Conference

QUINNIPIAC STILL PERFECT IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY; RMU, FOUR NEC TEAMS GET FIRST WINS
 
With its victories over Vermont (2-1) and Holy Cross (1-0) last week, Quinnipiac remains undefeated in the 2012 season thus far. The 3-0 start is the best for the Bobcats since they moved to the Division I ranks in 1998. The last time the Quinnipiac program started the season 3-0 was 1988.
 
• First Victories: Three NEC teams put a mark in the win-column last week. On Aug. 27, Wagner defeated St. Peter’s 5-2, led by Julie Vigliotti (Staten Island, NY/Staten Island Academy) and Jackie Nicholas (Rockville Centre, NY/South Side) who each recorded five points apiece.
 
-On Aug. 31, Fairleigh Dickinson pummeled Delaware State with a 5-0 victory. Rachel Hoekstra (Bowmanville, Ontario/Clarington Central Secondary School), a freshman, headed the offense with two goals and an assist. The Knights have now outscored opponents 8-6 on the year with a 78-59 shot advantage. Eight players have recorded points for FDU, with Hoekstra leading the squad with nine.
 
-LIU Brooklyn picked up a 1-0 win against UMBC. Freshman Marina Raus (Waldwick, NJ/Waldwick) scored the game-winner for the Blackbirds.
 
-The Sacred Heart Pioneers picked up their first two wins this weekend defeating Lafayette and Manhattan 2-1. In both games, seniors Jen Mulvey (Manalapan, NJ/St. John Vianney) and Ashley Moore (Levittown, NY/Island Trees) scored for the Pioneers.
 
• Winning Streaks: In addition to Quinnipiac’s 3-0 run, Sacred Heart is on a two-game win streak with after its 2-1 victories against Lafayette and Manhattan.
 
• Ranked Opponents: Mount St. Mary’s and Monmouth faced teams either ranked in the national poll or receiving votes last week. The Mount, facing a ranked opponent for the third time in program history, fell 0-4 to No. 13 Virginia Tech, while Monmouth was defeated by America East preseason favorite Boston University, which received 23 votes in the poll.
 
• Foreshadowing?: The last time Monmouth opened the season with just one win in its first five matches was 2007 (1-2-2), the season the Hawks went on to win the NEC regular season title, and the NEC Championship.
 
• NEC vs. Non-Conference Opponents: NEC teams have been holding their own against a number of conferences. The NEC has a 3-2 record against Patriot League opponents, a 4-4-1 record with the America East Conference and a 1-0-1 with the MEAC.
 
• Losses Avenged: Bryant avenged its last-minute loss to Holy Cross from 2011 when freshman Rachael Ivanicki (Colts Neck, NJ/Colts Neck) netted the lone score of the game in the 84th minute, lifting the Bulldogs to the 1-0 victory.
 
-On the opposite side, Monmouth lost to NJIT 2-1,  for the first time since the in-state series began in 2006.
 
• Constitution State Match: Central Connecticut takes on in-state rival UConn this week on the Blue Devils’ home pitch in New Britain. The Huskies received three two votes in the most recent NSCAA top-25 poll.
 
• NEC Front Row: Seven women’s soccer games will be broadcast live this week on NEC Front Row (www.NECFrontRow.com), the league’s new digital network. Games will also be available on-demand.
 
• Women’s Soccer HQ: For the latest on the goings on in the NEC and all things women’s soccer visit www.northeastconference.org. You can also follow the league on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube (@NECsports) as well as the NEC Overtime! blog (necovertime.com).
 
Top Performers of Week
 
• Marina Ruas (LIU Brooklyn)
Ruas tallied the first goal of her career in the 43rd minute of LIU’s 1-0 win over UMBC.
 
• Monique Goncalves (Monmouth)
Goncalves, who attempted a shot at Seton Hall, notched her first career goal against the Highlanders, which tied the game at 1-1 in the 66th minute. She earned her first start vs. NJIT on Sunday night.
 
• Lauren Viverito (Bryant)
Viverito recorded her first shutout of the year in the 1-0 victory over Holy Cross on Thursday. She recorded four saves in both of the games for the Bulldogs this week.
 
• Chelsea De Jager (RMU)
de Jager picked up her first career shutout against Howard and stopping 22 shots during a three-game week.
 
Milestone Watch
 
• Jennifer Bannon (LIU Brooklyn)
The reigning NEC Goalkeeper of the Year went largely untested against UMBC, not having to record a save to earn the 21st shutout of her career. The 21 shutouts ties Stephanie Kansky (2003-06) for the most in LIU Brooklyn history.
 
Quotable
 
• Fairleigh Dickinson
“We are a young team, but we’ve had more than enough opportunities in each game to have a very positive record. As we near conference play, we must be more efficient and do more to ensure we get the points we deserve. We will take advantage of the fact that we only have one game this week and train at a higher intensity than usual.”
-Head coach Marco Masucci after FDU’s 1-1 weekend.