October 11 vs. UMBC (7 p.m.)
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Twitter: @RiverHawkMSoc @RiverHawkNation
October 14 at Vermont (7 p.m.)
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Twitter: @RiverHawkMSoc @RiverHawkNation
LOWELL, Mass. – For the first time in 2017, the UMass Lowell men's soccer team will play in two conference games in a week, hosting UMBC on Breast Cancer Awareness Night (Oct. 11) before the River Hawks head to Burlington for a Saturday night matchup against Vermont.
Soaring Past the Seawolves
Last Saturday, the River Hawks defeated Stony Brook, 1-0, on a late second-half goal from
Ivan Abramovic (Zagreb, Croatia) to snap the three-game skid.
Austin Kroll (Baltimore, Md.) made three saves to record the victory. UMass Lowell is now 7-1-1 all-time against the Seawolves, with a 5-0 mark in Division I.
Leading the Flock
Jakov Basic (Zagreb, Croatia) (4g, 2a) sits atop the team in goals and total points (10), while
Dario Jovanovski (Zagreb, Croatia)has six points (2g, 2a). Gui Rodrigues (Lowell, Mass.) leads the offense with three assists, as the River Hawks have 18 helpers on the year. Between the pipes,
Austin Kroll (Baltimored, Md.) has allowed 13 goals on 101 shots, and has recorded 28 saves with a 1.24 goals against average.
Abramovic: Croatian for Clutch
After Saturday's clinching tally, eight of Abramovic's 11 career goals are game winners, including both of his scores in 2017 to sit atop the conference.
Home Sweet Home
The River Hawks are riding a 13-game unbeaten streak (10-0-3) in the Mill City over the last two seasons, to move into a tie for the third longest home unbeaten streak in program history. UMass Lowell has posted a 19-7-4 home record since 2014. Since joining DI, the boys in blue are 20-10-5 at Cushing Field.
Home Unbeaten Streaks
| Year |
Length (Record) |
| 2006-07 |
17 (13-0-4) |
| 2001-02 |
17 (15-0-2) |
| 2016-17 |
13 (10-0-3) |
| 2000-01 |
13 (10-0-3) |
| 2011-12 |
11 (10-0-1) |
A Helping Hand
The River Hawks rank second in the America East with their 18 assists and 1.80 assists per game.
Scouting UMBC
The Retrievers (6-2-3, 1-0-1) sit one point ahead of the River Hawks in the America East standings, following their 1-1 draw at Binghamton. Gregg Hauck leads the team with four goals for eight points, and his 28 shots with 17 on target pace the offense. Three players have registered a pair of helpers for UMBC, while Kyle Saunderson trails Hauck with his three scores. In net, Ciaran O'Loughlin has allowed 11 goals in 11 starts, with a 7.92 save percentage and 0.99 GAA.
Scouting Vermont
The Catamounts (6-6-0, 1-1-0) are tied in the standings with UMass Lowell and travel to Stony Brook before Saturday's tilt, following their 1-0 loss to UAlbany. Geo Alves leads the Vermont offense with six goals and three assists for 15 points. Tom Cole has dished out four assists to pace the attack, while Justin Freitas has three scores of his own. Vermont has had a tandem in net with Aron Runarsson recording eight starts with a 1.67 GAA and 0.675 save percentage, posting a 4-4 mark.
Series History
Last year's 4-0 win at UMBC was UMass Lowell's first in the series, as the Retrievers hold a 3-1 advantage. The River Hawks, 2-1, victory against Vermont was the first win for either side in four meetings, with the three previous ending in scoreless draws.
Saving Space in the Records
Kroll now sits third all-time with 31 career wins and 20 career blank sheets. With 852:53 of total playing time this season, he sits fifth all-time with 5,365:04 minutes in a River Hawk uniform.
Croatian Connection
All five Croatian players have recorded a point this season, combining for 28 of the team's 44 points. Basic's 10 points lead the group while Jovanovski and Abramovic have six, while
Ivan Blaskic (Zagreb, Croatia) and
Roko Prsa (Sisak, Croatia) have five and one, respectively.
Notables
Basic picked up his first career America East Player of the Week award (9.18) ... UMass Lowell has won three consecutive season openers for the first time since 1999-2002, when the team earned victories in four straight.
