LOWELL, Mass. – In the demanding world of college soccer, loyalty can be a rare commodity. Players transfer and programs shift. Yet at UMass Lowell, four seniors—Mauro Fernandez, Olivier Holmstrom, Oscar Perez, and Iñaki Esnaola—defied this trend. Entering freshman year alongside a new coaching staff looking to build up the program, these four fought through seasons of adversity, remaining River Hawks with their commitment unwavering. 

The 2025 men’s soccer season was one to remember. The River Hawks posted their most successful season under Head Coach Kyle Zenoni, as they reached the America East Semifinals for the first time since 2019. It was the culmination of four years of hard work, dedication, and a belief that better days were ahead. 

“Definitely the people here,” midfielder Oliver Holmstrom said when asked what makes UMass Lowell special. “The people are amazing, and the coaches improve every year, so that made me want to stay here. We’ve made improvements every year. I’m really happy I stayed here four years.” 

“It was amazing,” Holmstrom added. “The first two years, we never made it to the playoffs. junior year, I think we deserved to make it because we had a very good team and played very good soccer. To be rewarded with the playoffs in my senior year—and with a win as well—was huge for us and huge for the program moving forward.” 

Holmstrom, a midfielder from Gavle, Sweden, appeared in 50 games during his tenure at UMass Lowell, recording eight goals and two assists for 18 points. He tallied 44 shots, with 22 on target, for a .500 shot-on-goal percentage, and totaled 1,660 minutes of action. 

“These four years, we changed a lot as a program,” said defender Oscar Perez. “Senior year, we made the playoffs, and we won in the quarterfinals against UAlbany. So, it’s a lot of growth, as you can see, and a lot of people came to this program, and at the end of the day, just four of us stayed these four years, so that tells that we wanted to see this program grow.” 

Perez, a native of Sagunto, Spain, appeared in 58 games throughout his four seasons with the River Hawks, totaling 24 shots for a .375 shot-on-goal percentage. He was named to the 2022 America East All-Rookie Team and the 2025 CSC Academic All-District Team. 

“The best thing you can get from Kyle and staff is their respect,” said Iñaki Esnaola, a forward from Junin, Argentina. “You have to be open, they are open with you, so you’ll always have honesty, and that’s something that’s very much appreciated. Putting in the work every day, doing what you need to do. So, you have to be honest with yourself and with the team and work.” 

Esnaola played 47 games during his time as a River Hawk, totaling four goals and six assists for 14 career points, and accumulated 2,781 minutes of playing time. 

“Kyle brought in so much talent and so many good people in the program that this has boomed into something that the program hasn’t seen before,” explained midfielder Mauro Fernandez. “

A native of Fitchburg, MA, Fernandez made 55 appearances and totaled 3,904 minutes of playing time throughout his four seasons at UMass Lowell.  

After posting a 6-6-4 record in the regular season of their senior year, with eight points in conference play, the River Hawks earned their first playoff berth in six years, the first under Coach Zenoni. Hitting the road to take on the #3 UAlbany Great Danes, the River Hawks pulled off an incredible upset, highlighted by a goalie goal in the 90th minute to send the game to overtime and a shootout, creating a moment that all four seniors will be sure to never forget. 

“I would say the game against Albany,” said Esnaola of his favorite moment during his time at UMass Lowell. “It has to be. There have been many little moments before that that made this game so special for us. Many of the guys that were there playing, we’ve been here, we’ve been through a lot, and that feeling of achieving something that we’ve been looking for for so long, that feeling was just amazing. We were all crying and celebrating. It felt like heaven for us. Yeah, it was crazy.”

“Definitely the playoff game against Albany,” added Holmstrom. “Jorge’s tying goal in the end, a goalkeeper, I’ve never seen that in my whole life. Winning in penalty shootouts, it’s just amazing.”

“The Albany playoff game,” commented Perez. “The emotions, I remember at the end that Mauro, Oliver, Iñaki, and I were all hugging each other, because we went through these four years together, and in the end, that was a big reward.”

“It has to be the Albany win,” remarked Fernandez. “From the trip there to the trip back, it was amazing. Everything about it just showed us that we are a family. Coming in daily and doing everything the right way, it made a difference in the end. In the end, I came in and did what I could, and it brought us to the playoffs. 

Together, Fernandez, Holmstrom, Perez, and Esnaola represent more than just four seniors on a roster. They represent a program that grew with them—and a group of players who chose to see it through to the end.