CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Boston University's senior goalkeeper Hrafn Davidsson (Reykjavik, Iceland/University of Iceland) has been named America East men's soccer Player of the Week after posting a shutout in the Terriers' 0-0 double-overtime tie against third-ranked Connecticut on Sunday, while UMBC's Andrew Bulls (Millersville, Md./McDonogh) is the Rookie of the Week for the second straight week. The award winners for the week ending September 8 were announced on Monday, Sept. 9.
Davidsson notched his seventh career shutout, holding third-ranked Connecticut scoreless in a 0-0, double-overtime deadlock on Sunday. The result is the Terriers first against the Huskies since 1992. Davidsson made four saves against UConn, which ranked eighth in the nation last season in goals per game (2.21).
Bulls earned his second consecutive Rookie of the Week honor by scoring the game-winning goal with just 1:14 to play in the Retrievers’ 3-2 double-overtime victory over Adelphi on Sunday. A freshman midfielder, Bulls, is tied for second in conference in point with six and goals with two.
America East teams posted a strong mark of 8-5-4 last week and have a combined .554 winning percentage (16-12-6) through two weeks of play. New Hampshire and Vermont were co-champions of the Smith Barney Nike Classic, hosted by the Catamounts, and remain the only two unbeaten teams in the league. Vermont's senior captain Jake McFadden was named to College Soccer New's Team of the Week after scoring the game-winning goal against Memphis is overtime on Sunday Albany posted an impressive 3-0 win at San Diego to improve to 3-0 before dropping their first contest of the season at San Diego State on Sunday.
Team Notebooks
Albany (3-1-0, 0-0-0 America East) split its matches and placed third at the Courtyard by Marriott Central San Diego Soccer Tournament ... After beating San Diego by a 3-0 score on Sept. 5 to earn arguably its biggest win at the Division I level, the Great Danes suffered a 6-0 defeat to San Diego State on Dec. 7 ... The Great Danes have already matched last season’s win total ... After beating San Diego, UAlbany was 3-0 overall to start the season for the first time since joining the Division I ranks in 1999 ... The Toreros entered Friday’s match with an impressive resume after tying ninth-ranked Saint Louis and suffering an overtime loss to No. 10 New Mexico ... Claudio Dantas (Orlando, Fla./Crystal Lake/Jefferson College) and Mikael McNamara (Mississauga, Ontario/Iona C.S.S.) were named to the all-tournament team ... Dantas, who netted a goal and two assists in the win over San Diego, has factored into all six Great Dane goals this season ... Steward Ceus (Rockland County, N.Y./North Rockland) now has 13 career shutouts after blanking the Toreros ... The Great Danes played practically the entire match against San Diego State a man down after a defender received a red card in just the second minute of action ... Dantas’ 10 points through four matches betters the team-best six points that Don Johnson (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman) accumulated in 2007 ... UAlbany visits Rhode Island on Sept. 12 at 7:00 p.m.
Binghamton (2-1-1, 0-0-0 America East) is riding a three-game unbeaten streak, having gone 2-0-1 during that span. The Bearcats have averaged 1.67 goals per game during that time ... junior goalkeeper Jason Stenta (Binghamton, N.Y./Chenango Valley) recorded his first shutout of the season the 21st of his career in Binghamton’s 2-0 win over Central Arkansas on Sunday in the final round of the Colgate Radiers/adidas Invitiational ... senior midfielder Darren McAllister (Aberdeenshire, Scotland/Virginia Intermont) has notched a point in three out of the Bearcats’ four games. Against Central Arkansas, he scored his first goal of the season ... sophomore forward Scott Zobre (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Poughkeepsie) already has two goals this season, matching his total from all of last season ... Binghamton heads to the Wisconsin-Milwaukee Tournament this weekend, marking the first time it has traveled out of the Eastern Time Zone since traveling to St. Louis University for the second round of the 2003 NCAA Tournament.
Boston University (0-2-1, 0-0-0 America East) continued its string of four straight nationally ranked opponents to open the season, battling No. 3 Connecticut to a scoreless draw on Sunday... Senior goalkeeper Hrafn Davidsson (Reykjavik, Iceland/University of Iceland) made four saves to earn his first shutout of the season and seventh of his career... Sunday’s draw was Boston U.’s first result at UConn since 1992, snapping a string of three straight Huskies wins in Storrs... This week, the Terriers visit No. 22 St. John’s on Friday at 8 p.m. before returning home to Nickerson Field to host Rhode Island on Sunday at 4:30 p.m.
