SMITHFIELD, R.I. –  Sophomore Matteo Costa (Frankfurt am Main, Germany) logged two shots on goal, as the UMass Lowell men's soccer team (5-4-1, 0-1-0 AE) fell to the #14 Bryant Bulldogs (9-0-1, 1-0-0 AE), 3-0, in Sunday's America East opener.

"I'm very dissapointed with the loss for sure," said Head Coach Kyle Zenoni. "It was a very good game I thought up until we made a bad mistake giving away a PK and then given a harsh red card in the process. We will learn and grow as a team and prepare for Binghamton at home. We can't get too high or low with any of the results. We are not getting in or out of the conference tournament today, so we need to regroup and get points Saturday night. I'm proud of my team. The goal is to get into the postseason and then it's a new season from there. I love being part of this group because you can see the growth, and it will come. I have no doubt. We will fight every match."

Costa, who finished with two shots in 79 minutes of action, was one of five River Hawks to tally a shot on the afternoon. Graduate student Shunnosuke Nakajima (Yokohama, Japan) and junior Ethan Young (Kansas City, Mo.) each tallied a shot on target, while juniors Ethan Agyare-Danso (Etobicoke, Canada) and Alex Champagne (Pembroke Pines, Fl.) each added on a shot as well. In net, freshman Alvaro Medrano (Guatemala City, Guatemala) made seven saves.
 
Early on, Bryant controlled possession, firing off the first two shots of the game while keeping the ball on the offensive end through the first 15 minutes. UMass Lowell, however, found their footing, moving the ball down the field before Agyare-Danso collected the ball deep on the right side of the box. Breaking past his defender, the junior fired a shot past the keeper, but it wrapped just around the left post, keeping the game scoreless early. Less than ten minutes later, the Bulldogs found the back of the net, taking an early 1-0 lead.

Through the remainder of the first half, the hosts continued to apply pressure, but UMass Lowell's defense was up to the challenge, deflecting a pair of shots while Medrano made a big save to keep the opposition from adding to their lead. The two sides continued to fight through the remainder of the first half, but excellent defensive play prevented either team from registering another shot, sending the game into the break with the score still 1-0.

Coming out of the half, the River Hawks' defense continued to excel, rejecting a trio of shots by Bryant, including an incredible save by Medrano in a one-on-one situation. However, in the 65^th minute, the Bulldogs converted on a penalty kick, extending their lead to 2-0. Two minutes later, they added one more to make it a three-goal game with 67:22 on the clock.

Refusing to back down, UMass Lowell continued to attack the Bryant defense, earning a penalty kick in the 79^th minute. Although the shot was rejected, Young collected the rebound and instantly ripped off another shot, but another save by the opposition sealed the 3-0 decision.

Next up, the River Hawks return home for the first time in nearly three weeks when they host the Binghamton Bearcats on Saturday, October 4. Opening kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Cushing Field. Admission is free all season thanks to Eastern Salt and Mahoney Oil.