ALBANY, N.Y. – The University at Albany men's soccer team visits #9 New Hampshire to open 2021 America East play.
 
Game Info
Saturday, September 18 at #9 New Hampshire (6:00 pm)
Live Stats | AE.tv
 
Leading the Pack

• UAlbany returns its five leading scorers from the 2021 spring season, including top scorer Adam Aoumaich (4 goals, 1 assist) and 2019 America East Striker of the Year Austin DaSilva (2 goals, three assists)
• UAlbany's roster features 15 new players
• UAlbany and New Hampshire have combined to win each of the last five America East titles
• The last time UAlbany played a ranked opponent, they defeated #14 New Hampshire 1-0 at home on Senior Night during the 2019 season.
• After utilizing a unique three-pod scheduling format during the spring 2021 season, the America East will return to its regular round-robin format for the fall

Scouting New Hampshire
New Hampshire is 6-0-0 on the season so far and has climbed to #9 in the United Soccer Coaches national poll.  The Wildcats have outscored opponents 9-2 this season, and rank second in the America East in scoring defense behind Vermont, which has not allowed a goal in five games so far.  New Hampshire has won each of the last three America East titles, appeared in each of the last four NCAA Tournaments, and was picked to finish first in the 2021 America East Preseason Coaches' Poll.  Since the start of the 2017 season, New Hampshire has gone 18-5-4 against America East opponents during the regular season.  The Wildcats return to their roster two players in Bridger Hansen and Paul Mayer who earned All-America honors in the spring.  Hansen, the reigning America East Defender of the Year, was also named to the 2021 Preseason MAC Hermann Award Watch List.  Also returning is reigning America East Midfielder of the Year Rory O'Driscoll.  Each of the last seven games in the series have been decided by one goal, and three have gone into double-overtime.
 
Last Time vs. New Hampshire
The Great Danes and Wildcats last met during the 2019 season, missing each other during the 2021 spring season due to the America East's three-pod scheduling format.  UAlbany hosted then-#14 New Hampshire for their Senior Night.  New Hampshire had been unbeaten, 12-0-2, on the season to that point.  Austin DaSilva scored on a header, crossed in from Bjarki Leosson, in the 23rd minute for the game's only goal.  On defense, UAlbany locked down in the second half, denying New Hampshire from taking a single shot on goal.
 
Last Time Out
Following a three-game winning streak, the Great Danes visited Hofstra on Long Island on Tuesday, falling to the Pride by a final score of 4-0.  Hofstra scored twice in each half, starting in the 11th and 20th minutes to take an early lead, and then in the 50th and 54th to secure the final score.  The Pride outshot UAlbany 14-5, and won eight corner kicks in the second half to UAlbany's one.
 
Around the America East
New Hampshire has climbed into the national top-10 and secured some separation from Vermont atop the America East standings.  The Wildcats defeated Marist for its sixth win to start the season, moving a half-game ahead of idle Vermont, who is also undefeated at 5-0-0.  The three-way tie for third, between UAlbany, Binghamton, and Stony Brook, saw each team suffer a defeat on Tuesday and fall to 4-2-0.  UMBC is alone in sixth at 2-2-1, followed by Hartford, NJIT, and UMass Lowell, each of which have one win.
 
Saturday's America East Games

• Binghamton at Monmouth, 4:00 pm
• Vermont at Stony Brook, 6:00 pm
• UAlbany at #9 New Hampshire, 6:00 pm
• UMass Lowell @ NJIT, 6:00 pm
• Hartford at UMBC, 7:00 pm 

Shutouts
Through six games to start the 2021 season, each game UAlbany has played has included a shutout.  In victories, UAlbany has not allowed a goal, winning four games by a score of 1-0.  And in defeats, UAlbany has not scored, falling 3-0 at St. John's and 4-0 at Hofstra.  UAlbany has not scored a goal in the first half this season, and have not scored a goal earlier than the 62nd minute, with their average goal coming in the 81st minute.
 
To the Wire
One game after defeating Marist in the 99th minute, and after playing Lafayette to a scoreless tie for 89 minutes, the Great Danes broke through to defeat the Leopards 1-0 with three seconds remaining in regulation.  A serve in to Austin DaSilva from midfield was redirected to Adam Aoumaich.  Aoumaich played the ball into the middle of the Lafayette box to Giuliano Lucca, whose shot tipped the Lafayette goalkeepers fingers and fell into the right side netting for the win.
 
USC Regional
In the Week 3 United Soccer Coaches Regional Rankings, the UAlbany men rank fourth among their Northeast regional competitors, holding their position from the Week 2 poll after starting the season ninth in Week 1.  New Hampshire leads the Northeast poll, followed by Vermont, and then Cornell.  Yale, third last week, has dropped to fifth.  Two other America East schools, Stony Brook (6), and Binghamton (9), each earned spots in the Northeast top-10.
 
Defensive Player of the Week
UAlbany goalkeeper Carlos Tofern was named America East Defensive Player of the Week on September 7, earning his first-ever weekly award from the conference and the team's first weekly award of the season.  Tofern recorded six saves in the Great Danes' shutout victory at Villanova.  At the time of his award, Tofern was 2-1-0 on the season with two shutouts.
 
Three-for-Three
Through UAlbany's first four games of the 2021 fall season, and three Great Dane victories, Haflidi Sigurdarson has accounted for each UAlbany goal scored.  He scored the game-winner in a 1-0 victory in the season opener against Fairfield, off assists from Andrew Weiner and Giuliano Lucca, and then scored on a penalty kick to knock off Villanova.  Most recently, Sigurdarson scored the game-winner in the 99th minute to seal an overtime victory over Marist.
 
Picked Fourth
The Great Danes were picked fourth in the 2021 America East Preseason Coaches' Poll.  Three-time defending champion New Hampshire was picked as the unanimous favorite, ahead of Vermont and NJIT.  UAlbany edged out a pack of four teams separated by a total of five points: UAlbany (33), UMass Lowell (31), UMBC (30), and Hartford (28).
 
Familiar Foes
Due to the America East's implementation of a unique three-pod scheduling format for the 2021 spring season, UAlbany played six conference games against a total of four conference opponents (Binghamton, Hartford, UMBC, and Vermont).  This season, the Great Danes will return to their full round-robin conference slate to once again play every other team in the America East, including three-time defending champion New Hampshire, as well as the first-ever game against NJIT as a conference opponent.
 
New Look
Despite returning its top five scorers from the 2021 spring season, the fall 2021 Great Danes feature 15 new players on the roster.  The new recruits hail from a total of seven countries, including the United States, adding to the diverse background that already exists within Coach Gorman's program.
 
Finishing Strong
After starting the 2021 spring season 0-4-1, the Great Danes rallied down the stretch to win three of their final four games of the season by a total score of 8-3.  UAlbany claimed victory over both of its pod opponents, Binghamton and postseason-bound Hartford during the stretch, avenging earlier-season losses to both squads.
 
Next: UAlbany returns home September 21 to host Rhode Island, their final non-conference home opponent of the 2021 regular season.