ALBANY, N.Y. – Following a one-game nonconference break, the University at Albany men's soccer team jumps back into America East play by hosting Binghamton this weekend.
 
Game Info
October 7, 2023 vs. Binghamton (6:00 pm)
Live Stats | ESPN+ | Int'l Stream | Game Notes
 
Leading the Pack

• UAlbany is 4-1-0 at home this season; Binghamton is 1-4-0 on the road
• UAlbany ranks tied for sixth in the America East in scoring offense; Binghamton ranks eighth
• UAlbany ranks fourth in the America East in scoring defense; Binghamton ranks tied for sixth
• Alex Pechacek ranks fifth in the country in total assists

Scouting Binghamton
The Bearcats a 2-6-2 overall in 2023, and 0-0-2 against America East opponents, forcing ties with then-#18 New Hampshire, 0-0, and NJIT, 1-1.  The Bearcats have played three teams ranked in the top-25 at the time of their games, and are 0-2-1 in those games.  The Bearcats, who went 6-9-4 in 2022, are led by Jack Green, who has scored three goals and recorded three assists this season.  Binghamton hasn't recorded a victory since defeating Canisius on the road 2-0 on September 13, going 0-2-2 in four games since.  UAlbany is 12-11-4 against Binghamton during the program's Division I era.
 
Last Time vs. Binghamton
October 8, 2022 | UAlbany visited Binghamton for the team's third America East match of the year.  The game ended in a 0-0 tie, with each team earning one point in the conference standings.  The first half played out largely evenly, with both teams taking three corner kicks and both goalkeepers recording three saves, but Binghamton did hold a small advantage in shots taken, 6-5.  Binghamton extended its shots advantage in the second half but UAlbany's offensive pressure resulted in five second-half corner kicks, though neither team was able to find the back of the net in regulation.
 
Last Time Out
With two America East games under its belt, UAlbany men's soccer briefly broke from league play for a non-conference matchup against Ivy League opponent Cornell.  The Big Red were an at-large bid for the 2022 NCAA Tournament, and advanced to the Third Round before falling to eventual national champion Syracuse.  Against UAlbany, Cornell scored the game's first three goals, two of which came on penalty kicks, before UAlbany surged in the final 10 minutes, scoring twice and creating a final opportunity in the closing seconds.  UAlbany's rally came up just short, and the Great Danes fell 3-2.
 
Around the America East
After opening their conference season with back-to-back scoreless ties, New Hampshire has fallen out of the United Soccer Coaches top-25 poll.  Vermont, the conference's top team, fell one spot to 15th in the latest poll.  Bryant retains the league's top record overall, having secured its ninth win of the season, but conceded their second goal in a 3-1 defeat of Dartmouth. Six of the league's eight teams, including UAlbany, have recorded four or more wins this season.
 
America East Notes

• The America East is currently ranked 3rd in RPI among all conferences
• #AEMSOC is 1 of 3 conferences (ACC & Pac-12) with four teams ranked in the top 40: UVM (11), Bryant (32), UMBC (36), UNH (39)
• #AEMSOC is 1 of 4 conferences (ACC, BIG 10, Pac-12) to have at least 80% of its teams ranked in the RPI top 120 (7 of 8).

Saturday's America East Games

• #15 Vermont at NJIT, 3:00 pm
• Binghamton at UAlbany, 6:00 pm
• Bryant at New Hampshire, 6:00 pm
• UMBC at UMass Lowell, 7:00 pm

Common Opponents

• Syracuse
  • UAlbany: 9/4 at #1 Syracuse, L, 0-1
  • Binghamton: 8/28 at #1 Syracuse, L, 0-3
• New Hampshire
  • UAlbany: 9/29 at #24 New Hampshire, T, 0-0
  • Binghamton: 9/23 vs. #18 New Hampshire, T, 0-0

Upcoming Milestones

• Trevor Gorman: 99 career wins
• Program: 499 wins

Dangerous Strikes
Through the Great Danes' first eight games, the team has scored 12 goals.  Five of their last seven have come on either free kicks or corner kicks, started with three such goals against Marist.  So far, the Great Danes have scored four goals off corner kicks alone.
 
Helping Hand
Alex Pechacek recorded his first assist of the season in the Great Danes' fifth game, at home against Marist.  Pechacek finished the game with three assists, the second-most in a single game in Division I program history.  Including the game against Marist, Pechacek has assisted on six of UAlbany's seven goals scored, and has recorded at least one assist in three of four games.
 
