BALTIMORE - An America East men's soccer champion will be crowned on Saturday when top-seeded UMBC hosts second-seeded Hartford at 7 p.m. This is the second-straight year the two teams have met for the league title.Both teams won semifinal contests Wednesday to advance to Saturday's championship game. The Retrievers scored three unanswered goals to down fifth-seeded Vermont, 3-1, in Baltimore while the Hawks got two goals from Connor Yeaney, including the game winner in overtime, to beat third-seeded Binghamton, 2-1 in extra time, in West Hartford.
Tickets for the championship game can be purchased in advance through UMBC's ticket office or at the gate on Saturday. Prices are $8 for adults, $5 for youth and $2 for students of America East institutions with proper ID. Tickets can be obtained by calling the UMBC box office at 410-455-2205 from 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m.
Fans who can't be in attendance can watch the game free at AmericaEast.TV. Glenn Clark (play-by-play) and former America East Defender and Scholar-Athlete of the Year Liam Paddock (analyst) have the call starting at 6:55 p.m. WATCH LIVE
Championship Primer
- Top-seeded UMBC and second-seeded Hartford will meet for the America East men’s soccer title on Saturday, the second-consecutive year these two teams will have decided the league crown.
- UMBC, the league’s regular-season champion for the second-straight year, is seeking its third-straight America East crown and fourth in five years while Hartford is aiming for its first titie since 1999 and fourth overall.
- With a win, the Retrievers can become the first America East team since Boston U. from 1993-97 to win three consecutive conference titles..
- Both teams enter the day playing well as UMBC has won five games in a row and is 8-1-1 in its last 10 outings while Hartford has won six-straight games, including the last three in overtime.
- UMBC has established a league record by being unbeaten in its last 24 games (20-0-4) against America East foes dating back to 2012.
- UMBC is 7-5-3 all-time in America East Championship play, including 7-2-2 since 2009, and is in its fifth league title game in the last six years.
- Hartford is 11-8-6 all-time in America East Championship play and is making its third championship game appearance in four years. The Hawks are 3-2-0 in previous title games.
- UMBC and Hartford have met three times previously in the championship, with each team holding a 1-1-1 mark against the other. UMBC beat Hartford in last year’s title game, 4-0, while the Hawks beat the Retrievers in the 2011 quarterfinals, 1-0. Two teams played to a 1-1 tie in the 2007 quarterfinals before the Retrievers advanced on penalty kicks.
- UMBC holds a 9-5-2 all-time edge vs. Hartford and beat the Hawks, 2-1, in their regular-season matchup on Oct. 11.
- Both squads are stellar on both ends of the field. UMBC leads the league averaging 1.74 goals per game while Hartford is second, scoring 1.22 goals per game. Defensively, Hartford is tops with a 0.91 team goals-against average and UMBC is second with a 1.00 mark.
- The matchup features some of the league’s top players:
Kay Banjo (UMBC) - AE Striker of Year, 22 points (AE best)
Oumar Ballo (UMBC) - 2-time AE AE Defender of Year
Javoni Simms (Hartford) - 1st-team All-AE forward, 7th in goals
David MacKinnon (Hartford) -2nd-team All-AE GK, 6 shutouts
- America East teams have had success in the NCAA Men’s Soccer College Cup of late. Ten times in the last 13 years, a team has reached the second round. UMBC has done so three times in the last four years.