MEN'S SOCCER NOTEBOOK
The Vermont men's soccer team opens the 2017 season with a pair of road games in the Empire State this weekend. The Catamounts will visit Hartwick on Friday (Aug. 25) at 7 p.m. in the regular season opener. On Sunday (Aug. 27), UVM will play San Diego State at Army. Action gets underway in West Point at 12 p.m.
RELATED LINKS
CatamounTV: Preseason Teaser (Twitter) | Season Preview
Hartwick: Video | Live Stats
San Diego State: Live Stats
CATAMOUNT SCORE ALERTS | Sign Up
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AMERICA EAST PRESEASON POLL
In this year's America East Preseason Coaches' Poll, the Catamounts were picked to finish seventh in the preseason rankings. UMass Lowell, who is eligible for postseason play this season after complying with the NCAA Division I transition rule, was pegged as the preseason favorite with 47 points and received five first-place votes. Reigning champion Albany was close behind in second place with 45 points and earned the remaining three first-place votes.
2016 REWIND
The 2016 team achieved its highest RPI and national ranking (16th) since 1989 and was recognized as one of the dominant regional powers. A total of five Catamounts earned NSCAA All-America, NSCAA All-East Region, ECAC All-Star, America East All-Conference, All-Rookie, and All-Academic honors at the end of the season. With their 4-1 win over Rider in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the Catamounts were victorious in the postseason on their home turf for the first time since 1989 in front of a record crowd. The 2016 squad had the top classmate scoring tandem in program history in
Bernard Yeboah and
Brian Wright, who tallied a combined 25 goals and 15 assists. Wright was selected by the New England Revolution with the 20th overall pick in the first round of the 2017 Major League Soccer (MLS) SuperDraft. He became the first Catamount in school history to be drafted by a MLS team.
THE ROB DOW ERA BEGINS
First-year head coach
Rob Dow inherits the reigns after serving the past five seasons on UVM's coaching staff, including the last two years as associate head coach. In addition to the 2016 NCAA Tournament success, Dow helped lead the Catamounts to an America East regular season title in 2012, its first in 23 years, and an America East Championship in 2015.
NEW CATS
The 2017 Catamounts will have 15 fresh faces which includes six transfers, three Vermonters, and a pair of Icelandic players –
Geo Alves,
Ívar Örn Árnason,
Davis Auth,
Daði Bærings Halldórsson,
Anthony Chrysanthou,
Taylor Demick,
Justin Freitas,
Jacob Gutierrez,
Nolan Jimmo,
Luke Magnier,
Nick Neptune,
Danny Orrego,
Joe Parento,
Dani Rovira, and
Noah Stracqualursi.
SCOUTING HARTWICK
The Hawks were tabbed fourth in the 2017 Sun Belt Preseason Coaches' Poll. Hartwick is coming off its third straight semifinal appearance in the Sun Belt Tournament after falling to eventual champion Costal Carolina. Senior Jamie O'Grady was one of three midfielders named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt Team after dishing out a pair of assists last year. Sophomore Hamish Ritchie had a solid rookie campaign after finishing tied for second on the team in goals (3), assists (3), and points (9). He was later named Sun Belt Co-Freshman of the Year. Goalie Lenny Wilson returns for his senior season after registering a 1.23 goals-against average and was the only Sun Belt netminder to earn three shutouts in conference play last season.
SCOUTING SAN DIEGO STATE
Like the Hawks, the Azteks were also picked to finish fourth in the Pac-12 Preseason Coaches' Poll after making their ninth trip to the NCAA Tournament last year. SDSU has six starters coming back in 2017 including senior keeper Adam Allmaras and sophomore midfielder Pablo Pelaez – both made the Preseason All-Pac-12 Team. Allmaras ranked fourth in the nation with a .856 save percentage and registered 11 shutouts a year ago. As a freshman, Pelaez was named to the NSCAA All-Far West Region First Team, All-Pac-12 Second Team and College Soccer News All-Freshman Second Team. The Azteks have 42.0% of their scoring production back for another year with leading scorer Jeroen Meefout, who netted four goals and handed out an assist, leading the way.
SERIES HISTORY
The Catamounts own a 9-5-2 record against the Hawks in the all-time series. UVM has won six of the last eight meetings including three straight in Oneonta, New York. In last year's match, Hartwick earned its first victory in Burlington since 2001 in a 2-1 double overtime thriller.
Sunday will mark the first-ever meeting between the Catamounts and Azteks.
WHO'S NEXT
Vermont returns home to host the Peter Baldwin Classic, presented by Morgan Stanley, on Friday (Sept. 1) and Sunday, Sept. 3 at Virtue Field. The tournament field includes Central Connecticut State, Florida Gulf Coast, and Niagara. UVM will host Florida Gulf Coast on Friday at 7 p.m. in the return of former head coach Jesse Cormier. The weekend will wrap up with UVM and Niagara on Sunday at 2 p.m.
Single game tickets are available at
UVMathletics.com/Tickets or at the Gutterson Fieldhouse Box Office on gameday. Free live video will be available in HD at
AmericaEast.TV.
