BOSTON – A few programs have started to separate themselves as we near the midpoint of the regular season for #AEWSOC, #AEMSOC and #AEFH, while #AEVB is just getting underway with a big weekend of action.
Field Hockey
Friday
Vermont at New Hampshire – 2 p.m.
Bryant at No. 13 UAlbany – 2 p.m.
Maine at UMass Lowell – 3 p.m.
Sunday
Holy Cross at Maine – 12 p.m.
No. 13 UAlbany at Lehigh – 1 p.m.
Three teams are tied atop the #AEFH Standings at 2-0 and all three are in action on Friday. The Black Bears (2-0) face the toughest test as they travel south to face off against UMass Lowell. The River Hawks are 1-1 in league play this year but went 7-1 in 2023, including a 4-0 victory over Maine. This season the Black Bears lead #AEFH on defense, allowing just 1.42 goals per game, while UMass Lowell comes into the contest averaging 2.5 goals per game. This is thanks in part to Madison Leeper, who is third in the conference with nine goals.
In other action, No. 13 UAlbany (2-0) hosts Bryant (0-2), looking to improve to 3-0 in #AEFH action. Elsewhere, Vermont (1-1) is at New Hampshire (2-0) and coming off a 7-0 win over Dartmouth. On Sunday, the Black Bears host Holy Cross, while the Great Danes travel to Lehigh.
Men’s Soccer
Saturday
Bryant at UMass Lowell – 1 p.m.
Binghamton at New Hampshire – 6 p.m.
UAlbany at UMBC – 7 p.m.
Sunday
NJIT at Vermont – 2 p.m.
The tightest conference race in the nation is in the America East, where just one point separates the top six teams in the standings and the last place team is only four points out of first. This weekend could create some separation, beginning with Bryant at UMass Lowell. The River Hawks are 6-1-4 and 1-0-1 in league play after being picked last in the preseason poll. They are tied for 2nd in the league with 1.64 goals per game and have only allowed more than one goal once. Bryant, meanwhile, ranks sixth nationally in GAA (0.636) and is 7-2-2 against #AEMSOC programs since the start of last year.
New Hampshire (1-0-1) looks to stay atop the standings when the Wildcats host Binghamton, who is looking for its first points of conference play. UMBC is also tied in first with four points (1-0-1) and hosts UAlbany. On Sunday Vermont (1-0-1) welcomes NJIT (1-1), a team which has beaten them in each of their last two meetings.
Volleyball
Friday
UAlbany at NJIT – 6 p.m.
New Hampshire at Bryant – 7 p.m.
Sunday
UMBC at Bryant – 1 p.m.
Binghamton at UNH – 1 p.m.
There are two unbeatens remaining and New Hampshire (2-0) can make a statement this weekend as they face both Bryant (1-1) and Binghamton (2-1). The Wildcats are 2-0 and have won seven straight, dropping just two sets over that span. On Friday night they battle with a Bryant squad that is 14-5 this season, 7-1 at home and lead the league with 13.2 kills per set. The Bulldogs will have to contend with a UNH squad that is averaging an #AEVB-best 2.6 blocks per set and 15.11 digs per set. Since Bryant joined the conference, each team is 2-0 at home against the other.
The Wildcats host Binghamton on Sunday and are 2-4 against them since the start of the 2022 season. Bryant host UMBC (3-0) on Sunday, and is 1-5 against the Retrievers over the past two seasons. In other conference action, UAlbany (0-3) travels to face NJIT (0-3) on Friday night.
Women’s Soccer
Sunday
Maine at UMBC – 12 p.m.
Bryant at Binghamton – 1 p.m.
Vermont at UMass Lowell – 1 p.m.
NJIT at UAlbany – 4 p.m.
Binghamton (1-2) was on the verge of falling to 0-3 in league play last weekend but scored three times in the final ten minutes to escape UMBC with its first win. Bryant (2-1), meanwhile, is coming off a 3-1 loss to Maine, but started #AEWSOC action with wins over NJIT and UAlbany. If the Bulldogs can pull off a victory against the 2023 regular season champions on Sunday it would greatly increase their odds of clinching the program’s first #AEWSOC Tournament berth. The Bearcats this season are 4-0 when they score 2+ goals and 0-5-2 when they fail to do so.
Maine (4-0) seeks to stay perfect in league play when they travel to play at UMBC (1-2-1) on Sunday at 12 p.m. The Black Bears have lost just once since the start of 2022, going 12-1-7 over that span. UMass Lowell (0-3) welcomes Vermont (2-2), seeking its first points of the conference season, while NJIT (0-3) and UAlbany (1-2-1) battle at 4 p.m. with each looking for key points in league action.
Cross Country
Five teams are competing at the Hopkinton Fair Grounds on Friday, in two different meets. UMass Lowell and Maine will take part in the Bruce Kirsch Invitational early in the day, while Bryant, Vermont and New Hampshire race in the NEICAAA Championships later in the afternoon. On Saturday, NJIT will host the Mets Championship as well as the Highlander Invitational.
Swimming & Diving
NJIT hosts the NJIT Invitational on Friday and Saturday this weekend, with Vermont participating in the competition. Bryant welcomes Fairfield on Friday, while UMBC swims at Navy on Saturday.
ABOUT AMERICA EAST
Founded in 1979, the America East Conference is an elite NCAA Division I athletic conference that fosters an environment for student-athletes to become champions. Comprised of academically renowned, like-minded member institutions located in the Northeast region of the United States, America East is committed to broad-based excellence and progressive in its approach to supporting its more than 3,500 student-athletes across 18 sponsored sports. For more information, visit www.AmericaEast.com and follow the America East Conference and its social media channels, @AmericaEast.
- America East Conference – Where Champions Rise -