The Massachusetts men’s soccer team left Rhode Island with one point Monday after drawing Bryant 0-0. The scoreless tie was the second result of its kind in a row for UMass (0-0-2).
Similarly to their opener against Siena, center backs Aidan Kelly and Matt Fordham held down the Minutemen defense. The Bulldogs (0-0-1), who were just outside the United Soccer Coaches’ preseason top 25, managed just three shots on target against a strong UMass backline.
“That’s three games in a row without conceding a goal, dating back to our last scrimmage,” head coach Fran O’Leary said. “We wanted to give a performance, and we stood up, and I thought our guys were immense.”
On the other side of the pitch, though, the Minutemen have also yet to put the ball in the back of the net. Striker Alec Hughes was once again lively in the match, registering both of his side’s strongest attempts of the night.
Just moments after the second half kicked off, right winger Bilal Hersi picked Hughes out with a low cross to the edge of the six-yard box. Bryant goalkeeper Antreas Hadjigavriel stood tall and rebuffed the close-range shot. Hughes then proceeded to charge down the right flank, cut the ball onto his left foot, and rip a knuckling strike squarely off the crossbar.
“We hit the crossbar, we created real chances, we hit the crossbar in the last game, so the goals will come,” O’Leary said. “We’ve got explosive players.”
Hersi had a quality chance of his own in the waning minutes of the match. The Siena transfer picked the ball up at midfield and drove rapidly towards goal, deploying a few step overs in the process. Hersi’s left-footed attempt looked destined for goal, but it curled slightly wide to the right of his target.
After a mundane first half, the action ramped up exponentially during the second 45-minute period. The first three yellow card cautions of the match were all shown in the final 15 minutes. UMass left back Alex Brown was awarded one of those yellows after making a potentially goal-saving challenge to prevent a breakaway opportunity from the Bulldogs.
The defensive brilliance of the Minutemen restricted most of Bryant’s attacks, but goalkeeper Alex Geczy was forced into action for one crucial stop. The Bulldogs’ Jonas Lyshoj uncorked a powerful free kick that forced an acrobatic denial from the keeper with just over 10 minutes to play. Geczy was a solid presence throughout the match and has yet to concede a goal two games into the 2024 season.
UMass began Monday’s match with a bit of a different look, as O’Leary opted to go with a 4-4-2 formation. Layton Purchase, a central midfielder that arrived as a graduate transfer from Stanford, debuted as a starter in the middle of the park. He replaced Oliver Akintade in the lineup as one of two changes from the match against Siena. The system generated more chances, though the attack consisted primarily of direct balls played over the top.
Bryant qualified for the 48-team NCAA Tournament in 2023 after a near-perfect 16-1-2 regular season. Expectations for the Bulldogs have been set extremely high for 2024, making a road draw for the Minutemen a favorable outcome.
“With two clean sheets now going in, it gives us a foundation,” O’Leary said. “I couldn’t be more pleased, we got a tie at Siena and we came away thinking we could have done more. But everybody left everything on the field [Monday]. It was a performance to be incredibly proud of.”
UMass will host the Providence Friars in its home opener at Rudd Field on Monday, Sept. 2. The Minutemen hope to defend the field they informally call “Fort Rudd,” where the team lost just once last season. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m.
Cameron Pellegrino can be reached at [email protected].
