AMHERST — Evan Fournier missed the UMass men’s soccer team’s spring NCAA Tournament run with a torn ACL.
The Belchertown native, now a junior with the Minutemen, started UMass’ first game – a 2-0 win over Northeastern – before the injury ended the season.
“It was tough because you obviously want to be on the field, especially when your team is doing so well, but at the same time, it felt good to see the team make the NCAA Tournament and have all that success,” Fournier said.
UMass reached its first national postseason since 2017 last spring after the COVID-19 pandemic put the collegiate sports calendar in a blender. The Minutemen received an at-large bid on the back of a draw at Virginia Tech. After that result and a loss against Penn State, UMass is aiming for its first consecutive postseason appearances since 2007-08, which included a trip to the College Cup (NCAA soccer’s Final Four).
“I really motivates me because I want to prove I can contribute something to the team, as well,” Fournier said. “Going into the season, I think that’s my goal.”
Fournier will play in the midfield after signing with the Minutemen as a defender in 2018. He played both roles in high school for the Orioles and won’t be at a skill disadvantage further up the field.
“He brings a lot of energy. His work rate is second to none,” UMass coach Fran O’Leary said. “He’s very competitive. He’s got a good passing range. We’re excited to have him back. He’s worked awfully hard to rehab, he’s shown a terrific attitude and we’re delighted to have him back in with the team.”
He’s one of five Western Massachusetts natives on the team along with players from Ludlow and Longmeadow that Fournier clashed with while helping Belchertown win the 2018 Western Massachusetts title.
“There’s a bit of it in the locker room, it’s like we’re playing for our area. It’s a lot of pride,” Fournier said. “Sometimes we chirp each other, but it’s all in good spirits.”
The Minutemen also return all three of their first-team all-Atlantic 10 performers from last season: graduate student midfielder Yosuke Hanya, sophomore forward Alec Hughes and senior defender Graham Brenner.
Hughes led the A-10 with seven goals, while Hanya and Ben Shepherd (second team all-A-10 in the spring and also back) tied for the league lead with seven assists each.
“(Yosuke) he’s so important just his creativity and his ability to free up the game is awesome,” Brenner said. “Like there’s some times in the game we’re held back and we’re really forced back by the other team but he’ll just release it, and he has some special ability to open up every single game no matter what team it is.”
Hughes, Brenner and Filippo Begliardi Ghidini were named to the A-10 preseason team, and the Minutemen were picked to finish fourth in the conference. Fordham received six first-place votes and finished just ahead of Saint Louis (three) atop the conference’s preseason poll. Dayton (third) and VCU (fifth) had two first-place votes each.
UMass will open its schedule at 1 p.m. Thursday against Northeastern in Amherst. It’s part of a doubleheader with the women’s program, which hosts UMass-Lowell afterward at 4 p.m.
O’Leary isn’t taking much stock in the Minutemen’s 2-0 victory over the Huskies to open last spring’s season. Or much of what UMass accomplished in the spring, for that matter.
“Well last season was fun, but it’s history now. The attitude and application, so far, has been first class, but the proof of the pudding will come in the game against Northeastern,” he said. “I just think it’s a totally new game, and they’re a very talented team. We always have our work cut out against them. It’s important for us to come out and bring energy right from the kickoff.”
Kyle Grabowski can be reached at kgrabowski@gazettenet.com. Follow him on Twitter @kylegrbwsk.