BOSTON - - Albany and UMass Lowell each posted a pair of victories in conference action last week and remain tied atop the standings with 10 points apiece. Here are the week #8 award winners:
Player of the Week
Nico Solabarrieta, Albany - So., Forward, Santiago, Chile
- Scored in each of Albany's conference wins last week.
- Found the back of the net with just six seconds remaining to lift Albany to a 2-1 win over UNH Wednesday.
- Scored for the third time in as many games in the Great Danes' 2-1 win over UMBC Saturday.
Rookie of the Week
Ivan Abramovic, UMass Lowell - R-Fr., Forward, Zagreb, Croatia
- Helped UMass Lowell post a pair of league wins and remain unbeaten at 11-0-2 on the season.
- Scored the lone goal in the River Hawks' 1-0 win at Stony Brook Sunday.
- This is his fourth Rookie of the Week honor of the season (8/29, 9/6. 10/10).
Need to Know
- America East's conference RPI (3) trails only the ACC and Pac 12 amongst the 24 Division I conferences that sponsor men's soccer.
- The league's teams are a combined 46-17-12 in non-conference play thus far in 2016. The .708 non-conference winning percentage is second only to the ACC.
- UMass Lowell (#22) and New Hampshire (#25) were both ranked in the NSCAA Top 25 last week, the first time two America East teams have been simultaneously ranked since September 29, 2009.
- Albany beat #3 Syracuse on Oct. 4. The Orange were the highest-ranked opponent an America East team has beaten since Boston University knocked off #3 St. John's in 2009.
- UMass Lowell has a the ninth-best RPI in the country and is one of just four unbeaten teams (10-0-2).
- Albany's RPI is 15 and it is unbeaten in its last 16 games.
Weekly Award Winners
Aug. 29 - Player of the Week: Bernard Yeboah Vermont; Rookie of the Week: Ivan Abramovic, UMass Lowell
Sept. 6 - Player of the Week: Brian Wright, Vermont; Rookie of the Week: Ivan Abramovic, UMass Lowell
Sept. 12 - Player of the Week: Wuilito Fernandes, UMass Lowell; Rookie of the Week: Tre Pulliam, UMBC
Sept. 19 - Player of the Week: Andrew Pesci, New Hampshire; Rookie of the Week: Jack Dickson, New Hampshire
Sept. 26 - Player of the Week: Chris Arling, New Hampshire; Rookie of the Week: Jack Dickson, New Hampshire
Oct. 3 - Player of the Week: Andrew Pesci, New Hampshire; Rookie of the Week; Rookie of the Week: Jimmy Slayton, Hartford
Oct. 10 - Co-Player of the Week: Afonso Pinheiro, Albany; Co-Player of the Week: Thibualt Duval, Stony Brook; Rookie of the Week; Ivan Abramovic, UMass Lowell
Oct. 17 - Player of the Week: Nico Solabarrieta, Albany; Rookie of the Week; Ivan Abramovic, UMass Lowell
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