ALBANY, N.Y. – The University at Albany men's soccer program begins its 2022 America East schedule on the road at UMBC.
 
Game Info
Saturday, September 24 at UMBC (7:00 pm)
Live Stats | AE.tv
 
Leading the Pack

• UAlbany leads the America East in penalty kicks attempted and converted
• UMBC leads the America East in scoring offense and ranks third in scoring defense
• UMBC averages nearly 18 shots per game
• Each of the last three games in the series has been decided by one goal or fewer
• UMBC ranks fifth in the United Soccer Coaches Northeast top-10

Scouting UMBC
UMBC is, by far, the highest-scoring team in the America East this season, netting a total of 22 goals, eight more than second-place UMass Lowell's 14, though eight of the Retrievers' goals came in one game against Fairfield.  Three of UMBC's players, Spencer Hanks, Ryan Becher, and Taylor Calheira, rank in the top-five in the America East in goals scored.  Defensively, the Retrievers have allowed the third-fewest goals, nine, among their America East peers.  The Retrievers have gone 5-2-1 this season, with all five victories coming at home.  UAlbany is 7-9-5 against UMBC in the program's Division I era, with just one victory in Baltimore.
 
Last Time vs. UMBC
October 17, 2021 | UAlbany suffered its first non-victory result at home this season, playing UMBC to a 1-1 draw in double-overtime while still remaining unbeaten at Casey Stadium.  The Great Danes had won each of its three previous overtime games, finishing against the Retrievers in their first tie of the season.  UMBC struck first in the 31st minute after some early, dangerous chances for the Great Danes came up short.  UMBC's goal came off a rebound off the post that landed at the feet of another Retriever in front of an open net.  UAlbany responded just four minutes later, when Giuliano Lucca, on a chaotic play in the box, caught UMBC goalkeeper Qantrell Jones out of position.  Neither team was able to score in the second half or overtime, despite UAlbany outshooting UMBC 21-9 overall.
 
Last Time Out
UAlbany visited Rhode Island one game before conference play began and fell to the Rams 5-3 in the highest-scoring game of the season through its first eight games.  Two goals were scored in the first four minutes, first by Rhode Island and next by UAlbany, before the Rams took a 2-1 lead into halftime.  Rhode Island went up 3-1 before Saad Faiz scored to keep the Great Danes within one.  The end of the game featured another quick series of goals, with three scored in less than 50 seconds of game time, including UAlbany's fourth successful PK in four attempts, seeing Rhode Island win 5-3.
 
Around the America East
Vermont has taken over the lead in the conference standings at 6-1-1 overall and riding a five-game winning streak.  The Catamounts have broken into the United Soccer Coaches top-25 rankings at #22.  UMBC is second at 5-2-1, followed by NJIT at 3-3-2.  Defending regular-season champions and preseason #9 New Hampshire are .500, 3-3-0 through six games.  Bryant also has three victories, paired with four losses.  Behind the bulldogs, UMass Lowell and UAlbany each have one win, followed by winless Binghamton.
 
Saturday's America East Games

• New Hampshire at Bryant, 2:00 pm
• UAlbany at UMBC, 7:00 pm
• NJIT at Bryant, 7:00 pm
• Binghamton at #22 Vermont, 7:00 pm

Common Opponents

• Fairfield
  • UAlbany: September 2 at Fairfield, L, 0-1
  • UMBC: August 26 vs. Fairfield, W, 8-2

From the Field
When Saad Faiz scored his first goal of the season, in the 24th minute of the Great Danes' sixth game of the year, at Rutgers, it was the team's first goal scored from the field of the 2022 season.  All three of the Great Danes' previous goals were scored on penalty kicks.  Faiz's goal ended a drought of just over 520 minutes of game time since their previous goal from the field, in the 44th minute of the 2021 America East quarterfinal against NJIT.
 
Defensive Player of the Week
Daniel Shannon recorded his first career shutout and victory as UAlbany's goalkeeper in the Great Danes' fifth game of the year when they hosted the Penn Quakers.  Shannon faced a total of 21 shots and made four saves to keep the Quakers off the board and hold the 1-0 lead to victory.  Shannon is UAlbany's first defensive player of the week since former teammate Carlos Tofern was named on September 7, 2021.
 
Three-for-Three
Through five games, UAlbany has scored three goals on the 2022 season.  Each goal came via penalty kick, first in the season opener against Boston University and second at Marist at the end of a three-game road swing.  Pantelis Panteli took each penalty kick for the Great Danes, making Panteli accountable for all UAlbany scoring through the early part of the season.  In the fifth game of the season, Domenic Baumann stepped in for Panteli on the Great Danes' PK against Penn and successfully converted the attempt, making UAlbany 3-3 on PKs this season.
 
International Flavor
Continuing a tradition within the UAlbany men's soccer program under head coach Trevor Gorman, the 2022 Great Danes feature a sizeable international roster.  Thirteen countries are represented among UAlbany's ranks this season: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Germany, Morocco, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the United States.
 
New Faces
UAlbany welcomes 16 new players to the roster for the 2022 season, replacing 15 departures and bringing the team roster to a total of 30.  Though the Great Danes return second-leading scorer Andrew Weiner from last year, the members of the new class will fill in for the production left behind by the departures of the first, third, and fourth-leading scorers, a total of six goals and 11 assists.
 
Picked Fourth
After finishing the 2021 regular season third in the America East standings, the Great Danes were picked to finish fourth in the league's 2022 preseason coaches' poll.  Behind unanimous favorite New Hampshire, picked to win the league for the fourth-straight season, the distribution tightened up.  Defending tournament champion Vermont was picked second just two points ahead of third-pick UMBC, and five points ahead of UAlbany.  NJIT was picked fifth, ahead of Binghamton and UMass Lowell in a tie for sixth, with conference newcomer Bryant picked eighth.
 
Game Over
Adopted starting this season, regular-season matches will no longer go into extra time when tied at the conclusion of regulation.  The regular-seasons games will conclude after 90 minutes of play.  Overtime and shootouts will return starting in the postseason.
 
Next: UAlbany hosts America East newcomer Bryant on October 1.