OMAHA, Neb. – A late goal by Brad Moccio salvaged a 1-1 draw for the UMass Minutemen against Omaha Saturday afternoon, preventing a road loss in Summit league action.
The tie extends UMass’s record to 5-3-5 overall and 1-1-1 in conference play, while Omaha moves to 2-6-3 and 1-1-1 in the Summit League. The result is crucial as both teams navigate a competitive conference schedule,with implications for playoff seeding.UMass returns home next week to face Oral Roberts, seeking to build momentum as the regular season nears its conclusion.
Omaha struck early, taking a 1-0 lead just two minutes into the contest with a goal from Italo Jenkins. UMass pressed for an equalizer, with a Jalen Belong shot narrowly missing and Alex Geczy making a key diving save to keep the deficit at one.Despite earning multiple corner kicks and a late first-half free kick, the Minutemen couldn’t break through before halftime.
The second half saw continued pressure from UMass, including saves from Omaha goalkeeper Kamy Ndione on attempts from Yoshiki Igarashi and Joey Bianco. Shane Velez had two shots blocked in the 79th minute before Moccio finally found the back of the net in the 82nd minute, capitalizing on a corner kick delivered by Matt Cence.
Despite late opportunities for both sides, the score remained tied at 1-1, resulting in a draw.
UMass will be back in action at Rudd Field on Saturday, October 18th, against oral Roberts. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.,with the game streaming live on the Summit league Network.
