LOWELL, Mass. – Looking to bounce back after dropping a tightly contested match with Binghamton, the UMass Lowell men's soccer team (6-3-4, 1-2-1 AE) hosts NJIT (6-6-2, 2-2-0 AE) on Saturday, October 26, at 6 p.m.

Saturday, October 26 vs. NJIT (6 p.m.)
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LAST TIME OUT
The River Hawks enter Saturday's game following a 1-0 loss at Binghamton. Senior Liam Ireland (Yarmouth, Maine) posted two shots on goal and was one of three River Hawks to record a pair of shots along with graduate student Guillermo Francés Poquet (Enguera, Valencia) and junior Iñaki Esnaola (Junin, Argentina). Junior JR Gawel (Leonardtown, Md.) made one save in 90 minutes of action against the Bearcats.
 
LEADING THE FLOCK
Junior Oliver Holmstrom (Gävle, Sweden) and Francés Poquet lead UMass Lowell with eight points with four goals and three goals and two assists, respectively. Not far behind is senior Yanis Lakhlifi (La Crau, France), netting seven points on three goals and a helper. Behind them, junior Calvin Scholten (Hengelo, Netherlands) has six points to his name with two tallies and two assists, and Esnaola has a goal and three assists for five points. In net, Gawel has made 50 saves in 12 games for a 0.769 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 6-3-4, 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 17th in the nation.
 
FRESH FACES
Seven of the newest members of the squad have appeared in at least eight games this season, with Gawel and 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
Gawel leads the conference with three Defender of the Week awards, including being crowned the honors for two consecutive weeks. Costa has earned the Rookie of the Week award twice, tied for the most in the conference.
 
SCOUTING NJIT
The Highlanders enter Saturday's matchup having won their last two games, most recently in a 2-1 win over Drexel that improved their record to 6-6-2. NJIT is also rebounding off a win in their most recent conference matchup, besting Binghamton, 2-1, to improve their conference record to 2-2. Leading the offense for the Highlanders is Sergio Martinez Cubel with four goals and an assist for nine points. Right behind him is Asembo Augo with three goals and two assists, and Sokol Ymeraj with three goals and one assist. In net, Devin Armstrong has started 13 games for the Highlanders, allowing 17 goals for a 1.43 goals against average.
 
A WIN WOULD
A win on Saturday would clinch UMass Lowell's second conference win, the most since the 2021 season.
 
MATCHUP HISTORY
Saturday's match will be the sixth time that the River Hawks and the Highlanders have battled, with NJIT currently holding a 3-1-1 advantage. Last season, UMass Lowell fell to the Highlanders by a score of 4-1.