UMass Boston’s men’s soccer team started their season with an anticlimactic 0-0 tie against Salve Regina State University at Boston College Friday, Aug. 29.
The Beacons and the Seahawks go way back. They have a long history of wins and tragic losses — mainly for the Seahawks. The Beacons registered a whopping eight wins against Salve Regina, two draws and only one loss. After a five-year winning streak, this scoreless draw, especially at the start of the season, gives the team a lot to work on before their next match, and reflects on the Seahawks skill development over the years.
The Beacons started strong, dominating the first half of the game. They held onto the ball throughout the game, giving the Seahawks few chances to flip the narrative. The team overshot the Seahawks by a whopping 14 shots, with seven shots on goal compared to their two. The Beacons put immense pressure on the Seahawks, but even after taking 18 shots on the opponents’ goal, they weren’t able to score anything. The team entered the last eight minutes of the match with a man down, but held down the fort and gave the Seahawks no chance to score.
The Beacons showcased their offensive play with senior Ryan Lima and junior John Arruda, each registering two shots each on the goal. Sophomore Eduardo Chirico, junior Rafael Gross, sophomore Michael Lewis and junior Jair Whyte all added to the offense.
Head coach Jake Beverlin is still assimilating new talent into the existing veterans. The team has a long way to go before the Little East Conference match-ups. Every match is a learning curve, and no experience is good or bad. The Beacons have a history of bouncing back stronger, and their offense has shown a lot of improvement since the 2024 year.
The Beacons have a habit of starting their campaigns with a splash — this is the first campaign in a long time that did not go as planned. This start does not define the Beacons as a team, and knowing them, they will come back stronger than a 90’s trend.
UMass Boston is all set to take on Babson College on Saturday, Aug. 30 at 1:00pm in an away game.
