LOWELL, Mass. – Coming off another 1-0-1 week, the UMass Lowell men's soccer team (2-0-2) hits the road to take on the LIU Sharks (2-0-1) on Wednesday, September 4, before welcoming the Holy Cross Crusaders (1-1-1) to Lowell on Saturday, September 7.
 
September 4 at LIU (4:00 p.m.)
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September 7 vs Holy Cross (6:00 p.m.)
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LAST TIME OUT
The River Hawks enter Wednesday's match after fighting to a 1-1 draw against Boston University on Sunday night. Senior Yanis Lakhlifi (La Crau, France) scored the first goal of his career later in the first half, with an assist coming from junior Iñaki Esnaola (Junin, Argentina), his first point of the season. Senior Shunnosuke Nakajima (Yokohama, Japan) contributed with three shots on the night, while junior JR Gawel (Leonardtown, Md.) made three saves.

LEADING THE FLOCK
Junior Oliver Holmstrom (Gävle, Sweden) leads the River Hawks with two goals so far this season. Behind him, Lakhlifi totals three points off a goal and assist, while juniors Martin Harguindey (Buenos Aires, Argentina), Oscar Perez (Sagunto, Spain) and Calvin Scholten (Hengelo, Netherlands) and Nakajima all tally one goal. In net, Gawel has played all 360 minutes, making 15 saves and allowing only two goals, good for a 0.50 goals against average and a 2-0-2 record.

FRESH FACES
Five of the newest members of the squad have appeared in all four games this season, with Gawel and freshman Matteo Costa (Frankfurt am Main, Germany) starting in every match. Out of the newest River Hawks, Harguindey leads with two points after scoring in the season opener, while Costa and freshman Santiago Somorrostro (Nashua, N.H.) have each tallied an assist.  

SCOUTING LIU
The Sharks enter Wednesday's match coming off a 0-0 draw against Connecticut on Sunday night. Freshman forward Stephane Njike, who tallied a goal and assist in the season opener against Stony Brook, leads their offense with three points. Right behind him, Tal Levy and Jesper Mikkelsen round out the LIU goal scorers with a goal apiece. In net, Eoin Gawronski has started all three games, making 13 saves while allowing only one goal for a .929 save percentage.
 
SCOUTING THE CRUSADERS
Holy Cross comes to Lowell after a 1-1 tie against Harvard on Saturday evening. Leading the way for the Crusaders' offense is senior Evan Jones, who has recorded a goal in each of their last two games. Midfielder Marcus Williams sits only a point behind Jones, earning an assist in the first game of the year before scoring in the 3-0 win over Merrimack. Holy Cross has had two goalkeepers see time in net, with Tristan Stephani making three saves and allowing four goals in game one, while Josh Tubbs has made nine saves and allowed one goal in the last two matches.

A WIN WOULD
A win on Wednesday would continue the best start by the River Hawks since the 2018 season and would also keep the team undefeated. If they followed up with a win on Saturday, it would be only the second time UMass Lowell has beaten Holy Cross, with the first coming during the 2019 season.

MATCHUP HISTORY
Thursday will be the first time UMass Lowell and LIU have faced off, while Saturday's game marks the sixth against the Crusaders, with Holy Cross currently holding a 4-1 advantage.