Cross Country

Weekend Preview: Sept. 26-28

BOSTON – This weekend #AEMSOC and #AEVB begin conference play, while #AEWSOC enters its second weekend of action with two teams tied atop the standings. up on all the big story lines to watch out for, along with key #AEFH non-conference matchups this weekend.
 
Men’s Soccer
  • The first RPI rankings of the season were released by the NCAA this week and the America East is one of three conferences in the nation with two teams ranked in the top ten, with Vermont (4th) and Bryant (6th) making their presence felt.
  • No. 7 Vermont, who is unbeaten in its last 19 contests, faces off against the UMBC on Saturday at 1 pm. The Retrievers are the last team to beat the Catamounts, taking them down last Oct. 26 in Baltimore by a 1-0 margin. It is also the last time Vermont failed to score in a contest.
  • New Hampshire looks to make it three straight wins when they travel to Binghamton for a 3 pm contest. The Wildcats have earned at least a share of the #AEMSOC Regular Season Title for six straight year and look to make it seven, while Binghamton seeks a second straight win over UNH after beating them 2-1 last year.
  • NJIT and UAlbany are both 2-4-2 overall and looking for crucial conference points. The Highlanders have been seeded fifth in the conference each of the past two seasons while UAlbany is looking to get back to the tournament for the first time since 2022 when the Great Danes made a run to the championship.
  • On Sunday No. 14 Bryant tries to extend its eight-game win streak against a UMass Lowell squad which is 5-3-1 and looking for an upset after a strong start in non-conference play.
 
Women’s Volleyball
  • Binghamton is 5-7 this season but has won 4 of 6 matches and looks to avenge a 2024 #AEVB semifinal loss to UAlbany on Friday evening.
  • The Great Danes have lost five straight, though three of those losses where to Power 4 programs where they won at least a set. This weekend they look to take down Binghamton on Friday and then Bryant, who has won 5 of 6, on Sunday.
  • UMBC is 2-8 and coming off a 3-2 win against Howard. Last season the Retrievers were 1-9 entering conference and finished 6-4 in league standings.
  • NJIT is 3-10 this season and has dropped six straight, but look to start conference play strong at home against UMBC and New Hampshire
  • The defending champion Wildcats are 6-7, but 6-3 against Non Power-4 programs as they fell 3-0 to Kentucky, Penn State, Texas A&M and Rutgers. Two of their three non-Power 4 losses were by a 3-2 margin.
 
Women’s Soccer
  • Binghamton looks to start 2-0 in league play when it visits Bryant on Sunday for a 4 p.m. kickoff. The Bearcats are off to its best season start in its 25-year Division I history and are riding a six-game unbeaten streak (4-0-2).
  • Bryant has recorded four-straight shutouts and not allowed a goal in its last 399:11 of play.
  • NJIT hosts UAlbany Sunday at 1 p.m. The Highlanders have a six-match unbeaten streak (3-0-3).
  • UMass Lowell leads the league averaging 1.78 goals per game. The River Hawks visit UMBC at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
  • UNH, the co-preseason league favorite, begin its league slate at Vermont on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Field Hockey
  • The first RPI rankings were released this week and UAlbany owns the best RPI at 31, followed by New Hampshire (39) and Vermont (41) and UMass Lowell (50) in the top-50.
  • In the final weekend without conference play, Maine (3-4) takes the field twice as the Black Bears play at Monmouth Friday and then Drexel on Sunday.
  • Bryant looks to snap a five-game losing streak against La Salle, while UMass Lowell competes at Brown.
  • Vermont has won 5 of 6 and travels to Cornell, while New Hampshire (3-4) seeks to get to .500 when they play at Boston University.
 
Cross Country
  • Maine heads went to Missouri to compete on the course which will be used for the national championships this year as they seek to keep their regional ranking intact, 11 for the women and 14 for the men.
  • Vermont will compete in the Equality Invitational on Saturday at St. Michael’s college as both the men and the women will compete on the same 8K course.
 
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 -