Oct. 12, 2009
Center Valley, Pa.--A double-overtime victory over previously unbeaten Lafayette propelled American to the top of the Patriot League standings. The Eagles are 3-0 in League play for the first time since 2004.
Patriot League Men's Soccer Release 10.12.09 
BRINE Offensive Player of the Week
Mike Worden, American Jr., F, Silver Spring, Md.
Worden scored the dramatic game-winning goal in the second overtime period against Lafayette, giving the Eagles a 2-1 win over the Leopards and their first 3-0 start in Patriot League play since 2004. It was Worden's third game-winner of the season.
BRINE Defensive Player of the Week
Karsten Smith, American Sr., D, Huntington Station, N.Y.
Smith helped American hand Lafayette its first Patriot League loss by limiting the Leopards to five shots on goal through 105 minutes of action. Smith won a number of balls in the air, limiting the Leopards' chances in the Eagles' 2-1 double-overtime victory.
BRINE Goalkeeper of the Week
Tommy Caso, Bucknell So., GK, Phoenix, Md.
Caso went 2-0 last week, including a 1-0 shutout over Holy Cross on Saturday. He made five saves against the Crusaders and finished the week with eight total stops. The lone goal that Caso surrendered came on a penalty kick.
BRINE Rookie of the Week
Shane Conlin, Colgate Fr., F, Randolph, N.J.
Conlin scored two goals, including the game-winner, in Colgate's 4-2 triumph over Army. He now ranks third on the team in scoring with seven points.
Honorable Mention Performances Last Week
Conor O'Brien, Bucknell
Sr., M, Mt. Sinai, N.Y.
Scored two goals in the Bison's 5-1 win over St. Peter's. Now has a career-high nine goals this season.
Brendan Burgdorf, Bucknell
Fr., F, Westfield, N.J.
Had his first career multi-goal game against St. Peter's. Scored two goals in the Bison's 5-1 win over the Peacocks.
Andrew Garcia, Navy
Sr., F, Garland, Texas
Netted his fifth career goal and the first since his sophomore year with a dramatic overtime goal against Lehigh in the 98th minute.
Patriot League Notebook
The Week In Review
Three of four home teams defended their home field in Patriot League play on Saturday. The lone road team to collect a win was Navy, which topped Lehigh by a 2-1 count in Bethlehem. Navy is tied with Bucknell and Lafayette for second in the League standings. The Bison notched a 1-0 win over Holy Cross, while Lafayette dropped a 2-1 double-overtime decision at American. The Eagles' win over Lafayette gives American sole possession of first place. It is the Eagles' first 3-0 start in League play since 2004. Also picking up a win on Saturday was Colgate. The Raiders scored a 4-2 home win over Army, extending the Black Knights' losing streak to 10 games. Bucknell and Navy also recorded non-League victories, defeating St. Peter's and Loyola (Md.), respectively.
On Deck
Patriot League play will resume on Saturday with four matches. League-leading American will make the short trip to Annapolis to take on second-place Navy. Lafayette, which is tied with Navy and Bucknell for second place, will be at home against defending Patriot League champion Colgate. Bucknell will square off against Army in West Point. Lehigh and Holy Cross will duel in Worcester. Six non-League contests are also on this week's slate of games. Among the non-League battles, Bucknell will travel to Milwaukee to meet Marquette on Tuesday. Other Tuesday contests include American hosting Penn, Colgate at Cornell and Lehigh at home against NJIT. On Wednesday, Navy will host Howard, while Lafayette will travel to Penn State.
Eagles Are Flying High
American was picked to finish second in the preseason poll, but the Eagles currently lead the Patriot League with a 3-0 mark. It is just the second time since joining the League that American has started League play with a 3-0 record. The last time the Eagles opened League play with three straight wins was in 2004, the last time American won the Patriot League men's title.
Patriot League's Fab Four
Four of the top five teams in the latest NSCAA/adidas Mid-Atlantic regional rankings come from the Patriot League. Lafayette leads the way at No. 2, followed by American, Lehigh and Bucknell.
