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Scouting Brown
-The Brown women's soccer team enters its non-conference matchup against Massachusetts after losing two straight games to in-state rival Providence (L, 0-1) and Florida Atlantic (L, 0-1 OT) and look to go above .500 after early season wins at St. John's (W, 2-1) and in their home opener against Delaware (W, 2-1).
-Leading the Bears offense early in the season has been senior forward Chloe Cross, whose two goals and nine shots in only three games leads the offense in both categories. Her efforts have earned her Ivy-League Co-Player of the Week for the week ending September 8.
- Another key player on the Brown roster is Ivy League Rookie of the Week Mikela Waldman, who finished her first week as a collegiate athlete with a game-winning goal in the 88th minute against St. Johns to add to her one assist on six shots on the season. The forward could pose a challenge to a Massachusetts team that gave up five goals to a Connecticut team on Sunday.
-Brown enters the 2014 season after a 2013 season that saw them finish third in the Ivy League standings with a 13-7 record (4-2-1 Ivy). The Bears return 11 players from last year's squad, and seek to fill the void left by the eight seniors who graduated following the 2013 season.
- 2013 All Ivy League Selection Annie Gillen will also be a player that Brown will rely on for success this season.
- In goal for the Brown Bears is Mallory Yant, who has 15 saves on the young season and boasts a 0.99 Goals Against Average. For the week ending September 15, Yant earned Ivy League Honor Roll mention for her performance.
- In last year's matchup at Massachusetts, the Bears won 2-1 in a game that had goals by current players Annie Gillen and Kirsten Belinsky.
- The Bears are coached by Phil Pincince, who is in his 38th season at the helm of the Brown women's soccer team, and who is the 13th-winningest coach in the NCAA Division I history entering the 2014 season.
Last Time Out
- In its game at Connecticut on Sunday, the Minutewomen couldn't bounce back from a 1-0 halftime deficit as they lost to the Huskies by a final score of 5-0. UMass played disciplined, only giving up three fouls compared to UConn's 11 and led in corner kicks 6-5, but were outshot 15-9
Bruno Collects UMass Athlete of the Week Award
-Women's soccer junior forward and co-captain Jackie Bruno was selected as the UMass Athlete of the Week on Monday, Sept. 8 after factoring in both of UMass' goals in a 2-1 double overtime victory over New Hampshire on Sept. 7. She first drew a foul in the box that resulted in a penalty kick for the Minutewomen, which Megan Burke converted. Then in the second overtime period, she won the match for UMass in the 103rd minute with her second goal of the season on her 10th shot of the contest.
Burke Honored As UMass Athlete of the Week
-Women's soccer sophomore forward Megan Burke was named the UMass Athlete of the Week on Tuesday, Sept. 2. Burke netted her second goal of the season in the 111th minute at Bryant on Aug. 28, lifting the Minutewomen to a 1-0 victory over the Bulldogs in double overtime, the squad's first win of 2014.
Overtime Overload
- UMass has gone to overtime in six of its eight matches thus far this season, reaching double overtime in five of the six and holding a record of 2-2-2 in those contests. Prior to the loss at Connecticut, the Minutewomen played in five straight overtime games, which tied a record that was set in 2008 and 2007, when the squad played five-consecutive overtime games, spanning the final two games of 2007 and the first three of 2008
- In 2013, UMass set a program record with nine overtime games, including the postseason. The previous high was six in 2008.
Contributions From The Sophomore Class
- Eleven of the 17 points posted by the Minutewomen through the first eight matches have been provided by members of the sophomore class with goals from Megan Burke and Julia Weithofer first career points for Alyssa Fratarcangeli and Laura Johns who dished assists and another assist by Daniela Alvarez. Burke and Weithofer were both named to the JMU Invitational All-Tournament Team in the squad's opening weekend of action. Weithofer played 192 of a possible 200 minutes over the pair of matches.
- Through six matches, Megan Burke leads the team in scoring with three goals for six points, matching her season total from her freshman campaign.
Career Firsts
- Several Minutewomen had career firsts at the JMU Invitational--First Career Starts: Jenny Scro (8/22 vs. Towson), Daniela Alvarez (8/22 vs. Towson), Jackie Miller (8/22 vs. Towson),Natalie Perussault (8/22 vs. Towson); First Career Points: Alyssa Fratarcangeli (8/22 vs. Towson), Georgia Gibson (8/24 at James Madison).
- At Bryant (8/28), sophmore Laura Johns registered her first career point with an assist on the overtime game winner. She made her first career start vs. Cornell (9/5).
- Cassidy Babin made her collegiate debut, drawing a start against New Hampshire (9/7) and made five saves en route to her first career victory.
Who's Back
- UMass returns 17 members of last year's squad that reached the Atlantic 10 semifinal, including seven starters.
- Three of the seven returning starters drew starts in all 20 matches last season--forward Megan Burke, midfielder/defender Julia Weithofer and goalkeeper Danielle Kriscenski.
- Weithofer was an Atlantic 10 All-Rookie selection last season as a freshman and saw nearly 1,700 minutes of action.
- Burke is UMass' leading returning scorer, pocketing nine points in 2013 on three goals and three assists, including one game winner.
- As a redshirt freshman in 2013, Kriscenski played every minute of all 20 matches and logged five shutouts, 92 saves and a goals-against average of 1.11. Her 92 saves tied her for 10th most for a single season in program history.
New Faces
- UMass has added six newcomers for the 2014 season. The freshman class features four forwards, two midfielders and a goalkeeper and is comprised of three players from Massachusetts and one each from Maryland, Nevada, Virginia.
- Goalkeeper Cassidy Babin was a two-time MACS All-State First Team selection at Archbishop Spalding out of Ellicott City, Md.
"Ice" Earns Preseason Accolade
- Junior co-captain Rebekka Sverrisdóttir ("Ice") was named to the 2014 Preseason All-Atlantic 10 team. The Reykjavik, Iceland, native appeared in 16 games in 2013 and contributed three points on a goal and an assist. A 2013 Atlantic 10 All-Tournament team selection, Sverrisdóttir helped the UMass defense limit opponents to one goal or less in 12 of 16 matches she appeared in last fall, including four shutouts. This past spring, she was named a team co-captain for 2014 alongside classmate Jackie Bruno.
Preseason Predictions
- UMass was picked fifth in the Atlantic 10 preseason poll, as voted on by the league's head coaches. With 130 points, the Minutewomen trailed only preseason-favorite Dayton (189 points, eight first-place votes), La Salle (187, 6), VCU (143) and Saint Louis (138).
The Matz Era At UMass
- UMass is 40-39-69 (.503) over head coach Ed Matz's four-plus seasons, including a record of 18-13-4 (.571) in Atlantic 10 matches, a trip to the A-10 final in 2011, a semifinal appearance in 2013 and four consecutive Atlantic 10 Championship berths.
- Under his direction, UMass players have earned 12 All-Atlantic 10 honors, six all-region accolades and four All-New England selections.
- Matz is 139-130-34 (.515) all-time as a women's head coach, with an overall record (men & women) of 222-204-50 (.571).
Next Up
- The Minutewomen will travel to Cambridge, Mass. to face Harvard on Monday, Sept. 29, at 7 p.m.
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