Eleven institutions of higher learning participate in men’s soccer in the Northeast Conference.  The participating institutions are located in the states of Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Maryland and Pennsylvania. Each team in the conference plays each other once during the regular season.  The top four teams during the regular season get a berth into the conference tournament with the tourney winner receiving the conference’s  berth into the NCAA Tournament.  The NEC Tournament this year will be hosted by Quinnipiac in Hamden, Connecticut on November 9 and 11. 

 

Fairleigh Dickinson, Robert Morris, and UMBC have claimed three of the four berths in the tourney.  The fourth berth will go to either Long Island or St. Francis (PA).  Long Island is in the drivers seat for the fourth berth.  They face Central Connecticut State on Friday November 2 and if they win that match they will earn the fourth berth.  However, should Long Island lose and if St Francis (PA) defeats Robert Morris when they square off on Saturday November 3 then St. Francis would get the fourth invite to the conference tournament. 

 

Fairleigh Dickinson is currently 7-2-0 in NEC play and 11-6-0 overall.  The Knight’s two conference losses were to Long Island 3-1 and Robert Morris 2-1 in their first two conference games of the year.  They have key non-conference wins over Akron 2-1 and Columbia 2-1.  Non-conference losses include Washington 3-2 (OT), Seton Hall 4-1, and William and Mary 3-1. Coach Seth Roland’s Knights will close out regular season conference play on Saturday when they host St. Francis (NY).  A win in that game would give them the number one seed in the conference tourney but for that to happen Robert Morris will need to tie or lose their remaining match against St. Francis (PA).  The Knights are averaging 2.06 goals per match.  They have tallied 35 goals after 17 games this year and allowed opponents to score 25.  The Knights have been playing very well and have now won four straight and seven out of their last eight contests.  Forwards Dirceu Hurtado (7g, 6a) and Aaron Payne (12g, 6a) are very productive up-top and give Fairleigh Dickinson an offense that can be very potent.  Johnny Davis (4g, 5a) has lead the attack in the midfield.  The ability of the Knight midfield to control play and to get the ball to the feet of  Hurtado and Payne with some space to operate is an important factor.  This is a good Fairleigh Dickinson team but they have been vulnerable defensively at times this year so look for their ability to limit their opponents to a goal or less to be a key factor in their continued success.  If the Knights are on their game and focused they are capable of holding their own with just about anyone. 

 

Robert Morris is currently 7-2-0 in NEC play and 8-8-1 overall.  Their remaining conference match is with St. Francis (PA) this Saturday.  That will be a tough match but if they win that game they will earn the number one seed in the tourney since they defeated Fairleigh Dickinson 2-1 in regular season play.  The Colonials overall record is a bit misleading as they began the 2001 season with five straight non-conference losses.  On September 21 they began Northeast Conference action with a big 2-1 win over Fairleigh Dickinson in a match that may have been the turning point in their season. The Colonials have tallied 35 goals while allowing their opponents to find the back of the net 25 times.  Twenty four of their 35 goals have been scored during the second half of play.  Their attack is lead by Jamie Dodds (11g, 6a), Cyril Allen (7g, 6a) and Rhian Dodds (5g, 4a).  Robert Morris enters play this weekend off two non-conference matches.  They tied Pittsburgh 0-0 (OT) and were defeated by West Virginia 2-1 in overtime. The Colonials have played everyone tough and have been within striking distance of winning every match they have played this year.  Their two losses in conference play came at the hands of Long Island and Central Connecticut State.  This is the first year that Robert Morris has earned a ticket to the conference tournament during the tenure of head coach Bill Denniston who is in his fifth year at the helm of the program. 

 

UMBC - The Retrievers ended the regular season with an overall record of 9-5-2 and a conference mark of 6-3-1.   Under the leadership of Coach Pete Caringi, UMBC has qualified for the conference tournament four years in a row.  The Retrievers ended the regular season with a 1-0 loss Wednesday night to non-conference foe George Mason.  Their conference losses have been to Sacred Heart 3-1, Fairleigh Dickinson 3-2, and Robert Morris 3-2.  UMBC tied conference foe Mt. St. Mary’s 1-1.  UMBC is lead offensively by freshman forward Derek McElligott (12g, 3a),  Alex Wilmont (4g, 5a), Ricky Brown (5g, 3a), and P. J. Wakefield (5g, 1a).  Their backline is lead by Andy Wells and keeper Brian Rowland.  The Retrievers have tallied 35 goals and allowed 22.  UMBC is capable of winning the tournament but for that to happen they are going to have to play their best soccer of the season.  The Retriever seniors know what it is like to win.  UMBC has a shot at the conference title and an NCAA tourney berth if players like Wells, Brown, Wakefield, and James Hamilton have a solid tournament. 

 

Long Island - This young Long Island team is 7-5-4 overall and 5-1-3 in conference play.  The Blackbirds face Central Connecticut State on Friday in a match that will determine whether or not they get the fourth invite to the conference tournament.  If they win that one they are in.  However, if they lose and St. Francis (PA) defeats Robert Morris then the Red Flash from St Francis will get the fourth invite.  Freshman Matt Paradise (10g, 1a), Oskar Tilly (5g, 5a), and David Schofield (3g, 10a) lead the Long Island attack.  Long Island’s play during the regular season has established that they are capable of winning the tourney.  This year they have already defeated both Fairleigh Dickinson and Robert Morris. The Blackbirds tied St. Francis (PA), Quinnipiac, and Mount St. Mary’s.  Their lone defeat thus far was a 2-1 loss to UMBC.  The Long Island attack had tallied a total of 32 goals but they have allowed 27.  If the Long Island attack is clicking they will be a tough team to defeat.  

 

St. Francis (PA) - If Long Island losses and St. Francis (PA) get the win over Robert Morris they will be the fourth team in.  The Red Flash are 6-8-3 overall and 5-3-1 in the conference.  They struggled at the start of the year losing six out of their first eight matches.  However in their last nine games they have won 5, tied 2 and lost two.

 

The outcome of the 2001 NEC tournament is very much up for grabs.  November 9 and 11 should prove to be another great weekend of soccer for the Northeastern Conference.