CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The 2013 America East Women's Soccer Championship will begin on Thursday, October 31 with a pair of quarterfinal matches as No. 3 Maine hosts No. 6 Binghamton and No. 4 Hartford hosts No. 5 Vermont. Both games will be available live for free on AmericaEast.TV.
Here is a preview of Thursday's quarterfinal games:
No. 6 Binghamton at No. 3 Maine - 1 p.m.
Watch Live on AmericaEast.TV | Live Stats
- Binghamton and Maine played a thriller during the regular-season with the Bearcats overcoming a 2-0 deficit to top the Black Bears 3-2 in overtime at Alumni Field.
- The Bearcats are 4-4-4 in the championship, with the team's last win coming in 2011 when they beat New Hampshire, 1-0, in the quarterfinals. Binghamton won the 2004 tournament title.
- Stephani Church led Binghamton with five goals while tying for second in the conference with three game-winners, including one against Maine during the regular-season.
- Maine has qualified for 10 of the last 11 America East tournaments, including advancing to the title game as a No. 6 seed in 2010. The Black Bears have not won a conference title.
- The Black Bears are second in the conference in goals against average, surrendering 0.94 per game. Senior Maggie Malone achors the defense and was named Defensive Player of the Year.
- Maine and Binghamton have met three times in the championship:
- 2009 semifinals - Binghamton 2, Maine 0
- 2005 semifinals - Maine 0, Binghamton 0 - Maine advances 3-1 on PKs
- 2004 finals - Binghamton 2, Maine 0
No. 5 Vermont at No. 4 Hartford - 6 p.m.
Watch Live on AmericaEast.TV | Live Stats
- Hartford defeated Vermont, 2-0, in the regular-season meeting that ocurred less than two weeks ago.
- Vermont has qualified for its third-straight championship and eighth overall, going 0-6-2. The team advanced in the championship for the first time last year, defeating Albany in the quarterfinals on penalty kicks.
- The Catamounts are paced by Nikki McFarland who led all freshmen in points with 12 on her way to being named Rookie of the Year.
- Hartford is playing in its 17th America East tournament, having won 10 titles in program history with the last coming in 2006.
- The Hawks had a pair of major award winners in Striker of the Year Chanel Johnson and Co-Midfielder of the Year Stephanie Santos. Hartford is first in the conference in goals against average at 0.67.
- Hartford and Vermont have met three times in the championship:
- 2012 semifinals - Hartford 1, Vermont 0
- 1998 semifinals - Hartford 5, Vermont 1
- 1995 semifinals - Hartford 3, Vermont 0
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