Hartford (1-2-0, 0-0-0 America East) suffered its first loss of the 2008 season to the nationally ranked Terrapins of Maryland at Ludwig Field on Friday evening by a 3-0 final ... Hartford struggled to establish any sort of possession against Maryland’s pressure and direct play ... Hartford posted just one shot in the first half, compared to 14 for Maryland ... Hartford also conceded six corner kicks in the first half of play, two of which Maryland netted for a halftime score of 2-0 ... Hartford picked up the offense in the second half of action, taking six shots ... Junior Ivan Guarin (White Plains, N.Y./White Plains/Herkimer Community College) recorded two shots for Hartford, one of which was on goal ... Junior Carlos Villa (Las Conchas, Guatemala/San Jacinto) also recorded two shots ... Junior Nenad Cudic (Novi Sad, Serbia/Auburn University at Montgomery) recorded three saves in goal ... On Sunday, Hartford dropped the second game of its weekend road trip to undefeated Georgetown, losing 6-0 ... The Hawks controlled the pace in the first half of play, outshooting the Hoyas 12-4, but were unable to find the back of the net ... Georgetown capitalized on their shots, scoring two goals in the first half ... Guarin and Villa led Hartford offensively, taking six and three shots, respectively ... Cudic finished his third consecutive 90-minute match in goal with four saves ... The Hawks will host Central Connecticut on Tuesday, and will travel to Jersey City on Saturday to face St. Peter’s.
Maine (1-3-0, 0-0-0 America East) dropped a pair of games on the weekend... Maine fell to Sacred Heart 2-1 in double overtime on Friday, before dropping a 2-0 decision to Yale on Sunday afternoon... Jake Ostrov (Saratoga Springs, N.Y./Manhattan) scored Maine’s lone goal against Sacred Heart... Jordan Antonuci (Gloversville, N.Y./Gloversville) and Mike Moloney (Phoenix, Ariz./Phoenix) each assisted on the goal by Ostrov... Maine scored the first goal of the game in its first three games this season... On Sunday, rookie Alex Pilitsis (Brunswick, Maine/North Yarmouth Academy) got his first start in goal... Pilitsis stopped five shots for the Black Bears... Maine continues to use a lot of newcomers in its lineup... Nine newcomers have seen action for the Black Bears in games this season... Only Maine’s game against Yale has been decided by more than one goal this season... Maine has outscored opponents 3-2 in the first half of games this season... The Black Bears return to action when they play in the LIU Adidas Classic this weekend... Maine will face Long Island University on Friday and play face Iona on Sunday afternoon in Brooklyn, N.Y.
UMBC (3-1-0, 0-0-0 America East) won both game of the adidas Kick Off Classic, edging Lipscomb, 1-0 on Sept. 5 and Adelphi, 3-2, in double overtime on Sept. 7... However, Navy won the classic with two wins and the Midshipmen won the tie-breaker by outscoring UMBC, five goals to four... In the opener, sophomore midfielder Dustin Dzwonkowski (Baltimore, Md./Archbishop Curley) scored his first collegiate goal, in the 73rd minute... On the play, he calmly volleyed a short cross from 22 yards away over the hands of goalkeeper Patrick Walsh and into the left corner of the net... Sunday’s game vs. Adelphi appeared to be headed for a 2-2 draw, but Dzwonkowski hustled down a loose ball in the far corner and his cross found a streaking Andrew Bulls (Millersville, Md./McDonogh), who scored the game-winning goal with 1:14 to play...The younger Bulls brother leads the Retrievers with two goals and two assists through four games... Older brother Dan Bulls (Millersville, Md./Old Mill) scored his second goal of the season, converting a late first half penalty kick to give UMBC a 2-1 lead... Sophomore John Paul Waraksa (Media, Pa./Strath Haven) also tallied his second goal of the year to give UMBC a 1-0 advantage in the sixth minute of play vs. Adelphi... In 12 years of the tournament, UMBC has a record of 16-4-4, but the Retrievers have not won a title since 2005... Dzwonkowski, Andrew Bulls and sophomore defender Chris Williams (Parkville, Md./Calvert Hall) earned All-Tournament team honors for UMBC... Senior goalkeeper Steve King (Baltimore, Md./Archbishop Curley) recorded his 18th career shutout vs. Lipscomb?he stands third in school history with that mark... UMBC faces Drexel in Philadelphia, Pa. on Saturday in their only action of the week.
