, 2005.
Robinson, a freshman attack, scored a pair of goals in the Hawks’ 3-0 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson on Sunday. She came off the bench to tally Hartford’s second and third goals of the game. Robinson is the first Hawk to record two scores in a game since two-time first-team all-conference selection Megan Riemer scored twice on October 5, 2006. She is also the first Hartford rookie record a multi-goal game since junior Laura Guigli tallied a pair of goals on October 1, 2006.
Overall, America East teams went 5-6-1 during the first weekend of play with Albany, Binghamton, Hartford, Maine and New Hampshire all posting victories.
Team Notebooks
Albany (1-1-0, 0-0-0 America East) took a 3-1 loss at Syracuse on Friday night and then avenged last year’s 3-0 loss to Colgate by defeating the Raiders, 2-1 in double overtime, on Sunday afternoon ... Junior Ashley Tirabassi (Cambridge, Ontario/Monsignor Doyle) netted two of UAlbany’s three goals, including the golden goal at Colgate ... With the team trailing 1-0 in the second half on Sunday, freshman Rebecca Lee (Selkirk, N.Y./Bethlehem Central) scored the equalizing goal to force overtime and then intercepted the ball on a clear attempt by the Raider defense to set up Tirabassi’s goal in the second overtime ... Playing in her first collegiate match, freshman defender Katie Norwood (Rockville Centre, N.Y./South Side) assisted on Tirabassi’s goal against Syracuse ... After surrendering goals on the first two shots she faced against Syracuse, freshman goalkeeper Cate Crenson (North Salem, N.Y./North Salem) turned away 14 of the next 16 shots she saw against the Orange and Raiders to boast a 1.89 goals against average and a .778 save percentage to date ... Head coach Mary-Frances Monroe started seven true freshman and a total of eight newcomers in both games ... UAlbany’s four defenders and goalkeeper were all making their collegiate debuts ... Before Sunday’s victory, the Great Danes were 0-4 all-time against Colgate and had been outscored by a count of 12-1 ... UAlbany will stay on the road to face Lehigh, picked fifth in the Patriot League’s preseason poll, on Aug. 31 at 1 p.m.
Binghamton (1-0-0, 0-0-0 America East) opened its season with a dramatic 2-1 overtime win over visiting UMass. The victory was the first in the debut of first-year coach Sarah McClellan ... It was the first time in four years that the Bearcats have won their season-opener ... Freshman forward AnnMarie Rizzi (Cornwall, N.Y.,/Cornwall) scored the winner with 2:12 remaining in the first overtime period. Rizzi took a thru ball from senior linemate Kelly Haslinger (Boston, N.Y./Nardin Academy) and slipped it under the rushing UMass keeper from close range... Freshman forward Emily Dixon (Windsor, N.Y./Windsor/Broome CC) forced overtime when she drilled an 18-yard rocket to the lower left corner with 7:14 left in regulation. Dixon was the 2007 National Junior College Player of the Year (Division III) after leading her Broome Community College team to the NJCAA title... Junior midfielder Amanda Casares (Rahway, N.J./Rahway) played a pivotal role in the win. The all-conference central midfielder cleared a ball off BU's goal line in the first half and then set up Dixon's goal with some fancy footwork in the attacking third. Casares maneuvered around three Minutewomen defenders before setting up Dixon for the equalizer... Junior keeper Jen McEachron (Hoosick Falls, N.Y./Hoosick Falls) made four saves for the win... Binghamton now takes to the road for three straight games.
Boston University (0-1-0, 0-0-0 America East) opened its season with a 1-0 loss to No. 14 Boston College (1-0-0) on Saturday evening at Nickerson Field. The Eagles tallied the game-winning goal in the 32nd minute. Sophomore netminder Janie Reilly played a solid game for the Terriers, recording eight saves. Reilly kept the Terriers within on goal with crucial saves at point-blank range on two occasions. BU will return to action on Thursday, Aug. 28 when they travel to URI for a 7 p.m. game.
Hartford (1-0-1, 0-0-0 America East) did not give up a goal in its first weekend of the 2008 season, recording a scoreless tie against Central Connecticut State University on Friday to open the season before picking up a 3-0 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson on Sunday. Freshman Breeanna Robinson (East Hampstead, N.H./Pinkerton Academy) scored two goals in the FDU win while senior Kacey Busque (Manchester, Conn./Manchester) added a pair of assists. Junior co-captain Becky Flowers (Santee, Calif./Santana) netted the game-winning goal early in the first half... Sunday's game marked the first time Hartford scored three goals in a game since October 5, 2006 (a 5-0 victory over UMBC)... Freshman goalkeeper Lauren Brodeur (Wilbraham, Mass./Wilbraham & Monson) made the start in both contests for the Hawks. She made one save against the Blue Devils in 110 minutes and recorded two stops against the Knights before coming out of the game for a substitution... Hartford hits the road this week for a visit to the Sunshine State. The Hawks will play at Stetson University on Friday, August 29 and the University of Central Florida on Sunday, August 31.
