River Hawks Host NJIT In Conference Showdown Saturday Night

LOWELL, Mass. – After tying at home last weekend, the UMass Lowell men's soccer team (5-4-3, 1-2-1) wrap up the two-game homestand when they host the NJIT Highlanders (7-4-3, 3-0-1 AE) this Saturday, October 24. Opening kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Cushing Field.

LAST TIME OUT
The River Hawks enter Saturday's match coming off a 0-0 draw against Bryant at home. Against the Bulldogs, juniors Justin Godbout-Garon (Québec City, Canada) and Santiago Somorrostro (Nashua, N.H.) each posted two shots, including one on goal. Senior Linus Musielak (Dortmund, Germany) and junior Adam Abdelaal (Orlando, Fl.) each contributed a shot on target for the River Hawks. In net, junior Moritz Aé (Leipzig, Germany) made one save in 46 minutes of action, while junior Eijin Magota (Tokyo, Japan) made four saves in the final 44 minutes of play.

LEADING THE FLOCK
Through twelve games, Godbout-Garon paces the squad with nine points, while tied with Somorrostro for the team-lead with three goals. Somorrostro, who ranks second on the team with seven points, is one point ahead of senior Linus Musielak (Dortmund, Germany), who posts a goal and a squad-best four assists. Meanwhile, three River Hawks round out the top five with four points apiece. In net, Aé has made 45 saves with only ten goals allowed in ten starts, good for a 5-2-3 record. Junior Alvaro Medrano (Guatemala City, Guatemala), meanwhile, has made seven saves with two goals allowed in two starts.

FRESH FACES
The newest members of the team have already made an impact on the program, as 11 newcomers have made at least one start this year, while junior Jonah Straube (Frankfurt, Germany) leads the newcomers with eleven starts. Additionally, six of the new River Hawks have contributed to the team's scoring, with Godbout-Garon leading the team with nine points.

FOREVER A RIVER HAWK
In July, the River Hawks lost a friend and teammate when junior goalkeeper Toby Forsythe (Columbus, Ohio) passed away in a tragic accident. The River Hawks will honor him every game this season by wearing warm-up shirts with his name and number before every match. Additionally, all the River Hawks' jerseys now feature a "Toby 32" patch on the sleeve.

DEFENDING HOME TURF
The River Hawks have excelled at home so far this season, owning a 2-1-2 record in five matches. Taking down CCSU, 2-1, in the home opener behind a goal in the 85^th minute by senior Ethan Agyare-Danso (Etobicoke, Canada), the team followed up with a 0-0 tie against Holy Cross before taking down Manhattan in the final seconds.

AWARD WINNERS
Coming off strong defensive performances in the contest against Bryant, Magota was named the America East Goalkeeper of the Week, while junior Sho Kinjo (Nara, Japan) was tabbed the America East Defensive Player of the Week in the same week. In his first career game as a River Hawk, Magota was instrumental in halting the Bulldogs' offense in the second half, as he logged four saves on eight shots faced in 44 minutes of action. Kinjo, meanwhile, added a formidable defensive presence for the River Hawks, leading the team's defense by playing all 90 minutes of action, including a block on a Bulldogs shot to preserve the shutout. The two awards marked the first of the season for both Magota and Kinjo, while it is the second time the River Hawks earned a pair of awards in one week, with Godbout-Garon being named Offensive Player of the Week and junior Louis Dufraiche (Pluherlin, France) the Defensive Player of the Week earlier this season.

GOALS GALORE
On the road against Iona, the River Hawks' offense caught fire, tying a Division I program record with five goals scored, matching the same total when they took down CCSU 5-0 during the 2023 season. Against the Gaels, junior Marinho Oldenburg (Utrecht, Netherlands) scored the first two goals of his career, Kinjo added his first career goal as well, and Musielak and Agyare-Danso wrapped the scoring up with a goal each.

SCOUTING NJIT
The Highlanders currently sit at a 7-4-3 record, most recently taking down UAlbany 3-1. Leading the team offensively, Diogo Robelo totals 19 points off seven goals and five assists, while Maximus Barboto adds three goals and five assists for 11 points. Rounding out the top three-point scorers, Zain Thompson chips in three goals and two assists for eight points in eight starts. In net, Andre Faerman has served as the primary goalkeeper for the Highlanders, making 46 saves with 20 goals allowed in 14 starts, good for a .697 save percentage.

MATCHUP HISTORY
The River Hawks and Highlanders have battled seven times, with UMass Lowell owning a 3-2-2 record advantage in the all-time series. Last year, the two sides battled once, with UMass Lowell winning 1-0 in the victory on the road.

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Players Mentioned

Adam Abdelaal

Moritz Aé

Ethan Agyare-Danso

Louis Dufraiche

Toby Forsythe

Justin Godbout-Garon

Sho Kinjo

Eijin Magota

Alvaro Medrano

Linus Musielak

Marinho Oldenburg

Santiago Somorrostro

Jonah Straube

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