WOMEN'S SOCCER NOTEBOOK
The top-seeded Vermont Catamounts (10-5-1, 7-2-0) enter the postseason Thursday night as they host the four-seed UAlbany Great Danes (6-7-4, 4-3-2) in an America East Semifinal from Virtue Field. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. and the action will be broadcast live for free on AmericaEast.TV with Brian McLaughlin on the call.
 
Tickets for the semifinal are $8 for adults, $5 for youth ages 14 and under and $2 for non-UVM America East students with a valid school ID. UVM students will receive free admission.
 
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MAJOR AWARDS FOR THE CATAMOUNTS
Ella Bankert was named Midfielder of the Year, Lydia Kessel was named Goalkeeper of the Year and UVM's coaching staff led by Kristi Huizenga was honored as Coaching Staff of the Year on Tuesday. It is the first time in program history that a UVM student-athlete in women's soccer has been honored as Midfielder and Goalkeeper of the Year.
 
Bankert is the first Vermont player to win an America East major positional award. She led a midfield that helped Vermont obtain a league-best +10 goal differential in league play. Kessel leads the conference averaging 6.4 saves per game. She was at her best in conference play, ranking first in save percentage (.903), third in GAA (.646) and tied for second in shutouts (4). Led by Coach Huizenga in her 11th season, Vermont captured its second-ever regular season title. Huizenga is assisted by Michael Skelton and Gene Bushey.
 
ALL-CONFERENCE ACCOLADES
The Catamounts also had several players honored on the All-Conference teams. Alyssa Oviedo, Ella Banker, Alex West and Lydia Kessel were honored on the First Team. It is the first time since 1997 that UVM has had two members on the First Team. Senior defender Natalie Durieux was named to the All-Conference Second Team. Bailey Ayer and Maddy Cronin were named to the All-Rookie team.
 
ANATOMY OF A STREAK
Vermont's current seven-game win streak is its longest since the 1979 campaign when the Catamounts opened the season with 13 straight wins. The 1996 and 2021 team, both regular season champions, are the only teams in program history to win seven conference games. It is the first time Vermont has scored two or more goals in seven straight games since 2005.
 
UALBANY A FAMILIAR PLAYOFF FOE FOR THE CATAMOUNTS
Thursday's matchup will be the fifth time since 2011 that the Great Danes and Catamounts faceoff in the postseason. Both teams have advanced twice in the four matchups. In the last meeting UVM defeated UAlbany 2-1 on the road in the quarterfinals in 2017. The lone playoff matchup between the two teams at Virtue Field was in the 2012 quarterfinals. That game ended 1-1 before UVM defeated the Great Danes 3-2 in penalty kicks.
 
GREAT DANES PATH TO BURLINGTON
UAlbany scored twice in a 14-minute span in the second half to beat Binghamton and advance to the semifinals on Sunday. The Great Danes are in the semis for the third time in four years and first time under head coach Leigh Howard. Jada Colbert and Brooke Pickett scored the Great Danes goals in the quarterfinals.
 
The Great Danes also defeated Binghamton 1-0 in the final game of the regular season to climb from seventh to fourth place in the league. Since falling 2-0 to Vermont on October 14 the Great Danes are 3-1-0 and have outscored its opponents 7-1.
 
SEMIFINAL HISTORY FOR THE CATAMOUNTS
UVM will be making its ninth semifinal appearance Thursday evening against the Great Danes and sixth under Head Coach Kristi Huizenga. UVM is 1-6-1 all-time in the semifinal round. UVM's win came in 2017 when they defeated Binghamton 1-0 to advance to the program's first-ever title game.
 
With changing formats over the years Thursday will be the second time the Catamounts have hosted a semifinal. In 1996 UVM hosted Towson at Centennial Field, the game ended 0-0 and Towson advanced 4-2 on penalty kicks.
 
SUPER SOCCER SEASONS FOR CATAMOUNTS HOSTING THE SEMIFINALS
This fall marked the first time in UVM Athletics history that the men's and women's soccer programs both earned byes in the postseason and the right to host a semifinal. Together the men's and women's programs went 13-3-1 in league play including a 7-1-0 mark at Virtue Field.
 
SCOUTING THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BRACKET
In the other America East semifinal, the two-seed UMass Lowell is hosting the six-seed New Hampshire. The Wildcats advanced in penalty kicks over the three-seed NJIT. The River Hawks and Wildcats showdown is set for 7 p.m. on AmericaEast.TV. The highest remaining seed will host the America East Championship on Sunday, November 7.
 
The winner of the America East Championship game will receive the league's automatic bid to the 2021 NCAA Tournament. The Division I women's soccer tournament field will be unveiled on Monday, November 8 at 4:30 p.m. in a broadcast live on NCAA.com.