November 1 at Hartford (7 p.m.)
ESPN3 | Live Stats
Twitter: @RiverHawkMSoc @RiverHawkNation
LOWELL, Mass. – After knocking off No. 17 New Hampshire, 1-0, in double overtime on October 28, the UMass Lowell men's soccer team looks to secure a first-round bye heading into the regular-season finale at Hartford to begin November.
Upset Special
Ivan Blaskic's game-winning goal in the 107th minute to avenge the River Hawks' lone loss in 2016 was also the program's first win over a ranked program since joining Division I.
Playoffs?! Let's Talk About Playoffs
The three points from the weekend pushed the River Hawks into second place in the America East standings as they position themselves for UMass Lowell's first appearance in the conference tournament. Six of the eight teams will qualify, while top four seeds will host at least one game, with the top two teams earning a first-round bye.
Playoff Picture
| Seed |
Team |
Conference Record (Pts) |
| 1. |
Vermont |
5-1-0 (15) |
| 2. |
UMass Lowell |
4-2-0 (12) |
| 3. |
New Hampshire |
4-2-0 (12) |
| 4. |
UAlbany |
3-2-1 (10) |
| 5. |
UMBC |
2-3-1 (7) |
| 6. |
Binghamton |
1-3-2 (5) |
Leading the Flock
Dario Jovanovski (Zagreb, Croatia) (3g, 4a) and
Jakov Basic (Zagreb, Croatia) (4g, 2a) are tied for the team lead with 10 points.
Ivan Abramovic (Zagreb, Croatia) has eight points (3g, 2a) and Blaskic sits fourth with seven points (3g, 1a). Basic's four scores pace the offense, as do Jovanovski's four helpers. Between the pipes,
Austin Kroll (Baltimore, Md.) has allowed 18 goals on 151 shots, and has recorded 37 saves with a 1.19 goals against average and five shutouts.
A Helping Hand
The River Hawks lead the America East with with 25 assists and 1.77 assists per game,
Abramovic: Croatian for Clutch
Eight of Abramovic's 12 career goals are game winners, including both of his scores in 2017 to sit in second among scorers in the conference.
Scouting Hartford
The Hawks (5-9-3, 1-4-1) are coming off their first America East win with a 1-0 shutout of UMBC on Oct. 28. Hartford is led by Alexis Triadis in all three offensive categories, as the sophomore has three goals and four assists for 10 points. In net, Jimmy Slayton has made all 17 starts with a 1.17 GAA and a 0.762 save percentage.
Series History
The River Hawks are 1-7 all-time against Hartford, with the lone win coming last season to clinch the 2016 America East Regular-Season title.
Home Sweet Home
The River Hawks are riding a 15-game unbeaten streak (12-0-3) in the Mill City over the last two seasons, the third longest home unbeaten streak in program history. UMass Lowell has posted a 21-7-4 home record since 2014. Since joining DI, the boys in blue are 22-10-5 at Cushing Field.
Home Unbeaten Streaks
| Year |
Length (Record) |
| 2006-07 |
17 (13-0-4) |
| 2001-02 |
17 (15-0-2) |
| 2016-17 |
15 (12-0-3) |
| 2000-01 |
13 (10-0-3) |
| 2011-12 |
11 (10-0-1) |
Saving Space in the Records
Kroll now sits third all-time with 34 career wins and 22 career blank sheets. With 1409:17 of total playing time this season, he sits second all-time with 5,921:28 minutes in a River Hawk uniform.
Croatian Connection
All five Croatian players have recorded a point this season, combining for 38 of the team's 61 points, scoring 14 goals adding 10 assists.
Notables
Roko Prsa (Sisak, Croatia) was named the America East Rookie of the Week (10.23) ... 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.