New Hampshire (3-0-1, 0-0-0 America East) earned a win and a tie at the 2008 Smith Barney Classic this past weekend... The Wildcats defeated Memphis, 1-0, on a goal by Chris Banks (Westborough, Mass./ Westborough) just 57 seconds into overtime... Banks, who earned his third goal in as many games, was assisted by Kyle Urso (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East) and Scott Rowling (Richboro, Pa./Council Rock South)... Colin O’Donnell (Springfield, Mass./Minnechaug Regional) recorded two saves in the win for the Wildcats... New Hampshire trailed LaSalle most of the game, but two minutes remaining in regulation Sean Coleman (Stratham, N.H./Exeter High School) connected from 15 yards out to earn his first collegiate goal and send the game into extra minutes... The final result was a 1-1 draw with LaSalle, but the Wildcats outshot its opponent 18-12... In his collegiate debut, Chris Devine (Hampton, N.H./ Winnacunnet) recorded two saves in net... Wildcat seniors Urso, Rowling and Richie Weinrebe (East Providence, R.I./East Providence) were all selected to the All-Tournament team... The Wildcats continue their road trip at a tournament in Lewisburg, Pa. New Hampshire will face Hartwick on Friday, Sept. 12 and Cornell on Sunday, Sept. 14.
Stony Brook (1-2-1, 0-0-0 America East) went 1-1 last week... Stony Brook fell to #3 Connecticut on an own goal, 1-0... Senior Dawid Ditrich (Gdansk, Poland/Academy of Physical Education & Sport) finished with nine saves... Seawolves came back to beat Long Island, 2-1 in their home opener... Stony Brook scored two goals in three minutes... After a throw-in from sophomore Mladen Ramic (Belgrade, Serbia/High School for Tourism) reached the box, a header from a Stony Brook player went off the post and freshman Kevin Zalewski (Parsippany, N.J./Parsippany) was in the right place at the right time as he put the ball past Long Island keeper Adam Janssen to tie the score at one... The momentum continued for Stony Brook and the home team converted in style just under two minutes later. A cross from junior James Palumbo (Carmel, N.Y./Mahopac) was headed home by junior Oscar Leis (Ozone Park, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy) with just over a minute to play as the Seawolves took a 2-1 lead... Stony Brook travels to face Georgetown on Wednesday night before facing Columbia on Friday Night.
Vermont (2-0-2, 0-0-0 America East) remained unbeaten to start the 2008 campaign with a win and a tie in the Smith Barney Nike Soccer Classic at Centennial Field ... In its home opener Friday, Vermont tied La Salle, 1-1, in double overtime and it nipped Memphis, 1-0, in overtime on Sunday ... UVM and New Hampshire tied for the 2008 Smith Barney Nike Soccer Classic team title. It is the ninth time that the Catamounts have captured at least a share of the 18th annual tournament ... Senior back Jake McFadden (Colchester, Vt./Colchester) scored just with over five minutes into overtime against Memphis Sunday, his first career goal ... Goalkeeper Roger Scully (East Lyme, Conn./East Lyme) allowed just one goal in the two overtime games and was exceptional Sunday in recording his first shutout of the season against the Conference USA Tigers ... Scully now was 18 career shutouts, third all-time at UVM ... Jordan Crasilneck (Eugene, Ore./Sheldon) had an assist on McFadden’s game-winner Sunday, his team-high third of the season. After four games he leads the team in scoring with five points on a goal and three assists ... Lee Stephane Kouadio (Woodlyn, Pa./Ridley) scored Vermont’s goal against La Salle Friday, just 2:09 into the match. Both of Kouadio’s goals this season have been in the opening seven minutes of the game ... Sophomore Ryan White (Eugene, Ore./South Eugene/UCLA), a transfer from Pac-10 power UCLA, had an assist Sunday for his first collegiate point ... Crasilneck was named the Classic’s Offensive Most Valuable Player and Scully was selected the Defensive MVP ... They were joined on the all-tournament team by Connor Tobin (Fort Collins, Colo./Fort Collins) and McFadden ... Vermont hits the road this weekend against a pair of teams that qualified for last season’s NCAA Tournament. The Catamounts are at Central Connecticut Friday at noon and are at Harvard Sunday at 1:30 p.m.