ALBANY, N.Y. – The University at Albany men's soccer program returns to Tom & Mary Casey Stadium after a taste of America East competition to host nonconference opponent Rhode Island.

Game Info
Tuesday, September 21 vs. Rhode Island (7:00 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 has outscored Rhode Island 6-0 in four meetings since 2014
• 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 Rhode Island
Rhode Island is 5-1-1 on the season so far, sharing one common opponent with UAlbany in Hofstra.  The Pride defeated Rhode Island 2-0 in the season opener before later defeating UAlbany 4-0.  The Rams are riding a six-game unbeaten streak since their season-opening loss, and have won each of their last three.  Most recently the Rams defeated #22 VCU at home 2-1 in their conference opener.  Rhode Island was picked to finish seventh in the 2021 A-10 Preseason Coaches' Poll, and saw redshirt senior goalkeeper Stefan Schmidt named to the Preseason All-Conference Team.  In the 2021 spring season, the Rams went 2-3-1 and had five games cancelled.  UAlbany has won each of the last three meetings against the Rams, and have not conceded a goal in the last four.
 
Last Time vs. Rhode Island
The Great Danes last played Rhode Island in 2017 in Albany in front of the largest recorded crowd in the team's Division I era, 2,112.  UAlbany shut out the visiting Rams 4-0.  Daniel Krutzen and Afonso Pinheiro found Carlos Clark to put UAlbany on the board in the 15th minute, the only goal of the first half.  UAlbany added three after the break, one from Owen Fingar in the 48th, a second from Clark in the 51st, and one final score from Pinheiro in the 69th.
 
Last Time Out
UAlbany opened their 2021 America East schedule at three-time defending champion, preseason favorite, and national #9-ranked New Hampshire last Saturday.  The Great Danes and Wildcats had combined to win each of the last five America East titles, and had not played a game decided by more than one goal since 2012.  Saturday, the Wildcats got on the board early, in the seventh minute, and then again in the 79th, while locking down the UAlbany attack defensively to hold on for a 2-0 shutout victory to remain undefeated.
 
Around the America East
Conference play opened last weekend for each of the America East's nine teams except for Binghamton.  #9 New Hampshire, Stony Brook, UMBC, and NJIT each secured victories on opening day.  New Hampshire remains undefeated, now at 7-0-0, 1-0-0, while Stony Brook handed previously unbeaten Vermont its first defeat of the season, while scoring the first two goals the Catamounts have allowed this season.
 
Tuesday's America East Games

• Quinnipiac at #9 New Hampshire, 6:00 pm
• Siena at Vermont, 7:00 pm
• Rhode Island at UAlbany, 7:00 pm
• UMass at UMass Lowell, 7:00 pm
• UMBC at Lehigh, 7:00 pm
• Hartford at Fairfield, 7:00 pm
• La Salle at NJIT, 7:30 pm 

Shutouts
Through seven 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, 4-0 at Hofstra, and most recently 2-0 at #9 New Hampshire.  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 hosts NJIT for the first time as conference opponents on September 25.