MEN'S SOCCER NOTEBOOK
Vermont (6-2) welcomes America East play at 19th-ranked UMass Lowell (5-1-2) on Saturday evening (Sept. 22). The opening kickoff is set for 5 p.m. Free live video will be available at AmericaEast.TV.
 
RELATED LINKS
UMass Lowell: Video | Live Stats
United Soccer Coaches: Rankings
 
CONFERENCE OPENERS
In the last two decades, the Cats have been very successful in their conference opener. Since 1998, UVM owns a 13-6-1 mark in the first  game on the league docket including wins in the last two openers. In recent years, Vermont's offense has welcomed the conference slate with open arms by outscoring its opponents 21-8 with four clean sheets over the last 10 seasons.
 
CATS VS. RANKED OPPONENTS
The Catamounts will look to pull off the upset against a ranked opponent for the first time since 2010. UVM has two wins under its belt against teams in the national rankings since 2009 – a 3-1 outburst at No. 18 UMBC in 2009, then the Green and Gold took down 14th-ranked Stanford a year later with a 2-1 overtime thriller in Burlington. Last year, twin state rivals Vermont and No. 20 New Hampshire played to a 1-1 draw as the Cats secured the program's third America East regular season title.
 
UNITED SOCCER COACHES RANKINGS
Saturday's duel will feature two of the top teams in New England, according to this week's United Soccer Coaches Northeast Regional Poll. The River Hawks stand atop the field while the Catamounts follow in third place. In the national rankings, UML fell four spots from last week to No. 19 and UVM earned 12 votes in the national poll.
 
SCOUTING UMASS LOWELL
The River Hawks were picked as the preseason favorite for the second straight year in the America East Preseason Coaches' Poll. UMass Lowell opened the season with five shutouts in its first six games before enduring a 1-0 loss at Stanford last Friday. UML has one of the top defenses in the country. The group from The Mill City rank sixth with a 0.351 goals-against average and have the 10th-best team save percentage at .857. On the offensive end, Stanley Alves is tied for second in the league with four goals and sits fifth in Division I with three game-winning scores. Roko Prsa has also cracked America East's top-10 scoring list with seven points and three goals. Goalie Zach Rowell has been one of the premiere stoppers in the nation. The senior has recorded four clean sheets and logged a .889 save percentage – both rank fifth nationally.     
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
The all-time series has been evenly matched at 1-1-3. As the River Hawks made the transition to Division I in 2013, the conference rivals played to three straight draws from 2013-15. Two years ago, No. 18 UMass Lowell held off UVM 2-1 in Lowell. Last year, the Cats scored once in each half for a 2-1 victory at Virtue Field.   
 
Able Paint Glass and Flooring is the presenting sponsor of the 2018 Vermont men's soccer season