LOWELL, Mass. – Coming off their first conference win of the season, the UMass Lowell men's lacrosse team (4-7, 1-3 AE) hits the road to visit the Vermont Catamounts (4-6, 2-2 AE) on Saturday, April 19.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Sophomore Colby Frigon (Providence, R.I.) tallied a four-point day, as the UMass Lowell men's lacrosse team (4-7, 1-3 AE) earned their first conference win of the season, taking down the NJIT Highlanders (1-9, 0-4 AE), 10-8, on Saturday evening. Frigon, who was one of eight River Hawks to record a point, led the team with three goals while adding an assist. Behind him, senior Riley Lawhorn (Amherst, N.H.) led the squad with two assists as part of a three-point day, while sophomore Johnny Soi (Kerhonkson, N.Y.) added two goals and an assist. Freshman Danny Burke (Eden Prairie, Minn.) chipped in with a goal and an assist, while graduate student Garrett Murphy (Billerica, Mass.), sophomore James Donnelly (Ottawa, Ontario), and freshman Griffin Sumwalt (Aquebogue, N.Y.) all added a goal. Rounding things out, sophomore Josh Adey (Victoria, B.C.) added an assist for the first point of his career. In net, freshman AJ True (Manchester, N.H.) made 12 saves in the win.
 
LEADING THE FLOCK
Burke leads the offense through 11 games, totaling 14 goals and 11 assists, to rank first on the team with 25 points. Behind him, Murphy totals 22 points on 15 goals and seven assists, while Soi paces the squad with 18 goals. On defense, freshman Jack Jimenez (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) sits first on the leaderboard for the River Hawks with nine caused turnovers, while sophomore Josh Adey (Victoria, B.C.) and freshman Miles Kempski (West Chester, Pa.) sit in second with six each. Sophomore Justin Alexander (Franklin, Mass.), who leads the team with 120 faceoff wins on 211 attempts, also has a team-best 65 ground balls collected. In net, True tallies 109 saves through his first ten games, while sophomore Carter O'Brien (Concord, Mass.) totals 22 saves in two starts.

INSTANT IMPACT
The newest faces to Lowell have left their mark right away on the program. Nine newcomers have made at least one start this season, with Burke starting in every game. Through 11 games, the newest River Hawks have combined for 53 points off 33 goals and 20 assists, 25 caused turnovers, with freshman AJ True (Manchester, N.H.) taking the spot as the starting goalkeeper in nine of 11 games so far.
 
FACEOFF DOMINATION
In his first season as the primary faceoff specialist, Alexander has dominated at the X, posting a .569 win percentage, good for 21st in the country and third in the conference. Although he won a career-high 16 faceoffs at Wagner, his best performance of the season came in the win against Mercyhurst, when he went 14-17, good for a .824 win percentage, on his way to a personal-best 12 ground balls collected. Against #17 Massachusetts, Alexander had one of the best plays of his young career, winning the faceoff before bolting past a handful of defenders and ripping a shot into the back of the net for his first career goal.
 
FRESHMAN PHENOM
In his first season as a River Hawk, Burke has proven to be one of the best offensive players in the America East. Through the first 11 games, the freshman totals 25 points, ranking tenth in points per game (2.27) and first among freshmen in the conference. The only River Hawk to start in every game, Burke also leads all America East freshmen in goals (14) and assists (11), and for his efforts was named an honorable mention on the Inside Lacrosse Early Season and Late Season Impact Freshmen list.
 
AMERICA EAST HONORS
After making 12 saves while holding the Highlanders to eight goals in the team's first conference win of the season, True was named the America East Goalkeeper of the Week, his second time earning the honor and third time earning a conference weekly award. In Week Two, Burke was named the America East Rookie of the Week, while Almeida was tabbed the conference's Defensive Player of the Week. It was the second time this season the River Hawks earned two weekly awards, with Lawhorn earning Offensive Player of the Week and True snagging Goalkeeper of the Week honors in Week One.
 
SCOUTING THE CATAMOUNTS
Vermont enters Saturday's match on a two-game losing streak, most recently falling to conference for UAlbany. The Catamounts' offense is led by Cullen Decker, who totals 12 goals and 12 assists for 24 points, the most on the squad. Right behind him, Luke Reiter tallies a team-high 15 assists to total 23 points. Jack Combs, who has proven to be one of the top defenders in the conference, totals 21 caused turnovers to lead the America East alongside 49 ground balls. In net, Ryan Daly has started the majority of games, making 120 saves while allowing 104 goals, good for a .536 save percentage, in 10 appearances.
 
MATCHUP HISTORY
Saturday marks the eleventh time the Catamounts and River Hawks have faced off, with the Catamounts owning a 9-1 record in the all-time series.