Men's Soccer

#AEMSOC Week 11: Catamounts Stay in First With One Game Left

BOSTON – No.3 Vermont stayed unbeaten in conference play and five programs have now clinched championship berths with just one more game left in the regular season.
 
The third ranked Catamounts ran their unbeaten streak to 26 contests with a 2-0 shutout of UAlbany, while the No. 7 Bryant Bulldogs stayed closed behind in second with a 2-1 win over NJIT. Vermont
 
The America East is one of three conferences with two teams in the top-10 of RPI, highlighted by the Catamounts sitting at No. 1 in the nation in RPI. Bryant is in fifth as the America East is the only conference in the country with two teams in the top-five.
 
Nationally, Bryant ranks fifth in team GAA at .471, sixth in goal differential (+27) and is 13th in total goals with 35. Vermont is 14th in total assists (37) and also 14th in goal differential (+21).
 
 
Need to Know:
  • The Catamounts held a dominant 23-4 shot advantage over the Great Danes and won with two second-half goals. They can take home the regular season title with a victory over last place Binghamton on Tuesday, or a tie and tie by Bryant.
  • Bryant’s Paco Fernandez scored twice to lead the Bulldogs over NJIT 2-1 and stay one point behind the Catamounts in the standings.
  • New Hampshire clinched a championship berth with a 2-1 victory over UMass Lowell and kept its hopes at a top-four seed alive.
  • The River Hawks earned their first championship berth since 2019 despite the loss.
  • UMBC took a crucial step toward the playoffs with its second straight conference win, this one a 4-0 victory over Binghamton.
  • On Tuesday, NJIT hosts UMBC in a battle for the final playoff spot. The Highlanders would clinch a championship berth with a win, while UMBC would take the final playoff spot with a win or tie.
  • New Hampshire hosts Bryant, looking to earn a top-four seed.
  • UAlbany welcomes UMass Lowell and each team would secure a top-four seed with a victory.
 

2025 #AEMSOC Weekly Award Winners – Nov. 3
Offensive Player of the Week
Elias Khodri, New Hampshire  – Sr., Forward, Lyon, France
  • Scored both goals in New Hampshire’s 2-1 victory at UMass Lowell
  • Helped UNH clinch a championship berth with the win
  • This is Khodri’s first #AEMSOC Rookie of the Week honor.
 
Defensive Player of the Week
Niklas Herceg, Vermont – So., Goalkeeper, Alsdorf, Germany
  • Made one save in a 2-0 shutout of No. 3 UAlbany on Friday.
  • He ranks 9th nationally with eight shutouts.
  • This is Herceg’s fourth #AEMSOC Defensive Player of the Week honor this season.
 
Rookie of the Week
Omar Robbana, Vermont – Fr., Defense, Pembroke Pines, Fla.
  • Started and played all 90 minutes in a 2-0 shutout of third place UAlbany.
  • Helped hold UAlbany to four shots and just one on goal.
  • This is Robbana’s second #AEMSOC Rookie of the Week honor.
 
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 finish 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
Sept. 2 – Offensive Player of the Week: Brady Geho, UMBC; Defensive Player of the Week: Alvaro Medrano, UMass Lowell; Rookie of the Week: Alvaro Medrano, UMass Lowell
Sept. 9 - Offensive Player of the Week: Anthony Randazzo, Binghamton; Defensive Player of the Week: Enzo Carvalho, Bryant; Rookie of the Week: Tommy McFadden, UAlbany 
Sept. 15 - Offensive Player of the Week: David Ismail, Vermont; Defensive Player of the Week: Scott Williams, New Hampshire; Rookie of the Week: Philipp Kühn, Vermont
Sept. 22 - Offensive Player of the Week: Jaime Amaro, Bryant; Defensive Player of the Week: Ramon Camejo, Bryant; Rookie of the Week: Nicolas Loebus, Vermont
Sept. 29 - Offensive Player of the Week: Jaime Amaro, Bryant; Defensive Player of the Week: Niklas Herceg, Vermont; Rookie of the Week: Xahvi DeRoza, New Hampshire
Oct. 6 - Offensive Player of the Week: Ivar Gissurarson, UAlbany; Defensive Player of the Week: Aamir Ketbache, UMass Lowell; Rookie of the Week: Simon Vujinovic, UMBC
Oct. 13 - Offensive Player of the Week: Mamadi Jiana, Bryant; Defensive Player of the Week: Shunnosuke Nakajima, UMass Lowell; Rookie of the Week: Henrique Sardinha, NJIT
Oct. 20 - Offensive Player of the Week: David Ismail, Vermont; Defensive Player of the Week: Abdel Talabi, Bryant; Rookie of the Week: Nicolas Loebus, Vermont
Oct. 27 - Offensive Player of the Week: Philipp Kühn, Vermont; Defensive Player of the Week: Scott Williams, New Hampshire; Rookie of the Week: Philipp Kühn, Vermont
Nov. 3 - Offensive Player of the Week: Elias Khodri, New Hampshire; 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 -