BOSTON – The 2026-27 season is officially underway as women’s soccer regular-season play kicked off over the weekend. All nine #AEWSOC teams were in action, four of which posted unbeaten weekends.
Need to Know
- Binghamton, Bryant, UMBC and NJIT all went unbeaten last week.
- Binghamton posted a pair of shutout victories, beating Lehigh, 3-0, on Thursday and Marist, 2-0, on Sunday.
- UMBC won both of its games last week to get off to its first 2-0 start since 2014. The Retrievers beat Mount St. Mary’s 3-1 on Thursday and American, 2-1, on Sunday.
- Bryant and NJIT also went unbeaten last week as each team earned a tie in its lone game. The Bulldogs deadlocked Stonehill, 0-0, on Sunday while the Highlanders played Rider to a 1-1 draw.
- UMass Lowell’s Rachel Welch made a program-record 14 saves in the River Hawks 1-1 draw vs. Providence on Wednesday.
- Vermont battled Merrimack to a 2-2 tie in its season opener on Wednesday.
- Overall, America East teams went 4-5-5 last week.
- Binghamton’s Jahkaya Davis, a preseason All-Conference selection, and UMBC’s Brooke Clagett each scored two goals last week.
- Fifteen more games take place this week, including six on America East campuses with Maine and UNH hosting their home openers.
- The #AEWSOC preseason poll and All-Conference teams were announced on July 30. Three-time defending league champion Maine was chosen the 2026 favorite while last year’s regular-season champion Binghamton was second - link.
Weekly Award Winners – Aug. 17
Offensive Player & Rookie of the Week
Brooke Clagett, UMBC – Fr., Forward, Frederick, Md.
- Scored the game-winning goal in each of UMBC’s two wins last week.
- Tallied her first collegiate goal in the 17th minute of the Retrievers 3-1 over Mount St. Mary’s on Thursday.
- Put her team up 2-0 in the opening seconds of the second half in Sunday’s 2-1 victory over American.
- This is Clagett’s first career #AEWSOC weekly honors.
Defensive Player of the Week
Sophia Garofalo, Binghamton – Sr., Defender, Aberdeen, N.J.
- Led Binghamton to a pair of shutout wins last week.
- Binghamton allowed just eight combined shots, including only one on net, and four corner kicks in clean sheets versus Lehigh and Marist.
- This is Garofolo first career #AEWSOC Defensive Player of the Week honor.
Goalkeeper of the Week
Amara Codd, UMBC – Jr., Goalkeeper, Stafford, Va.
- Made 11 saves and allowed only two penalty kick goals in leading UMBC to pair of wins last week.
- Made six saves in a 3-1 win over Mount St. Mary’s on Thursday.
- Stopped five shots in a 2-1 victory over American on Sunday.
- This is Codd’s first career #AEWSOC Goalkeeper of the Week honor.
2026 #AEWSOC Weekly Award Winners
Aug. 17 - Offensive Player & Rookie of the Week: Brooke Clagett, UMBC; Defensive Player of the Week: Sophia Garofolo, Binghamton; Goalkeeper of the Week: Amara Codd, UMBC
Links
Info
Fans will once again be able to watch nearly every #AEWSOC contest this season with the majority of games airing on ESPN+ and the ESPN app 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.
Follow the @AmericaEast channels on Instagram and X to to stay up-to-date on America East women’s soccer news all season long and use #AEWSOC to join the conversation.
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 -