Saturday at Merrimack: Live Stats | Watch
 
LOWELL, Mass.—The UMass Lowell men's lacrosse (0-3) team continues its non-conference schedule this weekend with a trip to Merrimack (2-2) on Saturday, March 5. Opening faceoff is slated for 5 p.m. at Duane Stadium.
 
SCOUTING THE RIVER HAWKS
The River Hawks continue the hunt for their first win of the season heading into this weekend. Through UMass Lowell's first three contests, junior Conor Foley (Walpole, Mass.), sophomore Jake Davis (Franklin, Mass.), graduate student Domenic Giachello (Somers, Conn.) and junior Brian Wiles (Longmeadow, Mass.) have emerged as the team's offensive leaders. All three River Hawk goalies have seen action so far this season, but sophomore Anthony Mancino (Holbrook, N.Y.) has emerged as a promising presence in the cage for UMass Lowell. Last weekend in his season debut, Mancino posted a .500 save percentage and matched his career-best in saves with 14 against Siena. Senior Liam McDonough (Groton, Mass.) maintains his role as the River Hawks' starting faceoff specialist. He owns a .372 success rate with 29 wins on 78 opportunities.
 
SCOUTING THE WARRIORS
The Warriors enter the weekend on a two-game win streak after taking down Dartmouth (8-6) and Holy Cross (11-9). Graduate student Christian Thomas leads Merrimack through four games with 12 points off eight goals and four assists. Sophomore Henry Vogt has been the Warriors' go-to starter in goal this season, posting a .500 save percentage or better in all four starts. Although the Warriors are a low-scoring team with just 9.0 goals per game, their defense has been tough to crack with just 8.8 goals against per game. The River Hawks hold a slight edge over Merrimack in the man-up category, boasting a .500 success rate on the extra-man to Merrimack's .125. The Warriors' have the upper hand in transition, however, posting a .860 clear percentage across their four games.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Last Sunday, the River Hawks fell short in their comeback efforts against Siena, dropping a 14-10 decision at home. Once again, Foley led the team on attack with four points off a hat trick and one assist. Hot on his heels, Wiles has continued to make an impact on the UMass Lowell offense. Against the Saints, the transfer put up a career-high three points off a pair of goals and an assist. Freshmen Ryan Quinlan (Mattapoisett, Mass.) and Alex Chairs (Ellicott City, Md.), senior Eric Flynn (Bedford, N.H.) and junior Cody Stevens (Windham, N.H.) combined for 12 ground balls and six caused turnovers against Siena to lead the net-front defensive efforts.
 
BEGINNERS' LUCK
The newest class of River Hawks has shown some promise early in the season. Several newcomers have cracked the lineup and even tallied some career firsts before opening faceoff on the non-conference slate. On attack, Khairi Sears (Columbus, Ohio) has already made his way onto the scoresheet, dishing out an assist against Quinnipiac and tallying his first career goal just last weekend. Freshman goalie Calvin Desmarais (Dracut, Mass.) got the start in the River Hawks' season opener and spent time in the cage during the River Hawks' tilt against Massachusetts on Feb. 19. Freshman Chairs has established himself as a key member of UMass Lowell's defensive core, starting in two of his three appearances so far this year.
 
A WIN WOULD
A win against the Warriors would give the River Hawks a slight 2-1 edge over their Merrimack Valley rivals in the all-time series. It would also give UMass Lowell its first win over Merrimack since 2020 when the River Hawks took down the Warriors 8-6 in a low-scoring affair.