MEN'S SOCCER NOTEBOOK
The Vermont men's soccer team returns to Virtue Field this weekend to host Sacred Heart, LIU Brooklyn, and Bucknell in the Peter Baldwin Memorial Classic presented by Morgan Stanley. UVM faces Sacred Heart under the lights on Friday (Sept. 2) at 7 p.m., then takes on LIU Brooklyn on Sunday (Sept. 4) at 3 p.m.
Tickets for the tournament are available at UVMathletics.com/Tickets or at the Gutterson Ticket Office on gameday. Live video for all four games of the tournament is available via AmericaEast.TV.
RELATED LINKS
Live Video: Sacred Heart | LIU Brooklyn
FAST START
Vermont is off to 2-0 start after wins over Cal State Fullerton and Central Connecticut State. The Catamounts beat 2015 NCAA Tournament participant Cal State Fullerton 3-2 in double overtime in the season opener on Aug. 26 as
Brian Wright scored the game-winner with 1:25 left in the second extra session. On Monday night, Wright opened the scoring and assisted on
Bernard Yeboah's third goal in the first two games, leading UVM to a 2-0 road shutout of CCSU.
Eric Venezia and
Aron Runarsson (shutout) each have victories in net to start the year.
CLIMBING THE RANKINGS | NSCAA Rankings
Vermont is now the second-ranked team in the East Region in the Week 1 NSCAA Regional Rankings behind only UConn. The Catamounts, who are also receiving votes in the national top-25 poll, are one of four America East teams that are ranked in the East (UMass Lowell, New Hampshire, Albany). UVM's Sunday opponent LIU Brooklyn from the NEC is currently ranked seventh in the Northeast Region by the NSCAA.
KILLER B'S
Brian Wright and
Bernard Yeboah have combined for all five of the team's goals and 12 points in Vermont's 2-0 start to the new season. Brian has posted a goal and an assist in each contest, while Bernard has scored three times and was tabbed the season's first America East Player of the Week on Monday. Yeboah was also named to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week after a two-goal game vs. Cal State Fullerton.
SCOUTING THE FIELD
Sacred Heart, which was picked to finish eighth in the Northeast Conference Preseason Poll, beat Iona 2-1 in its season opener on Tuesday. Shaquille Saunchez is the squad's leading returning scorer with seven points last year, and he scored one of the two goals on Tuesday against the Gaels. Last year, the Pioneers posted a 2-12-1 record and went 1-6 in the NEC. UVM beat Sacred Heart 1-0 on the road to open the 2015 season on a goal from
Nile Walwyn.
LIU Brooklyn enters the tournament 1-1 after losing to Siena 4-1 and beating Army 3-2 last weekend. Freshman Giuseppe Barone scored the game-winning goal against Army and was named Northeast Conference Rookie of the Week for his performance. Last year, the Blackbirds posted a perfect NEC regular season (7-0-0) and won the tournament title in penalties over St. Francis. Brooklyn went on to fall in penalties to Rutgers in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Bucknell is 0-1-1 through two games after a 3-0 loss to Delaware and a 1-1 tie against St. Bonaventure. The Bison were selected to finish sixth in the Patriot League Preseason Poll after finishing fifth last year with a 3-3-3 conference mark. Bucknell registered a final record of 7-7-5 in 2015 and fell to Lehigh 2-0 in the Patriot League quarterfinals. The Bison lost their two leading scorers from last season, but they return Sebastiaan Blickman who posted six goals and 15 points a year ago.
WHO'S NEXT
The Catamounts follow their annual tournament with a four-game road trip. UVM travels to Virginia next weekend to face Old Dominion on Friday, Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. and Virginia Commonwealth on Sunday, Sept. 11 at 3 p.m.
