UAlbany Set to Host Championship Quarterfinal Game Saturday; Campus Transportation Available
Photo Caption: UAlbany has claimed the No. 4 seed for the conference tournament.
ALBANY, N.Y. -- There could not have been a better scenario for the University at Albany men's soccer team than what played out this past weekend. UAlbany concluded their regular season on Saturday, Oct. 27 with a thrilling 1-0 overtime win against the University of Hartford. The victory, along with a loss by Binghamton University, earned the Great Danes a first round home match in Saturday's America East Championship quarterfinals.
UAlbany (6-11, 3-4 AE) received the No. 4 seed and will host No. 5 University of New Hampshire (2-3-2, 6-7-4 AE) on Saturday, Nov. 3 at the Christian Plumeri Sports Complex. Match time is set for 6 p.m. The match will be one of the two weekend quarterfinal games. No. 3 Stony Brook University will be hosting No. 6 Binghamton on Saturday at noon.
Any students/fans looking for transportation to the America East Quarterfinals match, there will be a fan bus available at Collins Circle. The bus will leave at 5:15 p.m. to the Plumeri Sports Complex and return all students/fans back to campus following the end of the match.
LAST MATCH
UAlbany defeated Hartford off Quintel Gates' overtime goal, 1-0. The senior scored on a breakaway with just three minutes remaining in the second overtime period. He was set up by freshmen Philip Persson and Anthony Rozzano. Sophomore goalkeeper Tim Allen had a game-high five saves.
SCOUTING NEW HAMPSHIRE
The Wildcats have tied four games this year including two in conference play. They are coming off overtime matches in two of their last three games. On Saturday, Oct. 27, New Hampshire concluded their regular season with a 1-0 overtime win over Boston University. Alex Hussein scored the game-winning goal in the 96th minute.
New Hampshire goalkeeper Travis Worra is tied for second in conference in shutouts this season with five. The Wildcats have struggled to find the back of the net, tied for last in the America East with only 15 goals scored.
WILDCAT DEFEAT
UAlbany defeated New Hampshire, 3-1, in a regular season road matchup on Sunday, Oct. 14. Freshman Philip Persson led the match with three points, scoring the game's first goal and assisting sophomore Pomare Te Anau's goal in the 82nd minute.
The Great Danes scored twice in the final 15 minutes to put the match out of reach. In the 72nd minute, freshman Kit Alexieff hit a ball into the box that looped over goalkeeper Tom Worra's head and found the back of the net. Then in the 82nd minute, Te Anau scored with a well-struck shot that hit the upper 90.
AMERICA EAST TOURNAMENT BREAKDOWN
The winners of each America East Championship quarterfinal game will travel to play the top two seeds on Wednesday, Nov. 7 in the semifinal round. UAlbany plays this weekend for a chance to battle top-seeded Vermont. The championship game will be played on Nov. 10/11 depending on semifinal results.
Stony Brook hopes to defend its conference title after defeating Hartford 4-2 in last year’s championship game. UAlbany was defeated by the Seawolves last season in the semifinal round, 3-1.
Visit America East Championship Central for all tournament information.
A GREAT DANE GAME-WINNER
Sophomore forward Brandon Wilson has scored a team-high three game-winning goals this season to lead the Great Danes 2012 campaign. Most recently, Wilson scored in the 71st minute with a one-touch shot inside the far post against Hartwick College. The goal gave the Great Danes the 2-1 road victory.
MANNING THE MIDDLE
Pomare Te Anau has found much success roaming the midfield since joining the team in 2011. Te Anau has tallied eight assists in his career at UAlbany. His most recent assist was off a pass sent to teammate Brandon Wilson against Hartwick on Oct. 17.
A LAND OF HIS OWN
Australian goalkeeper Tim Allen, in his first collegiate soccer season, has played well between the pipes. He has tallied 91 saves and two shutouts in 17 games this season.
CONFERENCE ACCOLADES
Freshman midfielder Anthony Rozzano grabbed the first accolade of the season for the Great Danes and the first of his career. His performance of two goals and one assist from Aug. 27 thru Sept.3 garnered him America East Conference Rookie of the Week.
Kit Alexieff was also named America East Conference Rookie of the Week after recording two game-winning goals UMBC and New Hampshire in the second week of October. His goals pushed UAlbany up from sixth place to a tie with Binghamton for third place in the conference standings.
ARMBAND WORTHY
Dominic McGarr and Jeff Pierre were honored as the 2012 UAlbany men's soccer captains this season. Both McGarr and Pierre played in all of the team's 19 games last season. McGarr will man the well-experienced back line this season and Pierre will look to lead the midfielders after the departure of senior captains Anthony DeSalvo and David Pinto
BACK LINE EXPERIENCE
UAlbany brings back all four starters from last season. 2012 co-captain middle back Dominic McGarr comes back as the lone starter from last season having played every game last season. Both Thomas Manz (middle back) and Christoffer Nisser (right back) played 18 of the teams 19 games and Arsenio Elliott (left back) started in 16 of 17 games.
The four returners helped hoist a team total four shutouts last season, including a regular-season 0-0 tie with defending conference tournament winner Stony Brook.
GREAT DANES ARE 2012 UNDERDOGS
UAlbany was chosen to finish tied for sixth in the America East with the Binghamton Bearcats.
Second year head coach Trevor Gorman and the Great Danes are in familiar territory having been chosen to finish eighth last season. But being picked eighth last season didn't stop the Danes from an America East Semifinal appearance.
