Game 9	NJIT (3-3-2; 0-0- America East) at UMass Lowell (1-4-2; 0-0-0 America East)
Date | Time	Saturday, September 24, 2022 | 7pm
Location | Field	Lowell, MA | Cushing Field
All-Time Series	NJIT leads 2-1
ESPN3	Watch  | International Feed
Live Stats	In-Game Statistics

NEWARK, NJ–NJIT men's soccer begins its third season in the America East Conference on Saturday, September 24 on the road at UMass Lowell in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Game Information
Saturday's kickoff is slated for 7pm at Cushing Field on ESPN3 with in-game statistics available on GoRiverHawks.com.

Road Warriors
NJIT opened the 2022 season with seven consecutive road matches, the most since the 2017 season when the Highlanders started off the season with a five-match road swing.  NJIT played its first home game of the season on September 20 vs. Sacred Heart.

All-Time Series
Saturday's match will mark the fourth all-time meeting between the two teams.  NJIT leads the all-time series, 2-1.  Last season, NJIT's Alejandro Rabell scored a pair of goals, including the golden goal in overtime in NJIT's thrilling 2-1 win.

Last Time Out
NJIT scored a pair of goals in the second half and Samuel Reisgys registered the clean sheet as the Highlanders blanked visiting Sacred Heart, 2-0, Tuesday evening in the Highlanders first home match of the season at Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon.

With the win, NJIT moves to .500 (3-3-2), after picking up a 2-2 tie against Rider on Sunday and a 2-0 win over Sacred Heart, heading into America East Conference play this weekend.

Reisgys, who finished the match with four saves, became NJIT's Division I career saves leader with 210. 

Franco the Highlanders co-captain recorded his season-leading third goal of the season. Maximus Barboto, who entered Tuesday's match tied for first in the America East, tallied his fourth assist of the season.  Jordi Navio Sanchez picked up his second straight match with an assist (credited with an assist at Rider on September 18).

NJIT Notes
NJIT's Fernando Barboto enters his seventh season at the helm of the Highlanders.  

In 2019, Barboto guided the NJIT men's soccer program in capturing the ASUN Tournament and Regular Season title.  The 2019 ASUN Conference Coach of the Year along with his coaching staff, who was named United Soccer Coaches Atlantic Region Coaching Staff of the Year,  led the Highlanders to the first NCAA appearance at the Division I level (first round; at Providence on November 21, 2019).

Under Barboto, the Highlanders have made postseason appearances in five-out-of-six seasons (2021, 2020 in AE; 2019, 2018, 2017 in the ASUN Tournament).

The 32-man roster consists of 18 returners from the America East semifinals team and 13 newcomers.

Sophomore Goncalo Franco is the lone Highlander returning for the 2022 season who earned 2021 America East All-Conference accolades (All-Rookie Team).

Scouting the Highlanders
NJIT has collected wins against James Madison, La Salle and Sacred Heart while tying Drexel and Rider and falling to UConn, Iona and Villanova.  The Highlanders were ranked in the United Soccer Coaches poll during the first two weeks of competition.

Goncalo Franco leads the Highlanders attack with three goals followed by Asembo Augo and Jose Del Valle with two goals apiece while freshman Maximus Barboto, who has earned America East Conference Rookie of the Week twice this season thus far, is the son of head coach Fernando Barboto.  He leads NJIT and the America East with four assists.

Senior co-captain Reisgys has played every minute of all seven matches in goal for the Highlanders this season, posting a 1.63 goals-against average and a .690 saves percentage. His 210 career saves tops the record boosk in the NJIT All-Time Division I era.  He tops the America East in shutouts with three.

NJIT head men's soccer coach Fernando Barboto announced senior goalkeeper Reisgys and Franco, NJIT's midfielder, as team captains to lead the Highlanders in the 2022 season.

Reisgys was named to the 2021 America East All-Academic team, starting every match (18) but one while Franco was selected to the America East All-Rookie team, netting a pair of goals in his first season at NJIT.

America East Conference
This will also be NJIT's third season in the America East after the school joined the league in July 2020. However, it will be the Highlanders' first AE campaign after a proper offseason (2020 was played in Spring 2021 due to COVID and 2021 was played the following fall). The Highlanders were selected to finish fifth in the 2022 Preseason Coaches Poll.

Scouting UMass Lowell
UMass Lowell enters Saturday's contest with a 1-4-2 overall mark, most recently coming off a 3-3 tie at UMass.  The River Hawks lone win of the season came in the season opener against St. Francis Brooklyn.  The pair of ties were against Rhode Island (2-2) and UMass (3-3).

Senior Borna Miklic scored a career high two goals as the UMass Lowell men's soccer team (1-4-2, 0-0-0 AE) fought to a 3-3 draw against the Massachusetts Minutemen (5-0-3, 0-0-1 A10) on Tuesday afternoon at Rudd Field.

Viljar Byrkjeland currently leads the River Hawks with 10 points, including at least one point in five of the River Hawks' seven games. His four goals lead the team, while Miklic and Jonathan Ferreira lead the team with three assists. 

Jacob Heihsel leads the team with 28 saves and 2.71 goals against average in five games, while junior keeper Loucas Costeas has recorded 13 saves in two games.

The River Hawks will have eight returning seniors including captain Matthias Stingl and starters Denis Petro, Borna Miklic, and Alessandro Marongiu. Two players named to the America East All-Rookie Team, Kai McLoughlin and Jonathan Ferreira will aim to continue to make an impact on the offensive end for UMass Lowell. McLoughlin finished last season tied for the team lead in points, while posting a hat trick against Hartford. Ferreira made 10 starts and finished fourth on the team in points with a career-high two assists against Hartford. 

Next Up
NJIT will return to action on Saturday, October 1 when the Highlanders welcome Binghamton at Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium.  Kickoff is slated for 7pm on ESPN3.