BOSTON – Concluding a two-game homestand, the Boston University men's soccer team will host defending Atlantic 10 champion UMass on Friday night with action set to begin at 7 p.m.
Stationed on West Campus next to Nickerson Field, Rhett's West will provide free food samples to help celebrate its re-opening.
TERRIER TIDBITS
- UMass marks the third of six scheduled in-state opponents for the Terriers, who claimed a 3-3 draw at ACC member Boston College before falling at home to America East preseason favorite UMass Lowell, 2-0.
- Junior Matt McDonnell tallied all three goals at BC and was honored earlier this week by both the Patriot League (Offensive Player of the Week) and TopDrawer Soccer (Team of the Week) for posting the program's first hat trick in a decade.
- Sophomore Toti Knutsson owns two assists, while senior T.J. Butzke owns the other helper.
- McDonnell leads BU's offense with 12 shot attempts with sophomore Austin D'Anna in second at seven shots.
- Senior defenders David Riccio and Josh Barkoff are the only two Terriers to have played all 290 minutes this season.
- Sophomore William Bonnelyche has started the last two games at net and has recorded a combined eight saves.
SCOUTING UMASS
- Selected to finish third in the Atlantic 10 preseason poll, the defending conference champion Minutemen went 15-4-3 last season and 6-1-1 in the conference standings ... They were eliminated in the opening round of the NCAA tournament by Patriot League champion Colgate, 2-0, at home.
- UMass went 3-2-2 on the road last season with all three wins coming against A-10 opponents.
- The Minutemen is on a three-game unbeaten streak with home wins over Bryant (3-0) and Saint Peter's (2-1) following a 1-1 draw at Sacred Heart and 1-0 loss at UMass Lowell.
- DeAndrae Brown leads UMass with three goals and six points, while both James McPherson and Brandon Merklin own two assists apiece.
- Trey Miller has played the last 290 minutes at net for the Minutemen, posting a 0.62 goals against average and 0.778 save percentage.
SERIES HISTORY
- UMass leads the all-time series, 22-17-7, after snapping the Terriers' six-game unbeaten streak in the series, 1-0, in Amherst last year.
- The Minutemen scored the game's lone goal in the 51st minute by putting away a rebound off the penalty kick initially saved by Bonnelyche ... UMass owned a slight 11-10 advantage in shot attempts, as both teams ended the game with four saves apiece.
- Following a 2-1 victory in 2016, BU is 2-0-1 in the last three home meetings against UMass and is 8-3-2 overall at Nickerson Field under head coach Neil Roberts.
