WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ – UMass Lowell’s Ivan Abramovic scored twice and added an assist as the River Hawks defeated the No. 30 Monmouth University men’s soccer team, 3-0, Sunday afternoon at Hesse Field on The Great Lawn. With the setback, Monmouth falls to 0-1-1, while the River Hawks improve to 2-0-0.

 

Abramovic scored what proved to be the game-winning goal in the 20^th minute, collecting a loose ball in the box before placing it inside the far post. Wuilito Fernandes subbed in and finished an Abramovic feed from 15 yards out in the 29^th minute, before Abramovic capitalized on a missed opportunity to clear the ball by the Monmouth defense, beating Hawks’ goalkeeper Chris Seager (Ocean Township, NJ/Ocean) inside the far post for the 3-0 margin.

 

QUOTES & NOTES

“I’ve got to give full credit to UMass Lowell. It was a very big day for them. They deserved to win. We’re trying to figure some things out as a group right now and trying to mature with each game. I’m hoping this is another opportunity to learn and move forward.” – Head Coach Robert McCourt

 

 

-          Senior goalkeeper Eric Klenofsky (Lincoln Park, NJ/DePaul Catholic) saw a streak of 55 consecutive starts and 56 straight appearances in goal for the Hawks snapped.

-          Junior goalkeeper Chris Seager made his Monmouth debut, playing the full 90 minutes. He made two saves.

-          Freshman forward Geoffrey Schaefer (Bridgeton, NJ/Woodstown) came off the bench in the second half to make his Monmouth debut and got off three shots, including two on target.

-          UMass Lowell took a 2-1-0 lead in the all-time series and has won the last two since a 5-0 Monmouth victory on Aug. 29, 2014.

-          Sunday’s contest against UMass Lowell was the first of three matches against America East opponents this season. The Hawks will face Hartford next on Sept. 1, before taking on UMBC on Sept. 10.

 

CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS

-          Shots in the game were an even 10-10. The River Hawks outshot the Hawks, 9-4, in the first half, before Monmouth took a 6-1 margin in the second half.

-          The Hawks took a 3-1 edge in corner kicks, with all three coming in the second half. The River Hawks’ lone corner came in the first half.

-          Junior midfielder Jake Areman (Freehold, NJ/Colts Neck [Maryland]) joined Schaefer in taking three shots in the game. Brandon McCarthy (Ludlow, MA/South Kent) also added two shots, including one of net, while David Nigro (Marlboro, NJ/Marlboro) had one shot on goal.

 

UP NEXT

The Hawks travel to the University of Hartford on Thursday night to take on their fellow Hawks. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.