FINAL: Vermont 1, Merrimack 0
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Ryan Combe registered the first goal of the season for the Catamounts, as Vermont (1-0) defeated Merrimack (0-1) 1-0 in the season opener on Thursday night at Duane Stadium. The victory marks UVM's second consecutive season with a win in the first game of the season.
 
RELATED LINKS
Box Score
 
COACH'S QUOTE
"It was a good win on the road against a very well coached team," head coach Rob Dow said. "Our defense proved to be the difference maker in the game. As this team develops, we're looking forward to establishing more chemistry in our attack. We're excited to compete for Vermont at Virtue Field next Tuesday."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Catamounts and Warriors played to a scoreless first half, with Vermont holding a 9-3 advantage in shots. Daniel Pacella's header in the 27th minute was one of UVM's strongest chances, forcing Alvaro Rodriguez (8 saves) to dive to his right for the save.
• Stefano Pesenti tested Nate Silveira (4 saves) minutes later, but the UVM goalkeeper swallowed up the scoring chance. Pesenti would add another scoring chance early in the second half, but Silveira would come up with the stop, once again.
• Combe netted his first goal as a Catamount in the 55th minute when he capitalized on a miscue by the Warriors in front of their own net. The junior pressured Merrimack's back line and goalkeeper on a goal kick to force the turnover.
• Joe Morrison almost added to the UVM goal total less than a minute later when he directed a shot into the lower right corner that was denied by a diving Rodriguez.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Combe and Morrison each tallied five shots to lead the Catamounts, with Morrison directing three of his shots on goal. Yves Borie also had multiple shots (3), with two shots on goal.
• Silveira registered a clean sheet in the season opener for the third consecutive season. The senior is 2-0-1 in his career in the first game of the season.
• With today's win, Vermont Mutual Insurance Group will donate $100 to COTS, the Committee on Temporary Shelter, as part of the Cats Win, Community Wins initiative. Since the campaigns inauguration in 2017, Vermont Mutual Insurance Group has donated over $72,000 to local non-profits.

UP NEXT
The Catamounts return to action on Tuesday (Aug. 30) when they host Quinnipiac in the home opener at Virtue Field. The game kicks off at 7 p.m. and will broadcast live on ESPN+. Tickets for the home opener are available for purchase at UVMathletics.com/Tickets or by visiting the Gutterson Fieldhouse Box Office on gameday.
 
Tuesday's game is also the Rally Around Mental Health Game, an initiative that was created to help increase awareness and reduce stigma surrounding mental health. Led by student-athletes, the Rally Around Mental Health initiative offers educational programming and activities to promote mental health, resources for seeking help, and supports ongoing conversations about mental health. Fans are encouraged to visit the Rally Around Mental Health table for more information. If you would like to help the Rally Around Mental Health initiative, please visit go.uvm.edu/ramh.
 
Able Paint Glass and Flooring is the presenting sponsor of Vermont men's soccer