CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Four America East men's soccer teams went unbeaten during the opening weekend of the 2014 season, including 19th-ranked UMBC and Vermont, which both picked up two wins and won their respective season-opening tournaments. Albany and Hartford were also unscathed earning a win and a tie. Here are the week two award winners:
Player of the Week
Kay Banjo, UMBC, Sr., Forward, Upper Marlboro, Md.
- Earned MVP honors at UMBC's Doubletree BWI Classic after registering six points in two games, both Retriever wins.
- Scored twice in UMBC's 4-0 win over LIU Brooklyn Friday and setup both Retriever scores in a 2-1 victory over Sacred Heart Sunday.
Co-Rookie of the Week
Jake Barros, Albany, Fr., Forward, Selden, N.Y.
- Tallied his first career goal, the game-winning score, in Albany's 3-1 win over James Madison Sunday.
- Became just the second Great Dane rookie to score in an opening weekend win since 2007.
Co-Rookie of the Week
Andre Morrison, Hartford, Fr., Forward, Clarendon, Jamaica
- Scored his first-career goal, the lone tally of the game, in Hartford's 1-0 win over Northeastern Monday.
- The score came on a header off a corner kick in the 33rd minute.
Notes
- UMBC, which was ranked 19th in the NSCAA/Continental Tire Preseason Poll, is off to a perfect 2-0-0 start and is unbeaten in 12 straight games (9-0-3) dating back to last season.
- The Retrievers, who moved up to 14th in this week's College Soccer News National Poll, edged out Delaware for the Doubletree/BWI crown due to a better goal differential (plus-5).
- Vermont won the JMU Invitational with a 2-0-0 mark, posting wins over James Madison and Appalachian State.
- The Catamounts improved to 9-1-1 all-time in season openers under Jesse Cormier.
- Brian Wright, last year's America East Rookie of the Year, scored in both games and added an assist.
- Albany is unbeaten through two games for the first time since 2010.
- Hartford tied Holy Cross Friday before beating Northeastern, 1-0, in front a of Al-Marzook-record crowd of 2,163 Monday.
- Binghamton beat Bucknell in its season opener Friday, its first win in its first game of the season since 2011.
Weekly Awards
Sept. 2 - Player of the Week: Kay Banjo, UMBC; Co-Rookies of the Week: Jake Barros, Albany; Andre Morrison, Hartford