MEN'S SOCCER NOTEBOOK
After 485 days in between matches, the Vermont men's soccer will open the 2021 spring season with a pair of games this weekend. The Catamounts will head to twin state rival New Hampshire on Friday (March 12) at 3 p.m. The Green and Gold will turn around and host UMass Lowell on Monday at 4 p.m.
Free live video will be available for Friday's match at AmericaEast.TV. Monday's contest will be available on ESPN+ and the ESPN app with a paid subscription.
RELATED LINKS
New Hampshire: Video | Live Stats
UMass Lowell: Video | Live Stats
AMERICA EAST PRESEASON RANKINGS
Last month, Vermont was picked second in the America East Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Catamounts earned their highest conference preseason ranking under head coach
Rob Dow and best since 2016. UVM tallied 52 points behind preseason favorite New Hampshire with 63 points.
LEADERSHIP GROUP
Last April, Dow appointed
Nolan Jimmo and
Garrett Lillie as team captains. Jimmo saw action in seven matches as a reserve defender in 2019. In his seven games played, the Cats outscored their opponents 20-2 with five clean sheets. Lillie joined the Green and Gold last season as a transfer from Coastal Carolina. He earned 16 starts and finished the year with five points. He ranked third on the team with three assists.
FACING THE ALMA MATER
UVM assistant coach
Adrian DuBois had a four-year career with the Wildcats from 2004-08. In his final two seasons, he started 36 of the team's 37 matches. As a senior, he led the team in scoring with six points on two goals and two assists.
CO-CHAMPS
In the 2019 conference standings, the Catamounts and Wildcats earned a share of the America East regular season title after finishing the league slate with a 5-1-1 record. In the last four seasons, either New Hampshire, UMass Lowell, or Vermont have been awarded the regular season conference championship.
SCOUTING NEW HAMPSHIRE
The 17th-ranked Wildcats are off to a 2-0 start after beating UML 2-1 in overtime on February 26 and followed it up with a 4-2 win over Northeastern on March 6. UNH has used a balanced scoring attack this season as eight different players have logged at least one point. Sophomore midfielder Rory O'Driscoll paces the club with five points. He had a three-point game at UML with a goal and an assist, then netted a goal against the Huskies. After O'Driscoll, there's a log jam of Bilal Kamal, Victor Menudier, and Tola Showunmi with three points. The trio have each scored one goal and have been credited with one assist. Graduate senior Alejandro Robles has recorded a 0.64 goals-against average and stopped .750 of the shots fired his way.
SCOUTING UMASS LOWELL
In addition to the match with UNH, the River Hawks dropped a 1-0 decision against Rhode Island on March 3. In the conference preseason poll, UMass Lowell was tabbed sixth with 34 points. Daniel Orrego has scored the team's lone goal this year - an equalizer in the 89th minute to force the extra session against the Wildcats. Netminder Jacob Heihsel has started both games and has made five saves and has not surrendered a goal.
INSIDE THE SERIES
The Catamounts lead the all-time series with their twin state rival 36-18-8. From 1999-2008, UVM produced a 12-game unbeaten streak with nine victories. Since 2009, the series has evened out as the Cats have a 3-5-4 mark in the last 12 meetings.
Monday will be the seventh meeting between Vermont and UML since the River Hawks transitioned to a Division I program prior to 2013. The two programs battled to three draws in the first three meetings, but have swapped victories in the last four matchups.
