LOWELL, Mass. – Looking to rebound following their first conference loss of the season, the UMass Lowell men's soccer team (6-2-4, 1-1-1 AE) heads to New York to battle the Binghamton Bearcats (7-5-2, 1-2-0 AE) on Saturday, October 19, at 6 p.m.

October 19 at Binghamton (1:00 p.m.)
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LAST TIME OUT
The River Hawks enter Saturday's game following a 2-1 loss to Bryant at home. Against the Bulldogs, junior Oliver Holmstrom (Gävle, Sweden) scored his team-leading fourth goal of the season. Assisting on Holmstrom's goal was junior Oscar Perez (Sagunto, Spain), who now has three points on the season thanks to the assist and a goal earlier in the year. Leading the River Hawks with four shots was senior Yanis Lakhlifi (La Crau, France), while five tallied a shot on target on the afternoon. In net, junior JR Gawel (Leonardtown, Md.) made four saves.

LEADING THE FLOCK
Graduate student Guillermo Francés Poquet (Enguera, Valencia) currently leads the River Hawks with eight points, off of three goals and two assists, while Holmstrom is tied with eight points from his four goals. Right behind them, Lakhlifi has seven points to his name, also scoring three goals with one assist. Next, junior Calvin Scholten (Hengelo, Netherlands) 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 49 saves in 11 games, good for a .778 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 6-2-4, 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. Three of his four 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 12th in the nation.

FRESH FACES
Seven 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 all but one 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
Last 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 BINGHAMTON
The Bulldogs enter Saturday's game with a 1-2-0 record in conference play, most recently coming off a 2-1 win at New Hampshire. Leading the offense for the Bearcats are Anthony Randazzo and Luke Yates who each have eight points off four goals and three goals and two assists, respectively. Right behind them, three players have five points, including Cailen Thomas who has played in all 14 games. In net, Dylan McDermott has played all 14 games, allowing 21 goals for a 1.50 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 2-1-1 in conference play for the first time since 2016. It would also guarantee the River Hawks at least a share of third place in the conference with three games remaining.

MATCHUP HISTORY
Saturday's match will be the eleventh time that the River Hawks and Bearcats have battled, with UMass Lowell currently holding a 5-4-1 advantage. Last season, Binghamton earned a 2-1 victory and has won the last three matchups.