AMHERST — Football aside, conference play is either underway or just about to begin for the rest of the UMass fall sports teams, as the men’s soccer, women’s soccer and field hockey programs are off and running in 2025.
The Minutewomen field hockey team has its first MAC game against Kent State on Friday. UMass is a perfect 6-0 this season, with four of those games coming away from home. Its goal differential is an impressive 17-5. Perhaps the win that is most eye-popping for the Minutewomen thus far is a 2-1 win over No. 4 Boston College on the road in Chestnut Hill.
After reaching the Final Four a year ago, UMass clearly hasn’t missed a step under head coach Barb Weinberg. Eight different Minutewomen have scored goals this fall, with Emily Barrett leading the way with five and Neva Eisenga (three) and Gabrielle Benkenstein (two) scoring multiple goals as well. Fiene Jenniskens leads the team in assists with four.
Barrett, a freshman from England, potted a huge goal in the Minutewomen’s upset over the Eagles. She’s also scored twice in wins over UMass Lowell and Boston University. Goalie Myrte Van Herwijnen has a stellar 0.75 goals against average and has made 29 saves through six games.
UMass should have no trouble continuing its success as MAC play begins.
The Minutemen men’s soccer team kicked off the season ranked as the No. 8 team in the country fresh off an Elite Eight run in 2024. After losing a chunk of contributors, none bigger than the program’s all-time leading scorer and 3-time Atlantic 10 Player of the Year Alec Hughes, head coach Fran O’Leary had many shoes to fill.
It’s been a steady start to the season for O’Leary and UMass, as the Minutemen are 4-2-2 with one non-conference bout remaining until their Summit League slate begins (the MAC doesn’t sponsor men’s soccer). UMass has since dropped out of the United Soccer Coaches’ Top 25, but it has plenty of opportunities ahead as it competes in one of the country’s top conferences
Aidan Kelly leads the team in both goals (four) and points (nine), JP Mbuthia has three goals and two assists while four other players (Thomas Wadas, Matt Cence, Shane Velez and Ivan Vrh) have all scored twice. Keeper Alex Geczy has given up seven goals in six games and has made 18 saves.
The UMass women’s soccer team started off strong with a 1-0 shutout win over St. John’s at home, but the Minutewomen have since gone 2-3-2. Head coach Jason Dowiak is hoping that will change in MAC play. UMass lost its first conference game last Sunday, but responded with a 1-0 win over Akron on Thursday on the road in Ohio.
There hasn’t been a lot of offense generated for the Minutewomen early on this season, but an encouraging sign is that five different players have tallied scores. Multiple players are getting involved, now it’s about finding more consistent opportunities to score goals. Morgan Bellamy, Ameilia Bloom and Kaila Steen have all tallied one goal and one assist this season. In the box, goalie Leah Nisenfeld has started every game and played every minute, recording 40 saves and posting two shutouts in the process.
As for football, the Minutemen travel to Missouri next Saturday before starting conference play. They are currently 0-3.
