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River Hawks’ patience pays off with 1-0 win in overtime

Wuilito Fernandes celebrates shirtless after scoring the game winning goal in overtime. (Photo courtesy Matt Dwyer/Connector)

by Hannah Manning
Connector Editor

Though it took nearly ninety-eight minutes, the River Hawks held onto their spotless season record thanks to a clutch goal by senior mid Wuilito Fernandes. With the 1-0 victory, goalkeeper Austin Kroll earned his fifteenth career shutout, which is fourth all time for UMass Lowell men’s soccer.

The game crept to a standstill after ninety minutes. Despite having handfuls of scoring chances, neither team could capitalize on any of them. After the end of the first half, UMass Lowell and Seton Hall were tied in shots at six apiece. Seton Hall had to fend off four River Hawk shots, but Kroll didn’t need to make a save for the entire game.

In fact, Seton Hall’s most legitimate scoring chance came when a shot careened off of the River Hawks’ crossbar. The rebound of that shot went just wide, to the joy of the 600-some River Hawk fans in attendance. Frustration was apparent in Pirates and River Hawks alike; after one of several wide shots, a Seton Hall player raised his hands in the air in disbelief.

Before his game-winning goal, Fernandes had a thrilling scoring chance when he intercepted a Seton Hall pass and made a shot that went just wide of the post. He also had a diving header that flew just past the right post.

The rest of the squad had a few chances as well, the most notable two taking place within the final minute of regulation seconds after one another.

It was a game filled with fouls, with Seton Hall committing the most sins at 14. UMass Lowell wasn’t out of the clear, however, as they had ten fouls themselves. Seton Hall did one-up them by getting a yellow card mere minutes into the game. By the end of the ninety minutes, the mood was tense as the board still showed a scoreless game and the fouls kept racking up.

“It was a tough one. I don’t think we played particularly well today,” Head Coach Christian Figueroa said after the game.

It was clear that Figueroa was disappointed with the general gameplay, but his mind was on the River Hawks’ next match. “I don’t think it was a particularly great game for us, but we just gotta make sure that we build on that now and take care of the bodies for Sunday.”

The River Hawks’ triumph came as a result of the River Hawks maintaining what Figueroa attributes as a “great mentality,” being patient and building off of each other. Keeping their composure even with continued pressure from the opposition. “We’re young, we gotta grow, we gotta make sure we’re not falling into something that’s not part of our game… Anything after the whistle is not what we do. We’re mature enough to stay out of it.”

Their willingness to play the game their way paid off in Fernandes’s goal, which was his third on the season. It came just over seven and a half minutes into overtime, after which the bench emptied and swarmed Fernandes in celebration. It was a gratifying end for a sometimes slow-boiling match.
The River Hawks will complete their Labor Day weekend homestand on Sunday afternoon against St. Francis Brooklyn at 3:30.

Hannah Manning

Hannah Manning is the Editor in Chief of the UMass Lowell Connector. A native of Haverhill, Mass., she is a senior working towards her bachelor's in English with a concentration in journalism and professional writing. She likes hockey, music and her fellow staff members at the Connector.

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