LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell men's soccer team (1-4-1, 0-0-0 AE) finish up their road trip as they travel to Amherst, Mass. to take on the Massachusetts Minutemen (5-0-2, 0-0-1 A10) on Tuesday, September 20 at 4 p.m. Then they will return home for the first time in nearly three weeks to begin conference play on Saturday, September 24 at 7 p.m. against the NJIT Highlanders (2-3-2, 0-0-0 AE).
 
Tuesday, September 19 at Massachusetts (ESPN+ - 4:00 p.m.)
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Saturday, September 24 vs. NJIT (ESPN+ - 7:00 p.m.)
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LAST TIME OUT
The River Hawks fell to Brown, 5-2, despite a strong start offensively. Sophomore Viljar Byrkjeland (Norheimsund, Norway) got UMass Lowell on the board with his fourth goal of the year, and not much later graduate student Javier Torres (Málaga, Spain) tallied his first goal as a River Hawk. Seniors Borna Miklic (Kutina, Croatia) and Denis Petro (Michalovce, Slovakia) as well as sophomore Jonathan Ferreira (Ashland, Mass.) all tallied an assist. In net, senior Jacob Heihsel (Holliston, Mass.) played a full 90 minutes and recorded five saves.
 
LEADING THE FLOCK
Byrkjeland currently leads the River Hawks with 10 points, including at least one point in five of the River Hawks' six games. His four goals lead the team, while Miklic leads the team with three assists. Heihsel leads the team with 24 saves and 2.25 goals against average in three games, while junior keeper Loucas Costeas (Nicosia, Cyprus) has recorded 13 saves in two games.

IMMEDIATE IMPACT
The newest members of the program have already made a huge impact only a few games into the season. Six newcomers have started at least one game, while Byrkjeland and freshmen Daragh Reilly (Navan, Ireland) and Iñaki Esnaola (Junin, Argentina) have all tallied at least one point.
 
SCOUTING THE MINUTEMEN
Massachusetts welcomes the River Hawks to town following a 0-0 draw against conference opponent VCU. Ten players have scored a goal for the Minutemen this year but leading the way on offense is forward Alec Hughes who has tallied five goals and two assists in seven games. In net, Matt Zambetti has started every game and logged over 550 minutes of playing time. In that time, he has made 21 saves and allowed only five goals, good for a 0.82 goals against average.

MATCHUP HISTORY
Tuesday will mark the fifth time the River Hawks and Minutemen have faced off, with each team winning twice. Last year the two teams battled to double overtime, but a goal in the 103rd gave the Minutemen a 2-1 victory.
 
SCOUTING THE HIGHLANDERS
NJIT will be coming to Lowell following a midweek matchup with Sacred Heart. Entering this week, forward Jose Del Valle leads the Highlanders with five points and is tied for the team lead with two goals. Defensively, goalkeeper Samuel Reisgys hasn't missed a minute of action for NJIT. In 630 minutes of playing time, Reisgys has made 25 saves while allowing 1.86 goals a game. He currently sits second in the conference with two shutouts in seven games.

MATCHUP HISTORY
UMass Lowell and NJIT have faced off three times in the past, with NJIT holding a 2-1 series lead. In 2021, the Highlanders scored a game tying goal in the 75th minute to send the game to overtime, before scoring again in the 95th minute to earn a 2-1 victory over the River Hawks.