LOWELL, Mass. – After starting off the road swing with two shutouts to post a 1-0-1 record, the UMass Lowell men's soccer team (2-1-1) wraps up the three-game road trip at the Holy Cross Crusaders (0-2-1) on Saturday, September 6.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The River Hawks enter Saturday's match coming off a 0-0 draw against the University of the Incarnate Word. In the battle against the Cardinals, freshman Alvaro Medrano (Guatemala City, Guatemala) made two saves to earn his second career shutout in as many matches. Offensively, ten River Hawks logged a shot, with eight of those shots coming on target. On defense, sophomore Aamir Ketbache (Frankfurt am Main, Germany) played the entire game, while sophomore Henry Wohlt (Milwaukee, Wis.) logged 72 minutes in his second appearance of the season.
 
LEADING THE FLOCK
Through two games, redshirt sophomore Justin Pham (Liverpool, N.Y.) leads the team with three points off a goal and an assist. Right behind him, senior Oliver Holmstrom (Gävle, Sweden) and junior Linus Musielak (Dortmund, Germany) each have a goal, and senior Junyounh Hwang (Gimpo, South Korea) rounds out the team's scoring with an assist. Sophomore Saihaj Kailay (Belleville, Ontario) paces the team in minutes played with 288, while Pham, graduate student Shunnosuke Nakajima (Yokohama, Japan), and senior Mauro Fernandez (Fitchburg, Mass.) represent the three River Hawks to start in all four games. In net, the River Hawks have split time between two goalies, with Medrano leading the way with 11 saves and zero goals allowed in two matches.

WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS
After making 11 saves without allowing a goal in his first two collegiate appearances, Medrano was named the America East Defensive Player and Rookie of the Week. Not only did the awards mark the first for UMass Lowell this season, but it is the first time a River Hawk has earned both awards in the same week.

FRESH FACES
Eleven of the newest River Hawks have made at least one appearance so far this season, with five earning at least two starts. Two of the team's three goals have come off the foot of a newcomer, while three newcomers have accumulated at least 200 minutes of playtime.

SCOUTING THE CRUSADERS
Holy Cross enters its home opener on Saturday with a 0-2-1 record, most recently falling to Brown, 2-1. Through three games, freshman Cayden Walton leads his team with a goal and is one of two Crusaders to play all 270 minutes. Behind him, both Kevin Cull and Archie Hatcher have a point off an assist. In goal, Matteo Buyu has started all three games, making 10 saves while allowing four goals, good for a .714 save percentage.

MATCHUP HISTORY
The River Hawks and Crusaders have faced off six times previously, with Holy Cross owning a 4-2 advantage. Last year, the two sides faced off at Cushing Field, with UMass Lowell earning a thrilling 2-1 victory, highlighted by a goal by then-junior Iñaki Esnaola (Junin, Argentina).

A WIN WOULD
A win would improve the River Hawks to 3-1-1 on the season, including 2-0-1 on the road, marking the second-best start under Head Coach Kyle Zenoni, only behind last season's 4-0-2 start. If the team were to record another clean sheet, it would mark the longest shutout streak by UMass Lowell since winning five-straight matches by a score of 1-0 during the 2019 season.