LOWELL, Mass. – After fighting to a draw last Saturday, the UMass Lowell men's soccer team (6-1-4, 1-0-1 AE) returns home as they look to stay undefeated in conference play when they take on defending America East champions Bryant (6-3-2, 1-1-0 AE) on Saturday, October 12, at 1 p.m.

October 12 vs. Bryant (1:00 p.m.)
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LAST TIME OUT
The River Hawks enter Saturday's game following a 1-1 tie against UMBC on the road. Against the Retrievers, junior Calvin Scholten (Hengelo, Netherlands) scored his second goal of the season to put his team up 1-0 in the 50^th minute. Scholten, who now sits third on the team with six points, was assisted by graduate student Guillermo Francés Poquet (Enguera, Valencia), who now has two assists this season. Joining Scholten with shots on goal were seniors Kotaro Natsume (Toyohashi, Aichi, Japan), Shunnosuke Nakajima (Yokohama, Japan), Yanis Lakhlifi (La Crau, France), and junior Oscar Perez (Sagunto, Spain). In net, junior JR Gawel (Leonardtown, Md.) made six saves and allowed only one goal.

LEADING THE FLOCK
Francés Poquet currently leads the River Hawks with eight points, off of three goals and two assists. Right behind him, Lakhlifi has seven points to his name, also scoring three goals with one assist. Tied with them for the team lead in goals is junior Oliver Holmstrom (Gävle, Sweden), whose three goals have all been game-winning scores. Behind them, Scholten totals two goals and an assist while junior Iñaki Esnaola (Junin, Argentina) chips in with a goal and three assists. In net, Gawel has made 45 saves in ten games, good for a .789 save percentage, while sophomore Daniele Di Giorgio (Montréal, Quebec) has made one start, allowing one goal and making five saves in a 3-1 victory.

HOT START
The River Hawks, who have started the season 6-1-4, are off to the best start since the 2016 season, marking the second-best opening in program history. The team also held an undefeated record through the first six games, tying the 2018 season for the second-longest undefeated start to a year, only behind the 2016 squad that began the year 10-0-2 on the way to a 13-1-2 record.

IN THE CLUTCH
So far this season, Holmstrom has found the back of the net in crucial situations, scoring in three of the team's wins. All of his goals so far this year have proven to be the winning score and with three game-winning goals to his name, the Sweden native currently ranks fourth in the nation.

FRESH FACES
Five of the newest members of the squad have appeared in at least eight games this season, with freshman Matteo Costa (Frankfurt am Main, Germany) starting in every match. Out of the newest River Hawks, junior Martin Harguindey (Buenos Aires, Argentina) and freshman Cristiano Da Silva (Port Coquitlam, British Columbia) both have a goal to their name, while Costa and freshman Santiago Somorrostro (Nashua, N.H.) have each tallied an assist.  
 
CONFERENCE HONORS
This week, Gawel was named the America East Defender of the Week, the second straight week he has earned the award. So far this season, Gawel leads the conference with three Defender of the Week awards, while Costa has earned the Rookie of the Week award twice, tied for the most in the conference.

SCOUTING BRYANT
The Bulldogs enter Saturday's game with a 1-1-0 record in conference play, one point behind the four-way tie in first place. Most recently, Bryant fell to New Hampshire, 2-1, in the America East championship rematch. Leading the offense for the Bulldogs is Marc Pitarch Bayot, who tallies seven points off three goals and one assist. Behind him, sophomore Cristian Guirado is tied for the team lead for three goals for six points. In net, Antreas Hadjigavriel has made nine starts in ten games, allowing seven goals while making 18 saves for a .76 goals-against average.

A WIN WOULD
A win on Saturday would continue the best start since 2016 for the River Hawks and move UMass Lowell to 2-0-1 in conference play for the first time since 2016. It would also guarantee the River Hawks at least a share of first place in the conference heading into week four of America East play.

MATCHUP HISTORY
Saturday's match will be the seventh time that the River Hawks and Bulldogs have faced each other, with Bryant currently holding a 3-2-1 advantage. Last season, the Bryant earned a 3-0 victory at home, while the two sides battled to a 0-0 draw the year before during head coach Kyle Zenoni's first season.