BURLINGTON, Vt. - Second-seeded Vermont and fifth-seeded Binghamton will meet for the America East men’s soccer title Sunday at 12:05 p.m. at Vermont’ Virtue Field.Both teams won semifinal contests Wednesday to advance to Saturday's championship game. The Catamounts beat third-seeded UMBC, 3-2, on Bernard Yeboah’s goal 2:52 into overtime while the Bearcats got a goal from Logan Roberts in the 80th minute to knock off top-seeded Albany, 1-0, in the semis Wednesday.
Tickets for the championship game can be purchased online at UVMathletics.com or in person one hour before kickoff at the Gutterson Fieldhouse Ticket Office. Prices are: $8 for Adults; $5 for youths 14 and under; FREE for youths 13 and under wearing their club team jersey; FREE for UVM students; $2 for students from other America East schools.
Fans who can't be in attendance can watch the game on ESPN3 and WatchESPN domestically and AmericaEast.TV internationally. Eric Frede (play-by-play) and Shawn Mecchi (analyst) have the call starting at 12 p.m.
Championship Primer
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Vermont is seeking its fifth America East title and first since 2007 while Binghamton is aiming for its third crown and first since 2006.
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Vermont is 12-12-3 all-time in championship play and is appearing in its eighth championship game. The Catamounts are 3-3-1 when playing for the title and have won four league crowns.
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Binghamton is 9-5-9 all-time in the tournament and is in its seventh title game. The Bearcats played for the league title each year from 2003-2008 and went 1-2-3 in those games while winning the 2003 and 2006 titles.
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Vermont and Binghamton have met twice previously in the championship, both times in the final. The Bearcats beat the Catamounts, 1-0 in overtime, to win the 2006 championship while UVM returned the favor in 2007, beating Binghamton, 1-0, in the title game.
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Vermont holds a 7-6-2 all-time edge vs. Binghamton and had won three in a row in the series before the Bearcats beat the Cats, 2-1, earlier this season, in the conference opener for both teams on Oct. 3.
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The key matchup of the game will pit a pair of juniors against each other. Vermont’s Brian Wright, who had a goal and an assist in Wednesday’s semifinal win, ranks second in the league in both points (25) and goals (9) and leads the league in assists (7). He’ll challenge two-time America East Goalkeeper of the Year Robert Moewes, who owns a stellar .785 save percentage and six shutouts on the year. He made eight saves in Binghamton’s semifinal win.
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America East teams had a successful year overall:
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7 teams in the top 100 of the RPI
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Conference RPI of 8 (out of 24), ahead of Ivy, Patriot, MVC, Atlantic 10
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43-29-11 in non-conference action this season (.584)
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10 wins vs. teams that reached the NCAA Tournament a year ago
- America East teams have had success in the NCAA Championship of late. Last year, UMBC became the league’s first team to reach the College Cup. Eleven times in the last 14 years, an America East team has reached the second round., including Vermont in 2007 and Binghamton in 2003.