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Natsume
2
Winner UMBC UMBC (6-2-3, 2-0-1)
1
UMass Lowell UML (2-6-2, 0-3-0)
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UMBC UMBC
(6-2-3, 2-0-1)
2
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UMass Lowell UML
(2-6-2, 0-3-0)
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UMBC UMBC 0 2 2
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Game Recap: Men's Soccer |

River Hawks Tripped Up By UMBC, 2-1

LOWELL, Mass. – Sophomore Michael Oliveri Jr. (West Islip, N.Y.) tallied his third goal of the season as the UMass Lowell men's soccer team (2-6-2, 0-3-0 AE) fell to the UMBC Retrievers (6-2-3, 2-0-1 AE), 2-1, on Saturday night at Cushing Field.

"Our boys fought really hard," said head coach Kyle Zenoni. "It's a tough one to swallow tonight. Being down a man the whole second half, and scoring a goal to go one up, it was a tough one for the guys today. The boys fought hard. I think as a head coach you can only ask for the way these guys fight. It's not easy to go down a man for the entire second half against a team that's top of the league for a reason."

Sophomore Iñaki Esnaola (Junin, Argentina) tallied an assist on the lone goal by Oliveri Jr. Also logging a shot on goal in the match was junior Kotaro Natsume (Toyohashi, Aichi, Japan), while junior Justin Milovanov (Sheepshead Bay, N.Y.) added a shot in of his own. In net, junior Adam Henry (Fort Myers, Fl.) had a busy night, making seven saves on 18 shots faced.

UMBC opened the game with immediate pressure on the River Hawks defense, firing off two shots in the first eight minutes. UMass Lowell proved to be up for the challenge, fending off multiple scoring attempts by the Retrievers, including a massive save by Henry to keep the game scoreless. Despite the strong showing by the hosts, UMBC continued with their resilient attack, posting three more shots before the 20th minute.

The first half was extremely physical, as the two teams combined for 12 fouls and a yellow card in the opening 45. In the 25th minute, the River Hawks found their first scoring opportunity of the night when Natsume moved the ball quickly down the field before launching a shot from outside the box. However, the visitors' goalkeeper made an impressive diving save to keep the game knotted at 0-0. UMBC found the only other shot before the break, as the two teams battled to a scoreless draw through the opening period.

Less than a minute into the second half, junior Santiago Delfino (Cordoba, Argentina) received his second yellow card of the night, which in turn became a red card and removed him from the game. Due to the card, the River Hawks remained down a man for the remainder of the match. Immediately following the red card, the Retrievers put the man-advantage to use, putting immense pressure on UMass Lowell as they looked to break open the scoring. Over the next few minutes, UMBC found two scoring opportunites, but two incredible saves by Henry helped keep the opponents off the board. 

Although they were down a man, the River Hawks struck first in the 63rd minute off the head of Oliveri Jr. After a foul by the Retrievers set UMass Lowell up with a free kick on the attacking third of the pitch, Esnaola launched the ball into the box for the sophomore, who lept into the air and headed the ball past the keeper, giving his squad a 1-0 lead. 

Following the goal, the River Hawks looked to slow down the aggressive Retrievers, who strung together four shots in a row. With less than 12 minutes to play, UMBC found the equalizer when Alex Wroblewski laced a shot into the net, just past the hands of Henry. With 87:38 on the clock, and momentum now in their favor, the visitors found the game-winning goal off the foot of Taylor Calheira, sealing the 2-1 decision. Following the goal, Milovanov received his second yellow card, resulting in a red card and the River Hawks being down two players for the final two minutes.

Next up, the River Hawks take a break from conference play as they battle with the Brown Bears on Tuesday night. Kick off is set for 7 p.m. at Cushing Field. 




 
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Players Mentioned

Michael Oliveri Jr.

#9 Michael Oliveri Jr.

F
6' 0"
Sophomore
Justin Milovanov

#13 Justin Milovanov

M
6' 0"
Junior
Santiago Delfino

#4 Santiago Delfino

M
6' 0"
Junior
Kotaro Natsume

#20 Kotaro Natsume

B
5' 6"
Junior
Adam Henry

#0 Adam Henry

GK
6' 2"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Michael Oliveri Jr.

#9 Michael Oliveri Jr.

6' 0"
Sophomore
F
Justin Milovanov

#13 Justin Milovanov

6' 0"
Junior
M
Santiago Delfino

#4 Santiago Delfino

6' 0"
Junior
M
Kotaro Natsume

#20 Kotaro Natsume

5' 6"
Junior
B
Adam Henry

#0 Adam Henry

6' 2"
Junior
GK