In its last non-conference game of the season, the Massachusetts men’s soccer team gave Atlantic 10 opponents something to think about.

The Minutemen traveled to Durham, N.H. on Saturday, and squeaked by with a 1-0 victory over New Hampshire on a goal from Dan Colwell. With the victory, UMass remains unbeaten over its last five contests.

The win snapped a 14 game home winning streak for the Wildcats, the sixth longest streak in Division I men’s soccer. Ironically The Maroon and White were the last team to win in Durham, beating UNH 2-0 back in 2001.

Massachusetts head coach Sam Koch recognized the difficulty of playing in Durham. The Maroon and White came away with the victory, but not without playing one of its hardest contests of the season.

“It’s a very tough place to play,” Koch said. “They were fired up, playing at home and they had a very good crowd.”

The first half was a defensive struggle for both sides. The Minutemen were outshot by the Wildcats 9-6 in the period, but neither squad was able to break the ice. The UMass defense was once again stifling and shut down the few attempts the Wildcat offense could muster.

“Defensively we played very well and that’s what we needed to do to put ourselves in a good situation at halftime to be able to win the game in the second half,” Koch said.

The offensive production increased in the second half, but neither team could capitalize on their opportunities. For UMass, Colwell and Ernie Billittier had several attempts on goal but it wasn’t until late in the half that the Maroon and White struck first.

The duo of Billittier and Colwell connected for the games only goal at the 74th minute of play. Billittier lobbed the ball to Colwell who one-timed the ball past UNH keeper, Brian Levey.

Levey had a career game with seven saves in the contest. Colwell’s goal was taken from five yards out on a nearly uncontested shot, leaving Levey defenseless.

The Wildcats had an opportunity to answer Colwell’s goal with four minutes left in regulation. Nicholas Mello laced a shot on target nearly 30 yards away from goal that skimmed the top crossbar, inches away from being the equalizer. UNH wouldn’t get another chance.

Koch had his defense geared for the long ball, as the Wildcats have had a tendency to create scoring attempts from further down the field than the Minutemen are used to seeing.

“They’re a very direct team. They put balls into the box,” Koch said. “They create havoc by hitting long balls and looking for knockdown, they are a hard team to play against.”

For the fifth straight game, the Maroon and White outshot their opposition. UMass had 19 shots to the Wildcats’ 15, but only one made the difference.

Even though their shot count is high, the Minutemen haven’t been the most efficient team this season.

“We’re outshooting the opponents so we’re creating opportunities,” Koch said. “That’s what you want to do. Can we finish a little bit better? I think so.”

Freshman keeper Nick Billman recorded his second shutout of the year, and is currently on a four game winning streak. Billman recorded six saves on the day and continues to be consistent staple in the cage. He was named the A-10 Rookie of the Week for his performance and has pleased Koch with his progress.

“He’s been doing very well, I’m very pleased with what he’s done.” Koch said. “To come in as a freshman and do what he’s been able to accomplish has been very refreshing and we’re pleased.”

For the Minuteman defense, the shutout was their third of the season. The squad, led by sophomore Craig Canavan and junior Chris Camerota, has been shutting down opponents since UMass lost 4-0 to UAB.

They have only allowed three goals during their current five game winning streak and have been a vital cog in the team’s success. Koch is excited with how his defense has progressed after a shaky start to the season.

“We are doing a better job than we were. We’re still making mistakes, and we still have things we have to get better at,” Koch said. “The attitude and direction that they are in has been very good. I feel that they are working hard on the areas that we need to work on and each week we seem to be getting a little bit better.”

Prior to the game, the Wildcats were ranked third in New England, with UMass on their heels in fourth. Koch didn’t give too much credence to the rankings, though.

“The ranking doesn’t mean anything until the end of the season. Right now we’re playing on Friday and we’re 0-0 in the conference,” he said.