CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Eighteen days into the 2013 men's soccer season, two America East teams, UMBC and Hartford, remain unbeaten and two players who led those two squads to wins over the weekend are the league's weekly award winners this week:
Player of the Week
Stephen Ho, Jr., UMBC
North Potomac, Md.
- Recorded his first career multi-goal game by scoring twice in UMBC's 4-1 win at Radford on Saturday.
- Put the Retrievers up 1-0 with an unassisted score in the 19th minute, then broke a 1-1 tie by finding the back of the net in the 47th minute, which proved to be the game winner.
- The former walk-on is tied for second on UMBC with seven points (2G, 3A).
Rookie of the Week
David MacKinnon, Fr., Hartford
Easton, Mass.
- Didn't allow a goal in 200 minutes of action last week, recording his second and third shutouts of the season.
- Had five saves in a 1-0 win UMass on Wednesday.
- Stopped two shots in a scoreless tie with American, the Patriot League preseason favorite, which is ranked ninth in the NSCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Poll.
- Leads the nation with a 0.00 GAA and 1.000 save percentage.
Around the League
- America East teams went 6-6-2 last week and are an impressive 21-15-6 (.571) through the first three weeks of the season.
- UMBC (5-0-0) and Hartford (3-0-2) both remain unbeaten.
- The Retrievers beat Radford, 4-1, Saturday to extend their unbeaten streak to 14 games dating back to last season (11-0-3).
- The Retrievers rose seven spots to 17th in the Top Drawer Soccer Top 25 and two spots to 22nd in the College Soccer News Top 30 Monday.
- The Hawks remained unbeaten with a 1-0 win over UMass Wednesday and a 0-0 tie vs. American Friday.
- Albany defeated No. 22 Fairleigh Dickinson, 2-1, on Sunday, its first-ever win against a nationally ranked opponent since moving to Division I in 2001.
- Binghamton beat Buffalo, 2-0, on Friday to extend its unbeaten streak to three games (2-0-1).
- UMBC is averaging 3.2 goals per game, which ranks among the most in the nation.
- Hartford has allowed just one goal all season and ranks among the nation's best with a 0.18 team GAA. The Hawks have not allowed a goal in its last 3:55.53.
2013 America Men's Soccer Weekly Award Winners
Sept. 3 - Player of the Week: Pete Caringi III, UMBC
Rookie of the Week: Favio Sbarra, Stony Brook
9 - Player of the Week: Pete Caringi III, UMBC
Rookie of the Week: Brian Wright, Vermont
16 - Player of the Week: Stephen Ho, UMBC
Rookie of the Week: David MacKinnon, Hartford