SATURDAY'S MATCH:
A highly anticipated rematch of the last two America East Tournament title contests awaits the Hartford men's soccer team, as it is set to host the UMBC Retrievers on Saturday night at 7 p.m. The conference showdown will feature the two preseason favorites of the conference, as both the Hawks and Retrievers were projected for first-place finishes in 2015. Hartford, which has gone unbeaten at home in its last 15 contests, has scored three-straight wins over Iona (1-0), CCSU (2-1) and Saint Francis (2-1 2ot) to push its record back above .500 at 4-3-2.
SCOUTING UMBC:
Since dropping a pair of 1-0 decisions to Loyola (Md.) and La Salle, UMBC has bounced back to record three-straight victories over George Washington (3-2), George Mason (2-0) and Howard (2-1). With its current win streak, the squad enters the start of conference play with a 6-2-1 record. Senior forward Darius Madison and junior line mate Kenney O'Shea are the only Retrievers with multiple goals on the season. Handing out three assists apiece, Madison has five goals for a team-high 13 points while O'Shea adds four scores for 11 points. Through nine games, UMBC, which leads the America East in scoring with 1.89 goals per game, has held its opponents to eight goals this season. Anchoring the defense is junior Billy Heaver, who holds an 0.84 goals-against average and .731 save percentage. The Retrievers started the season ranked 12th in the NSCAA Division I preseason poll but have since fallen out of the rankings.
SERIES HISTORY WITH THE RETRIEVERS:
The all-time series has tilted in favor of UMBC thanks to a string of recent success for the Retrievers. UMBC has posted wins in each of the last five matchups against the Hawks to turn a series that was split down the middle into a 10-5-2 advantage. Three of Hartford's last four losses to UMBC have been by one goal, including identical 2-1 scores in last year's regular season meeting and the 2014 America East Tournament title match.
LAST TIME THEY MET:
For the second time in as many years, UMBC muscled its way past Hartford in the deciding match of the America East Championships in Baltimore, Md. The Retrievers, who went on to propel their way into the NCAA's College Cup as a semifinalist, earned their second-straight conference crown by erasing a first-half Hartford lead with goals in the 62nd and 76th minutes. Jeff Tryon provided the Hawks with their halftime edge with his fourth goal of the year in the 38th minute, but the Retrievers went on to deliver back-to-back blows, using scores from Oumar Ballo and Gregg Hauck to take the win.
LAST TIME OUT:
Junior Jeff Tryon headed home the game-winner with 48 seconds remaining in the second overtime to lift Hartford to a 2-1 win over Saint Francis on Sunday afternoon. Senior Rohan Roye played a ball up the left side to classmate Anthony LoBello, who set up the golden goal with a low cross in front of the net. The latter part of the game proved to be the most eventful, as both teams scored in the final 28 minutes of regulation. Freshman Andri Jonasson earned his first career goal and put the Hawks in front at the 61:36 mark before the Red Flash's Francis de Vries evened the score and forced extra time after heading in a goal in the 86th minute. Junior David MacKinnon made one save in the winning effort.
RETURN OF THE MACK:
Junior goalkeeper David MacKinnon and the Hawks' back line have kept two opponents off the scoreboard this season: Holy Cross (Aug. 28) and Iona (Sept. 19). With those two clean sheets, MacKinnon's career total is now 18, which ranks him second in Hartford's Division I era. MacKinnon is three shutouts away from tying Chris Doyle (1998-2001) for the program record.
HE'S A KEEPER:
In addition to closing in on Hartford's Division I shutout record, junior David MacKinnon is also making moves up the rankings in the Hawks' record books in career victories. Helping the Hawks to a recent overtime victory over Saint Francis on Sunday, he earned his 25th career victory between the posts. A native of Easton, Mass., MacKinnon is currently tied with Chirs Mindru (1986-89) for fourth place in the record books and needs three more triumphs to move into third. George Kostelis (1989-92) is the Hawks' winningest goalkeeper with 36.
DID YOU KNOW?
Backed by 21 years of head coaching experience, four of which have come at Hartford, Tom Poitras ranks among the top head coaches of the nation. Poitras entered the season with a career coaching record of 230-131-50. With a .620 career win percentage, which is the 29th-best career win rate among all active NCAA Division I head coaches.
WORKING OVERTIME:
Overtime has not been a weakness for the Hawks in recent years. Since the start of the 2013 season, Hartford has dropped just one extra-time match in 19 attempts. That lone blemish came last month when then-ranked No. 22 Old Dominion stunned Hartford with a goal late in the final overtime period to score a 2-1 win (Sept. 13). In the last two-plus seasons, the Hawks have posted an impressive 10-1-8 record in games that required extra time to reach an outcome.
#HAWKNATIONDOMINATION:
The phrase "home field advantage" has been truly defined by the Hartford men's soccer team. With a thrilling, 2-1, overtime victory against Saint Francis on Sunday, the Hawks extended their unbeaten streak in West Hartford to 15 games. Since falling to UMBC at home on October 5, 2013, Hartford has not lost at the friendly confines of Al-Marzook Field, going 13-0-2 during that stretch. Furthermore, last season, the Hawks made history when they put together the program's first perfect season at the 'Zook in its Division I era by posting an 8-0-0 record.
ON TOP OF THE POLLS:
In the 2015 America East Preseason Coaches' poll, which was released last month, Hartford was tabbed a co-favorite to win the league. The Hawks are projected to share the top spot with UMBC – a team that they have squared off against in the last two America East Championship title matches. Both Hartford and UMBC received four first-place votes for 46 points in the poll. Vermont was chosen third with 34 points while UMass Lowell (27 points) and Albany (23 points) took fourth and fifth, respectively. Rounding out the preseason poll were New Hampshire (18 points), Binghamton (16 points) and Stony Brook (14 points).
NEXT ON TAP:
The Hawks have a week-long layover before returning to action on Saturday, Oct. 10. That date lands the Hawks at home for an America East match against the Vermont Catamounts. Kickoff from Al-Marzook Field at Alumni Stadium is scheduled for 7 p.m.
