Friday, August 28 at Monmouth (7:30pm) at The Great Lawn, West Long Branch, NJ
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Sunday, August 31 at Seton Hall (1pm) at Owen T. Carroll Field, South Orange, NJ
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The UMass Lowell men's soccer team readies for the 2014 season with a bevy of newcomers who join a group hungry to improve in their second Division I season.
 
The scales lean heavily toward the 21 newcomers who outnumber the River Hawks 13 returners from 2013. Head Coach Christian Figueroa added 17 freshman and four transfers to a club who finished last season 3-14-1 overall. The newcomers join 2013 All-Conference selections Homero Morais (Somerville, Mass.), Eric Martin (Danvers, Mass.) and Wuilito Fernandes (Praia, Cape Verde) looking to improve on the team's 1-5-1 record in the America East Conference.
 
The River Hawks kick off the 2014 campaign at Monmouth on August 29 and will play five more away from Lowell before the home opener at Cushing Field Complex against Central Connecticut State on September 16.
 
Morais will lead and mentor the younger group after getting a taste and finding immediate success at the Division I level. The team's lone senior and captain enjoyed a stellar season in 2013, compiling eight goals and four assists (20 points) to rank second among America East leaders in goals and points.
 
This preseason the River Hawks have focused on the fundamentals and details of their craft with Figueroa stressing the importance of playing as a unit.
 
"We're trying to get our guys to understand that as technical or as talented as we may be as individuals, that collectively we have to work together to succeed," said Figueroa.

Players to Watch
Looking to build off a magnificent 2013 season, Morais will headline the River Hawks offensive attack. The team captain and lone senior was named to the All-Conference Second Team after he finished last season second in the America East in goals (8) and points (20).
 
After being named to the 2013 All-Conference Rookie Team, sophomores Wuilito Fernandes and Eric Martin should remain a steady presence in the River Hawks midfield. Fernandes tied for eighth in the conference with five goals and was named the America East Rookie of the Week on September 30. Martin started all but one match and chipped in three goals and one assist, including a pair in a 3-1 victory at Canisius.
 
The River Hawks have a group of four netminders vying for the starting spot following the departure of the graduated Christopher Maierle. Freshmen Jake Davis and Austin Kroll have their hat in the ring along with sophomore Tom Sullivan and junior Alex Bouthot.
 
Keys to the Season
By welcoming such a large group of newcomers the emphasis on team cohesion and learning each others style of play will be magnified. 
 
"With all the new faces we're looking to see which combination of players is going to make us strong," said Figueroa. "With everyone trying to learn each others style of play we're going to need patience because its not all going to click right away."
 
Figueroa noted that the staff has been experimenting with various lineups during preseason, and is confident the team will work the kinks out by the start of the regular season.