The Massachusetts men’s soccer team stepped between the lines of Rudd Field for the first time Wednesday, returning home after starting the season with four consecutive road contests.

Despite familiar and friendly confines, UMass dealt with yet another unusual detractor, the weather.

The Minutemen kicked off against Hartford at 3:30 p.m. under a beautiful, cloudless sky, a perfect backdrop for a home opener. Unfortunately, both teams were forced to deal with a potent combination of heat and humidity which resulted in a 94-degree temperature at kickoff.

Playing its third game in six days, UMass used a variety of combinations to combat fatigue and cramping. In total, 21 players logged minutes for the Minutemen, but no player played more than 72 minutes.

Citing the proximity of games this week, UMass coach Sam Koch knew this would be a test for his team.

“You could tell we didn’t have a lot left in the tank,” he said. “It was a grueling, grueling game for us. You could tell our legs were very tired.”

Both Koch and junior defender Matt Keys noted the heat wave was not an excuse though, as both teams were forced to deal with the conditions.

Still, multiple cramping issues flared for both squads. At one point, Hartford forward David Bernhardsson complained of nausea and asked to be removed from the game.

Constant substitutions placed an added emphasis on the role of reserves. For the Minutemen, that meant counting on a stable of young players.

“We’re young, we’ve got a lot of freshmen out there,” Koch said. “I’m proud of them. I’m not proud of the result, but I’m proud that they battled. As a coaching staff we put them in a tough situation playing three games in six days.”

Keys also acknowledged the constant change created a bit of confusion at times on the field. UMass attempted six corner kicks but converted on none, a frustrating aspect of the loss.

“It was good to get the subs in because it gave us some fresh legs,” Keys said. “But on the other side, when we go over our set pieces and the spots we want to be it’s kind of tough with the new faces.”

Keys, who played 70 minutes and recorded two shots, still showed appreciation for the time to regroup.

“When new people come in, some people are confused so that definitely can hurt, but I think it was good we got the subs in because it gave us some fresh legs up top,” Keys said.

Those fresh legs seemed to prevail in the second half. UMass looked stronger as the game wore on, maintaining possession longer and manufacturing multiple scoring chances in the second half. The Minutemen registered seven shots in the second, noticeably outshooting the Hawks, who managed only three.

Koch thought his team was primed to break through.

“It’s one of those things, we created chances and that’s the best thing to create chances,” Koch said. “Then you got to finish your chances. You got to do one before you do the other, so we did the first part but we couldn’t do the second part.”

A sweat-soaked Keys also saw much improvement, a welcoming sign for a squad trying to get over the final hurdle.

“If you look at the shots they were pretty equal so we were hoping for that goal,” Keys said. “But again it’s just finishing, but we’re getting better at it. If you compare that game to our earlier games this season we’re definitely getting more chances so that’s definitely a bright spot.”

Mark Chiarelli can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @Mark_Chiarelli