Home Sweet Home
Two Patriot League teams have yet to lose a home contest this season. Lafayette holds a perfect 5-0 mark at home, while Colgate is 4-0-1 in Hamilton. Neither team has been able to duplicate their success on the road. The Leopards are 1-3-1 away from Easton, while Colgate is 1-5 on the road.
Freshmen Finding Their Way
Half of the Patriot League's eight teams are led in scoring by freshmen. Colgate (Mike Reidy), Holy Cross (Shane Regan), Lafayette (Sean Peckham) and Navy (Michael Rakoczy) all find first-year players at the top of their statistical charts thus far. Reidy leads all freshmen in goals (5) and points (11).
Colgate Picked To Win Patriot League Championship
Colgate was chosen as the favorite to win the 2009 Patriot League Men's Soccer championship in a preseason vote by head coaches and sports information directors. The winners of the past two Patriot League championships, the Raiders received 12 first-place votes and 95 overall points. Coaches and sports information directors could not vote for their own teams. American received the other four first place votes and 86 points overall, leaving them in the second position in the poll. Lafayette was picked third with 60 points, followed closely by Holy Cross (58), Bucknell (57) and Lehigh (49). Navy was selected seventh with 26 points, while Army was tabbed eighth with 17.
2009 Patriot League Tournament
The 2009 Patriot League Tournament will take place Friday and Sunday, November 13 and 15 at the site of the highest seed. The top four teams as determined by the regular-season standings will participate in the Patriot League tourney.
Team Notebooks
American
The Eagles opened Patriot League play with three consecutive wins for the second time in program history. The last time the Eagles opened 3-0 was in 2004. They finished the 2004 campaign with the Patriot League crown. With a double-overtime victory against Lafayette, Mike Makowski recorded his fifth win in goal. Mike Worden notched his third game-winner of the season. American will attempt to maintain its winning streak with a road bout against Navy on Saturday.
Army
The Black Knights dropped a 4-2 decision at Colgate, extending Army's losing streak to 10 games. Army is now 0-8 in road contests this season. After being held scoreless in seven straight matches, Army has now scored four goals in its last three games. The Black Knights will aim to snap their losing streak with a home match against Bucknell on Saturday.
Bucknell
The Bison won their second straight Patriot League contest on Saturday with a 1-0 win over Holy Cross. Freshman CK Kumah scored the lone goal in the win over the Crusaders. Bucknell has now won four consecutive games overall. At 9-3, Bucknell is off to its best 12-game start since 2002. The Bison will seek to continue their momentum with a road game at Army on Saturday.
Colgate
The Raiders picked up their first League win of the season with a 4-2 triumph over Army. Shane Conlin, who is third on the team in scoring, paced the Raiders' attack with two goals against the Black Knights. Colgate also recorded a scoreless tie in non-League action against Hartwick. The Raiders will resume League play at Lafayette on Saturday.
Holy Cross
The Crusaders were outscored by a 3-0 margin in their two games last week, including a 1-0 Patriot League setback against Bucknell. The Crusaders have been outshot 169-95 this season. Holy Cross will resume League play Saturday at home against Lehigh.
Lafayette
Lafayette suffered its first Patriot League defeat, a 2-1 double-overtime loss at American. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for the Leopards. Lafayette will seek to regain its winning form in a non-League bout at Penn State. The Leopards will then host Colgate on Saturday.
Lehigh
Lehigh has now lost three straight games after dropping consecutive Patriot League contests. The Mountain Hawks were dealt a 2-1 defeat by Navy, dropping Lehigh into a three-way tie for fifth place. Lehigh will play at Holy Cross on Saturday.
Navy
After losing four out of five games, the Mids have rebounded to win two straight. Navy got back-to-back 2-1 wins in overtime, including a Patriot League victory over Lehigh. Andrew Garcia scored the game-winner, becoming the 13th different Midshipman to score a goal this season. Just four players have scored multiple goals. Navy will return home for a Patriot League showdown against American on Saturday.
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