ALBANY, N.Y. – The University at Albany men's soccer program hosts Patriot League opponent Lafayette on Tuesday before opening America East play this weekend.
 
Game Info
September 19, 2023 vs. Lafayette (7:00 pm)
Live Stats | ESPN+ | Int'l Stream | Game Notes
 
Leading the Pack

• UAlbany is 3-0-0 at home this season; Lafayette is 2-1-0 on the road
• UAlbany ranks seventh nationally, drawing 7.6 corner kicks per game
• Lafayette has been shut out in each of its last two games
• UAlbany has recorded a shutout in seven of its last 13 games

Scouting Lafayette
The Leopards started the season unbeaten in its first five games, tying its first two before winning three-straight.  Since, Lafayette has dropped back-to-back games against Fairleigh Dickinson, and then their Patriot League opener against Colgate, 1-0.  Lafayette has played to America East opponents already this season, tying UMass Lowell 1-1 in the season opener and later defeating Binghamton 2-0.  The Leopards are led by senior forward Hale Lombard, who has scored six of Lafayette's 11 goals in 2023.  UAlbany is 5-2-0 in seven Division I-era meetings against Lafayette, but the Leopards snapped the Great Danes' four-game winning streak last season.
 
Last Time vs. Lafayette
August 29, 2022 | UAlbany traveled to Easton, Pa. for its 2022 road opener against Lafayette.  The Leopards defeated the Great Danes, scoring once in each half to claim a 2-0 victory.  Hale Lombard scored each of Lafayette's goals, first in the 30th minute and later in the 52nd.  Lafayette's defense held UAlbany to zero shots attempted in the second half, and just one shot on goal for the duration of the game.
 
Last Time Out
The Great Danes got back on their regular schedule after their previous two games were affected by inclement weather with a trip to defending Ivy League champion Penn.  The Quakers had won 13 games in 2022 and advanced a round in the NCAA Tournament, but one of their three losses that season were at the hands of the Great Danes.  Penn scored quickly, in the 11th minute, before UAlbany tied the game at one in the 20th.  Alex Pechacek recorded his fourth assist of the season on Ivar Orri Gissurarson's first career goal.  Penn scored late in the first half and once more after the break to win the game 3-1.
 
Around the America East
Bryant has run its season-opening winning streak to six games, and the Bulldogs have now scored 13 goals and conceded zero.  As a result, the Bryant has climbed into 24th in the Top Drawer Soccer national poll for the week of September 18.  Behind the Bulldogs, #12 Vermont, #21 New Hampshire, and UMBC are each 4-1-1.  NJIT has won two-straight to jump to 3-2-2, leading UMass Lowell at 2-2-2, and UAlbany at 3-4-0.  Binghamton rounds out the standings at 2-4-0.
 
Tuesday's America East Games

• Siena at #12 Vermont, 6:00 pm
• Saint Peter's at Binghamton, 6:00 pm
• Rhode Island at Bryant, 7:00 pm
• Iona at NJIT, 7:00 pm
• Lafayette at UAlbany, 7:00 pm
• American at UMBC, 7:00 pm

Upcoming Milestones

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

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 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 UMBC on September 23.