First Halves
Until Penn scored in the 11th minute in the Great Danes' seventh game of the season, UAlbany had held its first six opponents scoreless in the first half of each game.  Conversely, UAlbany had scored four goals in first halves this season.
 
At the Top
In Week 3 of the United Soccer Coaches regional rankings, America East institutions accounted for each of the top four, and five of the top 10, spots in the Northeast Poll.  Vermont, New Hampshire, both nationally ranked, took the top two spots, followed by UMBC and undefeated and untied Bryant.  UAlbany landed seventh out of 10, behind Cornell and LIU.
 
Defensive Player of the Week
Tiago Dias' two-goal performance, including the game-winner, earned his first career America East Defensive Player of the Week honor.  In scoring twice, first in the 17th minute and next in the 54th, Dias powered the Great Danes to victory over Marist, and doubled his career goals total.
 
Helping Hand
Graduate midfielder Alex Pechacek recorded an assist on all three UAlbany goals against Marist.  The three assists were the second-most in a single game in the program's Division I history, ranking only behind Daniel Krutzen's four at American University during the 2018 season.  No other player in the program's Division I era had recorded three assists in a game.
 
From the Back
All three of UAlbany's goals against Marist came from the defensive line, and specifically center backs Tiago Dias and Santiago Frias.  Dias scored the first two goals of the game, in the 17th and 54th minutes, and Frias added one in the 57th.  All three goals were scored on set pieces, with midfielder Alex Pechacek assisting on each.
 
Shutting Out
After earning shutouts in back-to-back games early in the 2023 season, the UAlbany men's soccer team had recorded seven shutouts in its previous 10 games dating back to the 2022 season.  Since playing Colgate to a 1-1 tie on October 18, 2022, UAlbany had allowed just six goals in 11 games, including two shutouts in 10 days against then #8-ranked Vermont.  UAlbany's shutout streak reached a peak of 505 consecutive minutes between allowing goals to Colgate and in the 2022 America East title game against #22 New Hampshire.
 
Without Borders
Including the United States and Canada, the 2023 men's soccer roster features 29 players representing 13 different countries.  In total, 21 players have joined the team from outside the United States.
 
New Faces
The Great Danes' roster of 29 players features 13 new faces.  Three of the 13 are freshmen, while the remaining 10 have transferred into UAlbany from their previous institutions.  The transfers hail from such programs as Akron, South Florida, and defending national champion Syracuse, among others.
 
Picked Third
After a run to the America East title game in 2022, the Great Danes were picked to finish in a tie for third in the 2023 America East Preseason Coaches' Poll.  They shared their point total of 34 with UMBC, and narrowly edging the Retrievers by garnering one first-place vote.
 
Schedule Strength
Including defending national champion and preseason #1 Syracuse, five of the Great Danes 17 opponents in 2023 hold preseason rankings in the United Soccer Coaches national poll.  Behind the Orange, the Great Danes will play games against #12 Vermont, #20 Cornell, #23 New Hampshire, and #25 Penn.
 
Phoenix Rising
Former UAlbany defender Daniel Krutzen '18 signed a deal in January with Phoenix Rising FC of the USL Championship, the second-tier league in the United States.  Krutzen made the move after playing four years in the Canadian Premier League for Forge FC, winning three league titles.
 
Hall of Fame Semifinalist
The most prolific scorer in UAlbany men's soccer history, Lee Tschantret, was named a semifinalist to the National Soccer Hall of Fame's 2023 Veteran Ballot.  Tschantret played at UAlbany from 1987-90, scoring a program-record that still stands today 51 goals.  He earned All-America honors in 1988 and 1989, and after his collegiate season enjoyed a 20-year professional career.
 
U.S. Open Cup
Former UAlbany goalkeeper Danny Vitiello and his Sacramento Republic FC team advanced to the championship game of the 2022 U.S. Open Cup against Orlando City SC of the MLS.  Sacramento was the first team from outside the MLS to reach the title game since Charleston Battery played against D.C. United in 2008.  Vitiello and Sacramento defeated three MLS teams en route to the final, the San Jose Earthquakes, the L.A. Galaxy, and Sporting Kansas City.  In the latter game, the semifinal, Vitiello recorded the decisive save in the penalty kick shootout to advance Sacramento to the final.  Sacramento's magic run ended against Orlando City, falling 3-0.
 
Next: UAlbany hosts UMass Lowell on October 14.