LOWELL, Mass. – Entering the new season with a new coaching staff, the UMass Lowell men’s soccer team fought through a difficult 2022 schedule that included two ranked opponents, posting a 2-9-5 record.

NEWCOMER RELEASE

Prior to the start of the 2022 season, head coach Kyle Zenoni announced his first class of newcomers which featured 11 new faces, including four transfers and seven freshmen to help strengthen the roster.

UML 2, SFC 0 – RECAP

The River Hawks started the season strong, earning a 2-0 victory over St. Francis Brooklyn, which was the program's first season opener victory since the 2018 season. UMass Lowell played aggressively on offense, and it paid off in the 19th minute when a pass found sophomore Viljar Byrkjeland (Norheimsund, Norway) in front of the net. Byrkjeland fired a strike into the bottom right corner of the net for what would prove to be the game-winner and to earn his first points as a River Hawk. The victory marked the first of head coach Kyle Zenoni's career. 

UML 3, HART 1 - RECAP

Trailing 1-0 at the half, the River Hawks were looking for their first comeback victory of the season. Playing fast-paced, UMass Lowell found the equalizer in the 61st minute. With 12 minutes to play, Hartford's goalie had his goal kick deflected by the River Hawks. Miklic sprinted down the field and collected the ball before making a move past a Hawks' defender and lobbing a shot over the diving goalie to give the hosts their first lead of the night. 

The River Hawk squad had a large amount of depth, with 23 different players making at least one start throughout the season. Pacing the team on offense was Miklic, who led the team in goals (5), assists (4), and points (14). Right behind him was Byrkjeland who finished with 10 points off four goals and two assists. Junior Guillermo Francés Poquet (Enguera, Valencia) also tallied four goals to contribute to the offense. As the primary goalkeeper, Heihsel made 12 starts and saw 1,080 minutes of action. In that time, he made 68 saves with four total shutouts for a 2.17 goals-against average. 

America East All-Conference Award Winners Release

Following the conclusion of the season, five River Hawks earned All-Conference honors. Oscar Perez (Sagunto, Spain) and Daragh Reilly (Navan, Ireland) were named to the All-Rookie team, marking the second straight year that UMass Lowell featured a duo of rookies to make the team. Senior Denis Petro (Michalovce, Slovakia) and juniors Guillermo Francés Poquet (Enguera, Valencia) and Milan Rosic (Burlingame, Calif.) were all named to the conference's All-Academic Team. It is the first time that three River Hawks were named to the All-Academic Team in one season.