LOUDONVILLE, NY – Off to a 1-0 start for the second straight season, Siena Men's Soccer (1-0) will have a chance to tally a win in front of its home crowd for the first time this year on Monday. The Saints will hit the pitch at Hickey Field to host UMass Lowell (1-0) on Monday, August 29, with kickoff set for 4 PM in Loudonville.
Thursday's match will be aired live on Siena All-Access, with live stats available on SienaSaints.com. Additionally, live up-to-the-minute updates will be available by following @SienaSoccer on Twitter.
After emerging victorious in a season opener for the second straight year, the Saints will look to win a home opener for the third straight year and improve on a 9-28-9 all-time mark in home openers. Monday's match will serve as the first of eight home games for the team at Hickey Field this season.
The Green and Gold began the 2022 campaign by defeating the season opponent in back-to-back years to start a season for the first time since the 1970 & 1971 pre-varsity Siena squads, Taking home a 1-0 road victory at Sacred Heart Thursday evening. The deciding goal came in the 21st minute of play, with sophomore Erik Reis serving a ball from left-to-right to classmate Jesper Schone Vogtengen, who found junior Bilal Hersi in the left corner of the box for the finish.
The win also served as the 21st career victory in-goal for graduate student goalkeeper Greg Monroe, knotting him with program great Brett Boskiewicz (1991-94) for the most wins by a Saints goalkeeper. The Clifton Park, New York native also moved into a tie for second all-time in career shutouts with his 11th in-goal.
Picked to finish fifth in the 2022 MAAC Preseason Coaches Poll, the Green and Gold played to a 9-7-3 overall mark and a 5-3-2 conference record in 2021, securing the number four seed in the MAAC and ultimately falling to number five Rider at home in the MAAC quarterfinals. The Saints saw 17 different players register a point last season, marking the most since the 2002 campaign.
Rising sophomore Jacob Sandun Arachchige-Jensen highlighted the roster by becoming the fourth player in program history to earn MAAC Rookie of the Year honors, while becoming the first Siena freshman to take a home First Team All-MAAC nod and the only rookie in the league to do so last year. Classmate Henrik Winkelmann earned Second Team All-MAAC honors, while the pair joined defender Erik Reis, midfielder Zach Gardner, forward Thomas Storodegard, and defender Jesper Schone Vogtengen in making the MAAC All-Rookie Team.
Arachchige-Jensen, Reis, and Winkelmann all started the year by being selected to the 2022 Preseason All-MAAC Team.
Under the direction of third year head coach Graciano Brito, Siena returns 24 letterwinners from last season while adding seven newcomers. Veteran goalkeeper Greg Monroe and defender Antonio Linge both opted to return to the squad for a graduate year, while three of the team's newcomers head to Loudonville as transfers from other institutions.
Siena and UMass Lowell meet for the second straight year, with the initial meeting in the series resulting in a 1-0 River Hawk overtime victory in Lowell on August 30, 2021. Despite five saves from Monroe, UMass Lowell's Borna Mikic's strike in the 93rd minute allowed the home team to walk away with the victory. This year's match marks the first of three Bay State opponents on Siena's schedule this year, with the team scheduled to head to Boston College on Sept. 6 and Merrimack on Sept. 17.
Led by first year head coach Kyle Zenoni, UMass Lowell began its 2022 campaign with a 2-0 shutout victory over St. Francis Brooklyn at home on Thursday, with both goals coming in the first half. Following a strike from Viljar Byrkjeland, Guillermo Frances Poquet got his team insurance by converting a penalty kick opportunity in the 39th minute. Picked to finish tied for sixth in the 2022 America East Preseason Coaches' Poll, the River Hawks boasted 11 newcomers heading into the season, and begin a challenging stretch of five of its next six matches away from home during non-conference action.
