LOWELL, Mass. – After having a week to rest, the UMass Lowell men's soccer team (5-1-2, 0-0 AE) returns to action to take on the Northeastern Huskies (1-4-3) on Tuesday, September 24, before kicking off conference play at home against the UAlbany Great Danes (2-5-1, 0-0 AE) on Saturday, September 28.
September 24 vs. Northeastern (6:00 p.m.)
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September 28 vs. UAlbany (6:00 p.m.)
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LAST TIME OUT
The River Hawks enter Tuesday's match following a 2-1 win over Merrimack just over a week ago on Saturday, September 14. Against the Warriors, graduate student Guillermo Francés Poquet (Enguera, Valencia) tied his personal best with two goals. Francés Poquet, who scored a goal in each half, also led the team with two shots on goal. Junior Calvin Scholten (Hengelo, Netherlands) earned a point with an assist on the second goal while adding two shots of his own. Senior Liam Ireland (Yarmouth, Maine) finished with three shots, including one on goal, while junior JR Gawel (Leonardtown, Md.) made six saves in net.
LEADING THE FLOCK
Francés Poquet currently leads the River Hawks with seven points, off of three goals and an assist. Tied with him for the team lead in goals is junior Oliver Holmstrom (Gävle, Sweden), who scored three goals in the first five games. Behind them, senior Yanis Lakhlifi (La Crau, France) totals five points off two goals and an assist, and junior Iñaki Esnaola (Junin, Argentina) and Scholten each add a goal and two assists. In net, Gawel has made 28 saves in seven games, good for a .718 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 5-1-2, are off to the best start since the 2018 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 five 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 second in the nation.
FRESH FACES
Two of the newest members of the squad have appeared in all 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.
SCOUTING NORTHEASTERN
The Huskies enter Tuesday's match with a 1-4-3 record, most recently coming off a 2-0 loss to William & Mary. Northeastern's offense is led by freshman forward Tomas Sciarra, who totals two goals and an assist so far this season. Behind him, five Huskies total two points, with Jaden Prado tallying a team-best two assists. In net, Colby Hegarty and Tobias Jahn have split time with four starts each, with Jahn owning a .815 save percentage.
SCOUTING THE GREAT DANES
UAlbany comes to Lowell following a midweek battle against Rhode Island. The Great Danes currently own a 2-5-1 mark, with Saturday being their first conference battle as well. Leading the way on offense for the Great Danes is midfielder Timo Jansen, who has three goals and two assists to his name. Right behind him, senior Ander Castillo totals three goals and an assist, while three Great Danes chip in with two points each. In net, Parker Kump and Daniel Shannon have split time in goal, with Shannon making five starts to Kump's three. Shannon owns a 1.35 goals against average, making 19 saves for a .760 save percentage.
A WIN WOULD
A win on Tuesday would continue the best start since 2018 for the River Hawks, and give the River Hawks a 4-3 advantage all-time against the Huskies. If UMass Lowell follows up with another win on Saturday, it mark the program's first win over the Great Danes since 2019.
MATCHUP HISTORY
Tuesday's match against Northeastern will be the seventh time the two teams have gone against each other, with the all-time series even at 3-3. As for Saturday's game, it will be the 14th time they've faced off, with UAlbany currently holding the advantage with a 7-5-1 record.