Maine (1-0-0, 0-0-0 America East) has now won nine straight home openers...Maine outshot Sacred Heart 15-to-four and took eight corner kicks to Sacred Heart’s four...Martel scored her three goals against Sacred Heart within the first 17 minutes of the game...Martel’s three goals were one off the school record shared by Marie-Andree Canuel and Heather Hathorn...Martel’s six points were two off the record of eight, held by Hathorn, Canuel and Christina Contardo...Jasmine Phillips (Nepean, Ontario/Merivale) made three saves in net and notched her 28th career shutout, increasing her school record by five over Tanya Adorno who played from 2002-05...Phillips owns four Maine goalkeeping records...The Black Bears played all five newcomers in the game, with Carolyne Nellis (Quebec City, Quebec/FX Garneau) notching an assist and Alli Krous (Yakima, Wash./Walla Walla CC) registering two shots...Maine returns to action on Friday with a home contest in South Berwick, Maine against Umass at 4 p.m. and follows it up with a game on Sunday in Orono against Rhode Island at 1 p.m.
UMBC (0-2-0, 0-0-0 America East) dropped its first two games of the season, falling at home to Bucknell, 3-0, on Aug. 22, then at Villanova, 7-0, on Aug. 24... Senior goalie Christine Bacinski (Hamstead, Md./Mount de Sales) made four saves in the season opener... Freshman keeper Mo Van Vlerah (Boyds, Md./Northwest) stopped six shots in her collegiate debut against Villanova... The Retrievers were out-shot, 43-8, on the week, with senior back Kali Schwartz (Congers, N.Y./Clarkstown South) taking a team-high four shots, all against the Wildcats... UMBC returns to action this weekend at the Georgetown Tournament, taking on the host Hoyas on Friday and American on Sunday in Washington, D.C.
New Hampshire (1-0-0, 0-0-0 America East) went 1-0-0 last week, beating Holy Cross, 2-1, on the road to kick off the season ... senior Caitlin Whelan (Weymouth, Mass.), the 2007 America East Midfielder of the Year, notched her first tally of the year and what proved to be the game-winner in the 78th minute ... the second half of UNH’s scoring tandem, 2007 Striker of the Year Michelle Sheehan (Belmont, Mass.), opened the scoring with a goal in the 22nd minute to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead ... sophomore Amy Avitabile (Pembroke, Mass), a member of the 2007 All-Rookie Team, picked up the assist on both goals ... junior goalkeeper Ally Yost (Langhorne, Pa.) made seven saves and nearly posted her first shutout of the season until Holy Cross’ lone goal with 2:05 remaining ... the Wildcats return to action Aug. 29 at 1 p.m. when they meet Villanova for the first time in program history to kick off the TD Banknorth Classic at Vermont.
Stony Brook (0-1-0, 0-0-0 America East) opened the 2008 season with a 1-0 loss to visiting Long Island on Friday afternoon ... Junior goalkeeper Marisa Viola made seven saves ... Freshman Colleen McKenna had a game-high six shots, including two on goal, in her collegiate debut ... Stony Brook had won two straight season openers prior to Friday’s loss ... Stony Brook opened the 2007 season 5-0-2 at LaValle Stadium before losing to Boston University in its final regular season home match ... The Seawolves outshout LIU 13-7 in the second half of Friday’s game ... SBU has now lost all three of its career matchups against Long Island ... Stony Brook will take on Iona on Thursday ... SBU has won seven straight against Iona and is 12-2-1 career against the Gaels ... The Seawolves defeated Iona 2-0 at LaValle Stadium last season behind goals from Trine Allenberg and Aria Tanzi ... Sunday’s contest against Providence will be just the second meeting between the two programs ... PC and Stony Brook played to a 0-0 tie in their only meeting on Sept. 10, 2006 at LaValle Stadium
Vermont (0-1-0, 0-0-0 America East) dropped its season opener with a 3-0 loss at Navy ... The game marked the debut of head coach Kwame Lloyd who is in his first season at the helm of the Catamounts after seven successful years at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Va. ... UVM will play its first home games of 2008 on Friday (Aug. 29) and Sunday (Aug. 31) when the Catamounts will host the ninth annual TD Banknorth Classic ... Vermont takes on Central Connecticut on Aug. 29 at 4:00pm and faces Villanova on Aug. 31 at 1:30pm at Centennial Field ... UVM last won the TD Banknorth Classic title in 2003 with wins over Stetson and Iona ... Last year, George Washington won the championship and UVM players Gabby Bonfigli (Essex Junction, Vt./Essex), Jessica Becker (Woodbridge, Conn./Amity Regional) and Kaitlin Francis (Hinesburg, Vt./Champlain Valley Union) were named to the all-tournament team as the Catamounts went 1-1 in the tourney ... Vermont travels to Bloomington, Ind. to compete in the Hoosier Classic at the Indiana University. UVM faces the hosts in the first game on Friday (Sept. 5) at 7:30 pm EST and then takes on Wisconsin on Sunday (Sept. 7) at 1:30 p.m. EST.