LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell men's soccer team (2-6-2, 0-3-0 AE) host the Brown Bears (3-4-3) on Tuesday, October 10, before hitting the road again to return to America East action when they take on the UAlbany Great Danes (4-7-1, 0-2-1 AE) on Saturday, October 14.  

October 10 vs. Brown (7:00 p.m.)
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October 14 at UAlbany (6:00 p.m.)
Live Stats
 
LAST TIME OUT
The River Hawks enter this week following a 2-1 loss against conference opponent UMBC. Sophomore Michael Oliveri Jr. (West Islip, N.Y.) tallied a goal for his second-straight game, good for his third of the year. 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.

LEADING THE FLOCK
Senior Guillermo 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 Oliveri Jr. 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 Esnaola, who all have logged two on the year. In net, Henry has made 32 saves in eight appearances, good for a 2.25 goals against average. 
 
FRESH FACES
Four of the newest members of the squad have appeared in each of the first ten games, while five 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 two goals per game through their first ten matches. The most notable performance from UMass Lowell came in a 5-0 shutout against CCSU, but more impressively the team has found a way to get on the board in every match so far.

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 fifth strongest conference in the country, only behind the Pac-12, ACC, Sun Belt and Big East. The conference is also only one of four conferences with four teams in the top 60 of the RPI, joining the Pac-12, ACC and Sun Belt.
 
SCOUTING THE BEARS
Brown comes to Lowell following a 0-0 draw against Harvard. Senior midfielder Kojo Dadzie leads the Bears offense with six goals for 12 total points. Freshman Carlo Brown is the only other multi-goal scorer for the team, totaling two goals in alongside three assists in 10 matches. In net, Henrik Weiper has made 20 saves and allowed 14 goals in eight games started, good for 1.93 goals against average.

SCOUTING THE GREAT DANES
UAlbany welcomes the River Hawks to town coming off a 3-1 loss to conference opponent Binghamton. Junior midfielder Mamadi Jiana has had a strong start to the year, posting four goals in six starts. One of the primary playmakers on the offense, Alex Pechacek totals seven assists which ranks second in America East. The primary goaltender for the Great Danes has been Shafique Wilson, who has allowed 14 goals while making 17 saves in 10 total starts, good for a 1.40 goals against average.
 
MATCHUP HISTORY
Tuesday's match will be the sixth meeting between the River Hawks and Bears, with Brown holding a 4-1 edge. Most recently, the two teams faced off in Providence in 2022, with UMass Lowell falling, 5-2. In their all-time series against UAlbany, the River Hawks hold a 5-6-1 record against the conference foe. The River Hawks have won three of the last six matchups, however, last year the two teams battled to a 0-0 draw in Lowell.
 
A WIN WOULD 
A win against Brown would be the second in the series for UMass Lowell and the first since a 2-1 win in 2016. If the River Hawks take down UMBC, the team would earn their first win in conference play, while jumping the Great Danes in the America East standings.