LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell men's soccer team (2-8-2, 0-4-0 AE) host two matches this week, as they welcome the Massachusetts Minutemen (6-4-4) for the annual Kennedy Cup clash on Tuesday, October 17, before taking on the Binghamton Bearcats (3-7-2, 1-1-2 AE) on Senior Day on Saturday, October 21.

October 17 vs. Massachusetts (7:00 p.m.)
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October 21 vs. Binghamton (3:00 p.m.)
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LAST TIME OUT
The River Hawks enter this week following a 2-0 loss against conference opponent UAlbany. Senior Guillermo Francés Poquet (Enguera, Valencia) led the River Hawks offense with two shots, including one on goal, while sophomore Iñaki Esnaola (Junin, Argentina) added one shot on goal. Sophomore Calvin Scholten (Hengelo, Netherlands) totaled three shots in the match to lead his squad. In net, graduate student Jacob Heihsel (Holliston, Mass.) made five saves in 90 minutes of action. 

LEADING THE FLOCK
Francés Poquet (Enguera, Valencia) and freshman Daniele Mastroianni (Montréal, Quebec) currently lead the River Hawks with four goals and eight points each. Tied for third on the team, sophomore Oliver Holmstrom (Gävle, Sweeden) and sophomore Michael Oliveri Jr. (West Islip, N.Y.) each have three goals and an assist for seven total points. Pacing the team in assists are Calvin Scholten (Hengelo, Netherlands), graduate student Javier Torres (Málaga, Spain), and sophomore Iñaki Esnaola (Junin, Argentina), who all have logged two on the year. In net, junior Adam Henry (Fort Myers, Fl.) has made 32 saves in eight appearances, good for a 2.25 goals against average, while Heihsel has made three starts with 14 saves.
 
FRESH FACES
Three of the newest members of the squad have appeared in each of the first 12 games, while seven have started in at least eight matches. Of the newest River Hawks, Matroianni leads in scoring with eight points, junior Justin Milovanov (Sheepshead Bay, N.Y.) totals two goals, Scholten adds two points, and junior Santiago Delfino (Cordoba, Argentina) adds a goal of his own. 
 
FINDING THE BACK OF THE NET
The River Hawks offense has had a strong start to the year, averaging 1.75 goals per game through 12 matches. The most notable performance from UMass Lowell came in a 5-0 shutout against CCSU.

CONFERENCE HONORS
Following his impressive performance against Northeastern, Mastroianni was named the America East Rookie of the Week on September 5. The award marked the first of the rookie's young career and the first for a River Hawk this season. 

AMERICA EAST CONFERENCE
This week NCAA Men's Soccer RPI ranked the America East as the sixth strongest conference in the country, only behind the Pac-12, ACC, Sun Belt, WCC, and Big Ten.
 
SCOUTING THE MINUTEMEN
Massachusetts comes to Lowell following a 1-1 draw against Fordham. Senior forward Alec Hughes leads his team with 11 goals on the year, ranking third in the nation. Senior Nick Zielonka is the only other multi-goal scorer for the team, totaling three goals alongside a team-high six assists in 12 matches. In net, Matt Zambetti has made 36 saves and allowed 13 goals in 11 games started, good for a 1.18 goals against average.

SCOUTING THE BEARCATS
The Bearcats come to town following a mid-week match against Cornell. In their last conference match, Binghamton hosted #22 Vermont, falling to the Catamounts 5-0. With nine points off of three goals and three assists, graduate midfielder Jack Green leads his team in all three categories. Right behind him with five points, midfielder Anthony Lazaridis totals two goals and an assist on the season. Time in net has been split between Dylan McDermott and Jack Root, however, Root has started in all four of the team's conference matches. In his five starts, Root has allowed eight goals while making 13 saves for a .618 save percentage.
 
MATCHUP HISTORY
Tuesday's match will be the sixth meeting between the River Hawks and Minutemen, with the series currently tied at 2-2-1. Most recently, the two teams faced off in Amherst in 2022, with the two teams fighting to a 3-3 draw. In their all-time series against Binghamton, the River Hawks hold a 5-3-1 record against the conference foe. The River Hawks have won three of the last five matchups, however, last year the Bearcats took home a 4-1 win.
 
A WIN WOULD 
A win against the Minutemen would give UMass Lowell the advantage in the Kennedy Cup Challenge. If the River Hawks take down Binghamton, the team would earn their first win in conference play.