MEN'S SOCCER NOTEBOOK
Vermont (6-5, 1-0) will host conference rival Albany (8-2, 1-0) on Saturday (Oct. 7) in a rematch of last year's America East Semifinal. Action gets underway at 1 p.m. This weekend is also Homecoming Weekend, presented by the UVM Alumni Association.
 
Single game tickets are available for purchase at UVMathletics.com/Tickets or at the Gutterson Fieldhouse Box Office on gameday. Fans can follow all of the action with free video and live stats by clicking the links below.

RELATED LINKS
Albany: Video | Live Stats | Tickets

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PROMOTIONS
Saturday's conference semifinal rematch is also Poster Day – presented by UVM Print and Mail. Fans are encouraged to stick around after the game to receive a free poster and get an autograph from all of your favorite players!
 
SETTING THE SCENE
The Catamounts have one of the top offenses in America East with 46 points (17 goals, 12 assists), which is tied for the third-highest total among their league rivals. UVM likes to use the first period to jump out in front as seven of its 17 goals have come in the first half – the most in the conference behind only Albany's eight goals. Geo Alves has racked up 15 points and six goals through the first 11 games this season and the junior is currently tied for second in America East in both categories. Nationally, he sits in the top-40 in points, goals, and shots per game. Tom Cole finds himself with the second-most assists (4) among the league's top distributors behind Albany's Daniel Krutzen.

LAST TIME OUT
UMass scored two goals late in the second half and handed the Vermont a 2-1 defeat on Tuesday evening. The Catamounts took an early 1-0 lead in the 13th minute thanks to Trevor Colazzo's first career goal. Cole played a through ball into the middle of the field where Colazzo sprinted past the UMass backline and lofted a shot over goalie Bardia Asefnia. Late in the second half, the Minutemen struck for two goals in a three-minute span. In the 77th minute, Mike Rita chipped a ball into the box to Davis Smith, who tapped the equalizer into the right side of the net. In the 80th minute, Alex DeSantis hooked a shot into the top left corner of the net on a free kick from 20 yards out. 

ROAD TRIP RECAP
The Cats finished their longest regular season road trip in program history with a 3-3 split. UVM earned wins at UC Riverside, Harvard, and Hartford. The voyage covered four states (California, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut) along with four different conferences (Atlantic-10, America East, Big West, and Ivy League).

AMERICA EAST CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Ívar Örn Árnason was named the America East Co-Player of the Week on Monday after netting his first two goals as a Catamount last week. Last Tuesday, Árnason helped the Catamounts beat Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts for the first time since 2002. The 6-1 defender provided an insurance goal for the Green and Gold in the 71st minute with a header. He used his head once again for the game-winning goal at Hartford last Saturday in the conference opener. As the clock ticked down to the final minute, the Cats were presented with a free kick from about 40 yards out. Alves sent a ball into the box where Árnason leaped above the Hawks' defense and placed the ball into the left side of the net.

SCOUTING ALBANY
The Great Danes were picked to finish second in this year's America East Preseason Coaches' Poll after winning the program's first ever America East Championship and advanced to the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament last season. Albany comes to Burlington on a five-game winning streak and has outscored its opponents 10-3 during the recent unbeaten run. The Great Danes are near the top-10 nationally in three offensive categories – No. 10 in assists (23), No. 12 in goals (22), and No. 13 in points (67). Afonso Pinheiro and Krutzen are the highest scoring tandem in the league with a combined 24 points. Pinheiro is tied for second in the conference with six goals and four assists. Krutzen leads America East with six assists and has found the back of the net twice. Goalie Danny Vitiello is one of the top netminders in Division I. Vitiello ranks fifth in the country with a 0.39 goals-against average.

INSIDE THE SERIES
The series has been very back-and-forth since the start in 2000. The Catamounts own a 10-9-3 all-time mark against the Great Danes. The two programs have met in the America East Tournament in four out of the last six seasons. Last year, UVM suffered defeats to Albany in the regular season and in the America East Semifinal. 
 
WHO'S NEXT
Vermont heads to Stony Brook on Wednesday (Oct. 11). Action gets underway at 7 p.m. Free live video will be available in HD at AmericaEast.TV.