Sunday’s 1-0 loss against New Hampshire represented a step back for the Massachusetts men’s soccer team.
Sure, the Minutemen only allowed one goal, and their defense was strong for large portions of the game. But offensively, the UMass was shut out again – for the fourth time this season – after it appeared the attack had finally taken steps forward in games against Fairfield and Harvard.
“We’ve been better in recent weeks getting possessions in the attacking third, but just haven’t been dangerous enough with those possessions,” interim coach Devin O’Neill said. “We need to create more scoring chances.”
Saturday, the Minutemen (1-7) will get another chance to improve when they host St. Joseph’s in their Atlantic-10 conference opener.
It’s been a difficult season for UMass up to this point. After a winless west coast road trip to start the year, the Minutemen returned to Rudd Field and finally notched their first win against Fairfield in a 2-1 overtime thriller. But they couldn’t carry that momentum forwards. Last weekend was an empty one for UMass as it blew a 2-0 lead against Harvard and was shut out by the Wildcats.
Despite the slow start, there are bright spots for the team all over the field. Besides the dynamic duo of Matt Keys and Josh Schwartz, UMass is starting to get solid contributions from supporting players such as goalie Ryan Buckingham, defender Matt Pease, and midfielder Luke Pavone, whom O’Neill said was “sorely missed” in Sundays loss against the Wildcats.
“He’s got such great work ethic, energy and enthusiasm,” O’Neill said of Pavone.
St. Joseph’s (5-2-3) enters the game led by a balanced offensive attack and a defense ranked near the top of every category among A-10 teams. They’ve conceded just eight goals in 10 games, and have shut out its opponents in five of those games.
“They’ve done a wonderful job with their program. They’re a balanced team, and having watched them play, we expect them to be a very good team,” said O’Neil.
That matchup against a strong Hawks defense could prove costly for the Minutemen, who have been anemic offensively. Their six goals in eight games put them at second to last in the conference.
It’s the first time the two squads have met in nearly two years. Back in October 2012, the Minutemen defeated the Hawks 2-0, with goals coming from current team members Schwartz and forward Jake Alvaro.
But neither that game nor the first eight of this season matter to UMass. With conference play starting, the Minutemen have the chance to turn the page and start fresh. They have nine A-10 games scheduled for the next five weeks, and it will be those games alone that determine whether UMass qualifies for the A-10 tournament at the end of the year.
“We don’t want to put too much value on any one game,” O’Neill said, “but we have to realize each game’s importance.”
The Minutemen will hope to avoid a repeat of last season’s conference slate. They went 3-5 in A-10 play and backed their way into the tournament after losing a tight game to St. Louis on the final day of the regular season.
“We’d love to get off to a quick start,” O’Neill said. “The message to the guys has been take it three points at a time.”
UMass has showed signs of life all season, but the time for moral victories is drawing to a close. The Minutemen have showed in flashes they can play with anyone, but unless they start stringing together good performances, they’ll spend the offseason wondering what might have been.
The game kicks off Saturday at 1:00 p.m. at Rudd Field.
Ross Gienieczko can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @RossGien.
