LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell men's soccer team (1-4-3, 0-0-1 AE) look to earn their first conference victory of the season as they take on #16 Vermont (7-1-1, 1-0-0 AE) on Saturday, October 1, at 3 p.m. at Cushing Field.
 
Saturday, October 1 vs. #16 Vermont (AE.tv - 3:00 p.m.)
 
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LAST TIME OUT
The River Hawks opened conference play with a hard-fought battle against NJIT that ended in a 0-0 draw. Senior Jacob Heihsel (Holliston, Mass.) made seven saves for the River Hawks while holding the Highlanders scoreless. The offense was led by senior Borna Miklic (Kutina, Croatia) who tallied a shot on goal and two total shots. Sophomore Viljar Byrkjeland (Norheimsund, Norway) and freshman Michael Oliveri Jr. (West Islip, N.Y.) each added a shot on goal.
 
LEADING THE FLOCK
Byrkjeland currently leads the River Hawks with 10 points, including at least one point in five of the River Hawks' eigth games. His four goals lead the team, while Miklic and sophomore Jonathan Ferreira (Ashland, Mass.) are tied for the team lead with three assists. Heihsel leads the team with 35 saves and 2.00 goals against average in six games, while setting a career high with two shutouts. Junior Loucas Costeas (Nicosia, Cyprus) has also seen time in net, making two starts while making 13 saves.

IMMEDIATE IMPACT
The newest members of the program have already made a huge impact only a few games into the season. Seven newcomers have started at least one game, while Byrkjeland leads the team in goals and points and ranks second in assists. Other new faces with at least a point include freshmen Daragh Reilly (Navan, Ireland) and Iñaki Esnaola (Junin, Argentina).
 
SCOUTING THE CATAMOUNTS
Vermont visits Lowell after claiming a 2-0 victory over Binghamton in their first conference match of the season. Ranked #16 in the country, the Catamounts are led on offense by midfielder Max Murray who has scored four goals alongside two assists for 10 total points. Right behind him is midfielder Alex Nagy who is second on the team with seven points. In net, goalkeeper Nate Silveira has started eight games with a total of 19 saves. His 0.625 goals against average and four shutouts both lead America East.
 
MATCHUP HISTORY
Tuesday will mark the 11th time UMass Lowell and Vermont have faced off, with the River Hawks earning two victories and three ties against the Catamounts. Vermont has won the last four battles, including claiming a 3-1 victory in their most recent matchup.