LOWELL, Mass. – After fighting to a 1-1 draw in a physical match against NJIT, the UMass Lowell men's soccer team (6-3-5, 1-2-2 AE) welcomes the #23 Vermont Catamounts (8-2-4, 3-1-1 AE) to Lowell for their final home match of the regular season on Friday, November 1.

Friday, November 1 vs. Vermont (3 p.m.)
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LAST TIME OUT
Senior Yanis Lakhlifi (La Crau, France) scored his career-high fourth goal of the season, to help the River Hawks battle to a 1-1 draw against NJIT. Lakhlifi, whose goal came on a penalty kick, led the River Hawks with two shots on goal. Leading the team in total shots was senior Liam Ireland (Yarmouth, Maine) with three, while senior Shunnosuke Nakajima (Yokohama, Japan) and freshman Jona Starek (Düsseldorf, Germany) each chipped in with one. In net, junior JR Gawel made one save in 90 minutes of action.

LEADING THE FLOCK
Lakhlifi leads UMass Lowell with nine points off four goals and an assist. Right behind him are graduate student Guillermo Francés Poquet (Enguera, Valencia) and junior Oliver Holmstrom (Gävle, Sweden) who each total eight points. Trailing them, junior Calvin Scholten (Hengelo, Netherlands) has six points to his name with two goals and two assists, while junior Iñaki Esnaola (Junin, Argentina) 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 h started the season 6-1-4, were 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 21st in the nation.

FRESH FACES
Four of the newest members of the squad have appeared in at least nine 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 VERMONT
The Catamounts enter Friday's match coming off a 1-0 loss to UMBC, their first loss since their season opener. Vermont, who owns a 3-1-1 record, currently sits first in the America East standings and ranks 23rd in the nation. Leading the high-powered UVM offense is junior Maximilian Kissel who totals six goals and two assists for 14 points. Behind him, Yaniv Bazini and Sydney Wathuta each tally 12 points, with Wathuta posting a team-best ten assists. In net, Niklas Herceg and Lou Liedtka have split time, with Herceg starting the last six games, posting a 4-1-1 record with 20 saves for a .833 save percentage.

A WIN WOULD
A win on Saturday would clinch UMass Lowell's second conference win, the most since the 2021 season. It would also be the program's first win over a ranked opponent since taking down #17 New Hampshire, 1-0, in double overtime during the 2017 season.

MATCHUP HISTORY
Friday's match will be the 13th time that the River Hawks and the Catamounts have battled, with Vermont currently holding a 7-2-3 advantage. Last season, UMass Lowell fell to the Catamounts, 2-1, with then-junior Adam Henry (Fort Myers, Fl.) making seven saves in the match.