AMHERST, Mass. – Despite knotting the score early in the second half, the UMass Lowell men's soccer team (0-3) fell, 4-2, at in-state foe Massachusetts (4-0) in the 2021 installment of the Kennedy Cup.
 
The teams were tied at 2-2 for almost 30 minutes in the second half before the Minutemen's Alec Hughes found the back of the net in the 83rd minute for what would be the game-winner. Then, three minutes later, Graham Brenner headed in an insurance goal to help propel the home team to the late victory.
 
"We saw growth today as a team," said Head Coach Christian Figueroa. "The result was not in our favor and that can be frustrating, but the big picture here is that with a lot of new faces on the team this year, we are starting to see progress from the group. Two different styles of play from the two teams today and that is good for us, so that our young guys can see just how important the little details are."
 
Freshman Reziq Banihani (Irbid, Jordan) and redshirt-junior Damian Attidore (Weston, Mass.) each scored one goal in the contest, while sophomore Denis Petro (Michalovce, Slovakia), junior Borna Miklic (Kutina, Croatia) and sophomore Sancho Maroto Tobias (Alcobendas, Madrid) tallied one assist apiece. Freshman goalkeeper Loucas Costeas (Nicosia, Cyprus) made five saves in his first career complete-game effort.
 
The River Hawks quickly opened the scoring in just the 11th minute, breaking pressure from the Minutemen to find Petro open on the left side. He sent a good cross to Miklic at the post, who played it back to Banihani for a quick finish in front of the goal. However, the Minutemen responded with the next four shots, the last of which found its way past Costeas to even the board at 1-1 in the 20th minute.
 
Massachusetts kept the pressure on and took its first lead in the 30th minute that would send the visitors into the break down, 2-1.
 
In the 54th minute, a long diagonal ball from freshman Guillermo Francés Poquet (Enguera, Valencia) found a streaking Maroto Tobias, who was able to beat his defender, cut inside and dish to Attidore for the touch and finish to force a 2-2 stalemate that would prevail for the next 30 minutes of action.
 
The River Hawks get back to America East play when they visit Vermont on Monday, March 15 for a 4 p.m. tilt.