BOSTON – The top ranked Catamounts started their title defense with a pair of impressive shutout victories and were one of six teams to earn a result in the opening week of the men’s soccer season.
Vermont took down a pesky Sacred Heart team 2-0 on Thursday and then shot past Boston University 4-0 on Sunday. UMBC had the most dramatic victory of the week, as Gunder Miller scored from midfield in the final minutes to lift the Retrievers to a 2-1 victory. UMass Lowell also earned a win and finished the week 1-1.
Need to Know:
- The defending national champions looked strong, outscoring their opponents 6-0 this past week with six different goal scorers and three players recording at least three points.
- UMBC started the year 1-0 with a dramatic 2-1 road victory against UNC Wilmington, which was picked second in the CAA South Preseason Poll, as Gunder Miller scored from midfield in the 86th minute.
- UMass Lowell opened its season 1-1, taking down Saint Peter’s 2-1 at home before falling 1-0 to LIU on Sunday.
- Both Bryant and UAlbany secured 1-1 draws in their only contests of the week.
- New Hampshire dropped its season opener 1-0 but rebounded with a 0-0 tie against Colgate on Sunday.
This week features 16 games, including a trio of contests on Labor Day. UMBC looks to stay perfect tonight at home against Saint Peter’s while Bryant hosts URI on Tuesday. No. 1 Vermont plays at American this Friday and then No. 25 Georgetown on Monday, while UNH travels to No. 20 Western Michigan on Monday. The Wildcats also play at St. John’s. Binghamton welcomes No. 23 Hofstra on Sunday afternoon.
2025 #AEMSOC Weekly Award Winners – Aug. 25
Offensive Player of the Week
Maximillian Kissel, Vermont – Sr., Forward, Wiesbaden, Germany
- Finished with one goal and two assists in a 2-0 week for UVM.
- Registered one goal and one assist in a 4-0 victory over BU and also had an assist in the season opening 2-0 win over Sacred Heart.
- This is Kissel’s third #AEMSOC Offensive Player of the Week honor.
Defensive Player of the Week
Niklas Herceg, Vermont – So., Goalkeeper, Alsdorf, Germany
- Recorded a pair of four-save shutouts to start the season 2-0.
- Finished with four saves against Boston University and also added an assist to secure the 4-0 victory.
- This is Herceg’s first #AEMSOC Defensive Player of the Week honor this season.
Rookie of the Week
Omar Robbana, Vermont – Fr., Defense, Pembroke Pines, FL
- Scored first career goal in a 4-0 victory over Boston U.
- Appeared in both UVM’s games on defense, helping the team secure a pair of shutouts.
- This is Robbana’s first #AEMSOC Rookie of the Week honor.
#AEMSOC Links
The America East is one of the best men’s soccer conferences in the country and home to the defending national champions from Vermont. In 2024, the Catamounts led the nation in RPI and the America East finished fifth as a conference. It marked the league’s second straight top-six finish in RPI. Overall The conference has received multiple bids to the NCAA tournament in four of the past nine seasons. Four different teams have reached the third round of the NCAA tournament since 2014.
2025 #AEMSOC Weekly Award Winners
Aug. 26 – Offensive Player of the Week: Maximillian Kissel, Vermont; Defensive Player of the Week: Niklas Herceg, Vermont; Rookie of the Week: Omar Robbana, Vermont
Fans will once again be able to watch nearly every #AEMSOC contest this season. Select games will air on The AE on ESPN while others will air on AmericaEast.TV. Those games will be available on computers, OTT devices and the America East app, which is available on all IOS and Android devices and can be found by searching ‘America East Conference’ in app stores.
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 its social media channels, @AmericaEast.
- America East Conference – Where Champions Rise -