NEWPORT, R.I (Sept 1, 2026) - UMass Boston men's soccer opened the 2026 season with a 2-1 road victory over Salve Regina on Monday, September 1, as a second-half strike from John Arruda (Espirito Santo, Brazil.) proved the difference in a tightly contested season opener.
The Beacons moved to 1-0 on the young campaign, overcoming a gut-punch equalizer in the final seconds of the first half to grind out a composed and efficient road result in front of 109 in attendance at Salve Regina.
UMass Boston controlled the attacking phase throughout, putting five of their six shots on frame for an 83.3% shot-on-goal rate. Salve Regina managed just four shots, with only one finding the target.
Eduardo Chirico (Minas Gerais, Brazil.) broke the deadlock in the 41st minute, converting his only shot of the afternoon to give UMass Boston a 1-0 lead heading toward the break. The junior midfielder was clinical in his finish, coverting off a rebounded shot from first-year Gabriel Jordao (Bellingham, Mass.) to cap off a sustained spell of Beacon pressure late in the first half.
The lead lasted less than three minutes. Salve Regina's Ty Ferris connected on a feed from Lincoln Freeman with just six seconds remaining to level the match at 1-1 and send both sides into the break on even terms.
UMass Boston responded with composure in the second half, refusing to let the late equalizer disrupt their rhythm.
In the 75th minute, first year Pedro Moraes (Boston, Mass.) delivered a textbook over-the-top pass from just beyond midfield, finding Arruda in stride to finish the opportunity, restoring UMass Boston's advantage and ultimately sealing the 2-1 result.
The senior forward from Espirito Santo, Brazil, entered 2026 as the program's premier attacking threat after leading the team with 11 goals and 4 assists a season ago. His second-half winner carried all the hallmarks of a proven finisher — calm, and decisive.
In goal, sophomore Mario Hajhdi (Ilioupoli, Greece.) played all 90 minutes and earned the opening-day victory. He was tested only once on the afternoon — the lone Salve Regina shot on target produced the equalizer — but his positioning and distribution kept the Beacons' defensive shape intact throughout. Hajhdi made 26 saves and allowed just 7 goals in 657-plus minutes as a freshman in 2025.
Salve Regina held a 5-3 edge in corner kicks but could not convert that set-piece advantage into additional shots on goal. The Beacons' defensive organization neutralized all five Salve Regina corners, limiting the hosts to a single shot on target for the match.
The contest grew physical through the midfield, with three yellow cards issued across the match — one to UMass Boston and two to Salve Regina — and the hosts committing five fouls to the Beacons' three. First-year midfielder Raphael Alves (Framingham, Mass.) made his collegiate debut in the starting lineup, registering a shot on goal across 45 minutes of action. Sophomore forward Cam Ramos (Minas Gerais, Brazil.) came off the bench and added an immediate offensive spark, putting a shot on frame in 22 minutes of play.
Up Next
UMass Boston travels to Bridgewater, Massachusetts to face Bridgewater State University on Thursday, September 3, 2026, with a 7 p.m. kickoff.
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