ALBANY, N.Y. – After battling to a 3-3 draw through 110 minutes of action, the No. 6 UMass Lowell men's soccer team (7-6-4) upset No. 3 UAlbany (5-6-6), 5-4, in a shootout in the America East Championship quarterfinals on Saturday night at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium in New York.
 

With the win, the River Hawks move on to the America East Championship semifinals for the first time since 2019.
 

"I am really proud of the guys," said Head Coach Kyle Zenoni. "It was a battle, a hard-fought game, and we never gave up. It is a great moment for the program. I know that in the playoffs, it is one game at a time, and anything can happen. We still have more to give. Bryant is one of the best teams in the country, and we will have our hands full, but we will do everything to be prepared for the match."
 

Tied 3-3 through two overtimes, the teams began a shootout, with UMass Lowell converting each of its first four attempts with redshirt-freshman Aamir Ketbache (Frankfurt am Main, Germany), senior Oliver Holmstrom (Gävle, Sweden), senior Oscar Perez (Sagunto, Spain), and junior Linus Musielak (Dortmund, Germany) all scoring for the River Hawks. On the defensive end, graduate student Jorge Ortega (Tijuana, B.C.) made a save on the Great Dane's third attempt, but a save in the fifth round by the hosts evened the shootout to 4-4, sending it to a sixth round. In the final round, junior Alex Champagne (Pembroke Pines, Fl.) buried his attempt, setting up Ortega, who made a remarkable kick save to clinch the victory for his squad.
 

Leading the way for the River Hawks on offense were Perez, Champagne, and Ortega, who each scored a goal to help send the game to overtime. Also joining the point column, Musielak and graduate student Shunnosuke Nakajima (Yokohama, Japan) each added an assist on Champagne's goal. In net, Ortega made eight saves alongside his goal in 110 minutes of action.
 

Although UAlbany came out hot offensively, registering four straight shots in the first five minutes, the River Hawks wasted no time getting on the board, as Perez ripped a free kick from deep into the top left corner of the net, putting his squad up 1-0 in the 14th minute. Though the Great Danes looked to answer, UMass Lowell's defense stood strong, holding the hosts to only one shot over the next 20 minutes of action. Meanwhile, the visitors' offense continued its hot start, as Musielak dished a pass back to Champagne, who, after one quick juke, buried a shot into the top of the net, doubling his squad's lead to 2-0 in the 32nd minute. The Great Danes, though, converted on a penalty kick in the 38th minute to make it a 2-1 game heading into the break.
 

Coming out of the half, UAlbany put the pressure on the River Hawks' defense, controlling possession while putting up two shots in the first 15 minutes. Moments later, they capitalized, finding the equalizer off the foot of Ivar Orri Gissurarson with just under 30 minutes to play. Despite two quick shots by UMass Lowell, the hosts added another six minutes later to take their first lead of the game, 3-2, with 67:45 on the clock.
 

With time winding down and the season on the line, UMass Lowell refused to back down, ripping off a trio of shots, including two by Musielak, over the next twenty minutes of action, but all three were rejected to keep the Great Danes in front. Finally, with 88:57 on the clock, the River Hawks were awarded a free kick near midfield, allowing them to set up for one final chance. Taking the kick, Musielak sent the ball just in front of the net, and after being headed to the right side, Ortega collected the ball before sending it under the Great Dane's keeper's legs and into the back of the net, sending the game to overtime off a goalie goal.  
 

In the two overtime periods, the Great Danes put on a strong offensive display, outshooting the River Hawks 7-0, but UMass Lowell locked down defensively, not allowing a goal to force the shootout after 110 minutes of action.
 

The River Hawks face a quick turnaround, as they will face the No. 2 Bryant Bulldogs on Wednesday, November 12 in the America East Championship semifinals. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Beirne Stadium.