ALBANY, N.Y. – The University at Albany men's soccer program is back on its original schedule with a visit to defending Ivy League champion Penn this weekend.
 
Game Info
September 16, 2023 at Penn (7:00 pm)
Live Stats | ESPN+ | Int'l Stream | Game Notes
 
Leading the Pack

• UAlbany is 0-3-0 on the road this season; Penn is playing its 2023 home opener
• Penn went 6-0-0 at home in 2022
• UAlbany has recorded a shutout in seven of its last 12 games
• The Great Danes were responsible for one of the Quakers' three defeats last season

Scouting Penn
The Quakers recorded one of their best seasons in history in 2022, going 13-3-2 overall and 6-1-0 against Ivy League opponents to win the Ivy League title and earn a berth into the NCAA Tournament.  After shutting out Rutgers 3-0 in the First Round, the Penn lost in the Second Round to eventual national champion Syracuse, and were the last team to hold a lead against the Orange.  Penn returns both the Ivy League Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year in Stas Korzeniowski and Leo Burney, each of whom also earned United Soccer Coaches and College Soccer News All-America honors.  Additionally, Nick Christofferson returns in goal, after being drafted 25th overall to CF Montreal I n the 2022 MLS Super Draft.  UAlbany and Penn have split two meetings in the Great Danes' Division I era.
 
Last Time vs. Penn
September 9, 2022 | The Great Danes secured their first victory of the 2022 season, knocking off Penn 1-0 off a penalty kick from Domenic Baumann.  The Quakers applied tremendous pressure throughout the game, limiting UAlbany to four total shots while taking 21 of their own, and winning 16 corner kicks and allowing UAlbany only one.
 
Last Time Out
For the second-straight season, UAlbany fell 1-0 to Army West Point after the Black Knights were assessed a red card and played with 10 for more than a full half, with the lone Army goal coming on a penalty kick.  In the 2023 meeting, UAlbany outshot Army 23-5, but only managed five shots on target.  Army's defense blocked six of UAlbany's shot attempts before they reached goalkeeper Keanu Likewise, who was making his collegiate debut.
 
Around the America East
Bryant remains atop the conference standings, undefeated and untied through its first five games.  Vermont and New Hampshire, ranked #12 and #21 nationally, follow at 4-1-0 and 3-1-1, respectively.  UMBC, like the Wildcats, is also 3-1-1.  NJIT is 2-2-2, just ahead of UAlbany a 3-3-0.  UMass Lowell is 1-2-2, with Binghamton trailing at 2-4-0.
 
Saturday's America East Games

• #12 Vermont at Harvard, 5:00 pm
• Sacred Heart at NJIT, 7:00 pm
• #25 Cornell at UMBC, 7:00 pm
• UAlbany at Penn, 7:00 pm
• Bryant at Brown, 7:00 pm
• UMass Lowell at CCSU, 7:00 pm

Upcoming Milestones

• Trevor Gorman: 98 career wins
• Program: 498 wins

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 has recorded seven shutouts in its last 10 games dating back to the 2022 season.  Since playing Colgate to a 1-1 tie on October 18, 2022, UAlbany has 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 Lafayette on September 19.