FINAL SCORE (2OT): Vermont 0, No. 17 New Hampshire 0
DURHAM, N.H. – The Vermont men's soccer team clawed out a scoreless draw with 17th-ranked New Hampshire on Friday night in the season opener. The Catamounts start the new campaign off with a 0-0-1 record while the Wildcats stay unbeaten at 2-0-1 overall and 1-0-1 in league play.
 
RELATED LINKS
Box Score
 
COACH'S QUOTE
"The team showed a lot of character in our first game back in well over a year," said head coach Rob Dow. "Several freshmen stepped up and played like they were upperclassmen. We have process to make in our attack but the more we can compete like today the chemistry will come with it. I'm very proud of this team and what they did today."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• In the 21st minute, the Wildcats had a chance to take the lead with a penalty kick. Bilal Kamal fired a strike towards the left side but Nathan Silveira dove to his right and knocked the shot away. UVM's defense collapsed on the ball and cleared away the rebound opportunity.
• The Wildcats nearly got on the board in the 56th minute from a corner kick. Silveira tipped the initial feed into the center of the box where Linus Fallberg gathered the loose ball, ripped a line drive, but his shot sailed over the crossbar.
• Silveira came through with a clutch save at point-blank range in the 70th minute. UNH's Chris Pinkham was open on the left side of the box and found himself one-on-one with Silveira. Pinkham tried to sneak a low shot past Silveira, but the senior netminder made a diving kick-save to preserve the shutout.
• In the final seconds of regulation, Joe Morrison nearly gave the Cats a walk-off win. From the top of the box, Morrison knocked a header by New Hampshire goalie Alejandro Robles the potential go-ahead score bounced wide of the near post.
• In double overtime, Vermont's best chance at winning the game came off the right foot of Bjarni Aðalsteinsson, who rifled a low strike from 25 yards out but Robles came up with the save.
• With seven seconds left in the game, the Catamounts had to evade one more UNH scoring chance. Near the edge of the box from the right side, Rory O'Driscoll hooked a free kick into the center of the box but UVM's back line cleared the threat away at the final horn. 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Silveira finished the afternoon with five saves and earned his third-career clean sheet.
• Brian Son attempted three shots to pace the team in his collegiate debut while Zach Barrett was right behind him with two shots.
• Friday's result is the third draw between the two clubs in the last three meetings in Durham – 2017 and 2019. 

WHO'S NEXT
Vermont will host UMass Lowell in the home opener on Monday (March 15). The opening kickoff is set for 4 p.m. Fans can catch the game on ESPN+ and the ESPN app with a paid subscription.