LOWELL, Mass. – Senior Borna Miklic (Kutina, Croatia) scored the game's lone goal in the 93^rd minute to lift the UMass Lowell men's soccer team (1-0-1) to a 1-0 overtime victory against Siena (1-1-0) on Monday.
 
Miklic converted on the River Hawks' second chance in overtime when he dished the ball to graduate student Daniel Orrego (Revere, Mass.), who got a foot on it to tap it back to Miklic for the shot that skidded by the Saints' Greg Monroe and into the back of the net.
 
"I thought this was a good response from the guys," said Head Coach Christian Figueroa. "Siena did a good job at times trying to penetrate and break through our press, so that was a little frustrating for the team at times, but I thought we responded really well and that showed at the start of overtime with a couple chances right away. If we can be a little more efficient in the final third and score a couple early goals, I think it changes the way the game goes."
 
The River Hawks outshot the Saints, 15-2, on the day. Miklic (Kutina, Croatia) led the attack with three shots on goal, while junior Sancho Maroto Tobias (Alcobendas, Madrid) added two. Senior goalkeeper Christian Miesch (Ried-Brig, Switzerland) notched a save to earn his first win and clean sheet at UMass Lowell.
 
The home team tallied a pair of shots in the opening minutes of the contest, including a blast off the foot of sophomore Victor Viana (South Dennis, Mass.) in the seventh minute that sailed just high. Another good chance came in the 20^th minute, as sophomore Reziq Banihani (Irbid, Jordan) slipped a ball out wide to Miklic, who crossed it back toward the goal, but it was swallowed up by the Saints' keeper to keep the game scoreless.
 
The home team had its best chances yet inside the final two minutes of the first, as Maroto Tobias forced a leaping save and graduate student German Fuentes (Joroco, El Salvador) rang the crossbar.
 
Coming out of halftime, the River Hawks continued to dominate the possession, registering three shots in the first three minutes of the second, including one on target by Maroto Tobias.
 
In the 50^th minute, Siena earned its first shot of the day, but Antonio Linge sent it high. Miesch then made a great stop in the 83^rd minute, diving to his left to keep the stalemate intact and allow his squad to take it to overtime.
 
UMass Lowell is back in action on Friday, September 3 when they visit Quinnipiac for a 4 p.m. tilt.