NEC Player of the Week
Reece Wilson, Central Connecticut
6-1, 180lbs
Sr., M, London, England/William Carey
Central Connecticut’s Reece Wilson scored early and often during his team’s two-game stay at the Belmont University Mafiaoza’s Invitational this past weekend in Nashville, TN. The senior midfielder found the back of the net three times, including twice in a 3-1 win over Lipscomb, to earn this week’s NEC Player of the Week honor. He scored his first goal of the weekend early in the first half of a 3-2 double-overtime setback to host Belmont on Friday, before depositing two more against Lipscomb on Sunday. The team’s outright leader in nearly every offensive category, Wilson ranks third in goals (3), goals per game (0.50), points (8) and points per game (1.33) among all NEC players.
NEC Rookie of the Week
Brett Larocque, Bryant
5-7, 155lbs
Fr., M/F, Ottawa, Ontario/Ecole Jean Vanier
Bryant rookie Brett Larocque scored once and assisted on another as the Bulldogs picked up their first victory of the season, a 2-1 decision over visiting George Washington on Sunday. Playing for the first time in nearly two weeks, the Ottawa, Ontario native exploded midway through second half by pushing his team out to a 2-0 advantage within a four-minute and 58-second span. He got the Bulldogs on the board at the 63:40 mark, as Connor Norat quickly cleaned up his rebound in the box to make it a 1-0 game. Larocque then netted the eventual game-winner shortly after, ringing a shot off the crossbar that found its way into the back of the net with 68:38 showing on the clock. With his three-point outing, Larocque now leads the team in scoring with two goals and five points.
NEWS AND NOTES
NON-CONFERENCE THUS FAR
Northeast Conference teams completed the fourth week of competition and have one more weekend of non-conference action to go before NEC play heats up on Friday, Sept. 28. Until then, NEC teams will play a combined 18 contests against out-of-league foes this week. Monmouth, which earned its first national ranking of 2012 last week, leads the 11-team league with five non-conference wins and a 5-1-1 record. Two teams have picked up three victories over non-NEC teams, with Sacred Heart standing at 3-2 and Fairleigh Dickinson at 3-2-1. The Knights, most recently, tied No. 29 UAB, 2-2, and fell to Memphis, 1-0, last week at the Soccer for a Cure Classic in Birmingham, AL. Saint Francis (PA), Robert Morris, Central Connecticut and St. Francis (NY) all have two wins apiece.
TWICE AS NICE
When senior midfielder Reece Wilson scored his second goal of the game for Central Connecticut on Sunday against Lipscomb, he became the fourth NEC player to tickle the twine at least twice in a game this season. Senior Philip Suprise currently holds the season-mark for most goals scored in a contest with three, netting his second career hat trick against Lafayette.
WHO SAYS SOCCER IS LOW SCORING?
For Fairleigh Dickinson and St. Francis (NY), scoring has come quite easily this season. The two teams currently lead the NEC with 11 goals each through six games, averaging 1.83 goals per game. St. Francis (NY) currently holds the season record for most goals scored in a game with five, while FDU has played in two games where it has scored at least four goals.
NIFTY FIFTY
Two NEC coaches are approaching their 50th career victories. Head coach Eric Da Costa currently has 47 wins while leading the Quinnipiac Bobcats and St. Francis (NY) bench boss Tom Giovatto is eight shy of the mark for his career.
HAWKS ENTER NATIONAL RANKINGS
Monmouth finally broke out of the receiving votes category and into the top-25 of the NSCAA/Continental Tire National Poll last week, debuting at No. 19. Despite dropping a 1-0 decision to Seton Hall in their first game as the No. 19th-ranked team in the country, the Hawks rebounded with a 1-0 decision over College of Charleston on Sunday at The Great Lawn. MU currently leads all NEC teams in wins with five and stands at 5-1-1 on the season.
CLIMBING THE CHARTS
LIU Brooklyn senior Jakeem Johnson continued his climb in the LIU Brooklyn record books last week. The Montclair, NJ native scored his 21st career goal in a 2-1 loss to Fairfield to move into a tie for 27th all-time in the career goals category at LIU Brooklyn, drawing even with Amir Cohen (1970-73) and John Limberis (1965-67).
HAWKS STAY ATOP REGIONAL RANKINGS
For the fourth straight week it’s the Monmouth Hawks atop the NSCAA/Continental Tire North Atlantic Regional Rankings. The Hawks, who also debuted at #19 in the national poll last week, fell to Seton Hall, 1-0, and defeated College of Charleston, 1-0. Overall, four teams from the NEC occupy spots in the 10-team poll. Fairleigh Dickinson ranks fourth, followed by Sacred Heart in seventh and Saint Francis (PA) in 10th.
TOP PERFORMERS OF THE WEEK
RONALDO VIEIRA (SACRED HEART) Vieira dished out two assists in the Pioneers’ 3-2 setback to NJIT last week. He found Mahmoud Kafel for the game’s first goal early in the first half and setup Jamal Vinson with under 20 minutes to play, making it a one-goal deficit.
NICO WRIGHT (FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON) Wright tallied three points in Fairleigh Dickinson’s 2-2 draw at No. 29 UAB last week. He scored in the 9th minute and earned the assist on sophomore Godfred Baafi’s goal that made it a 2-0 game in the second half. Wright’s goal marked his fourth in his last three games.
EDNEY DERRICK (MONMOUTH) Derrick scored his second goal of the season, the game-winner against the College of Charleston on Sunday. He now has two goals and three assists for seven points, tying for the team lead in each category.
KEVIN CORREA (ST. FRANCIS (NY)) Correa recorded three points in the Terriers’ victory over Howard, 3-0, last week. He scored the third goal of the game after assisting on a strike by Adam Maabdi that made it 2-0 in favor of SFNY.
SAM COLOSIMO (ROBERT MORRIS) Colosimo netted the eventual game-winner in Robert Morris’ win over Hartwick, 2-1, in Moon Township, PA. It marked his first goal in nearly three years and moved the Colonials’ record to 2-1 in their last three games.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
“What an exciting game. We played really well against a very, very good out-of-region team on their home field and were unlucky not to win,” FDU head coach Seth Roland said following his team’s 2-2 draw at #29 UAB. “I am so proud of the guys and the effort they put into it tonight. On the one hand, one might say that we might have managed the last 12 minutes of regulation better, but on the other hand, they were extremely big, athletic and dangerous, while putting a ton of pressure on.”