LOWELL, Mass. – The 2025 Saint Peter's men's soccer season kicks off on Thursday when the Peacocks take on UMass Lowell at 4 p.m. ET on Cushing Field. The Peacocks are determined to make it back to the conference tournament this year, and that road begins against the River Hawks.
Saint Peter's brought a ton of new faces to Jersey City over the offseason, including three new players in the Spring and 19 additional players in the Fall. Head coach
Julian Richens made it a point to hone in on the culture and the philosophy of Saint Peter's men's soccer. Richens aimed to recruit players from winning programs as well as players with great physicality and athleticism.
While the Peacocks have a very different roster than they did a year ago, they are returning key players
Tim Strele and
Lex Vaughan. Strele led the team in goals last season, despite dealing with an injury, and he expects to have an even more positive impact in 2025.
Vaughan has been a player who has truly bought into the culture at Saint Peter's, which is one of the reasons why he was named a team captain this year. Leading up to the season, Vaughan has welcomed the new guys with open arms and has been someone the younger players can look up to.
The Peacocks are ready to see what they can do on the pitch, especially after a solid Spring.
ABOUT THE RIVER HAWKS
The UMass Lowell River Hawks are also playing their season opener on Thursday, which will be their Senior Day as well. Last year, UMass Lowell finished with a record of 6-5-5 and 1-4-2 in America East play. The River Hawks brought in 17 new players over the offseason, while returning three of their top point scorers from the 2024 season.
UMass Lowell is coached by Kyle Zenoni who is in his fourth season as the head coach of the River Hawks.
