BRIDGEWATER, Mass. (Sept. 3, 2026) - Head coach Jake Beverlin earned his 150th career win at UMass Boston on Thursday as the Beacons rallied from a second-half deficit to defeat Bridgewater State 2-1 at Bridgewater State, with Eduardo Chirico's (Minas Gerais, Brazil.) game-winning strike in the 86th minute completing the road comeback.

The win moves UMass Boston to 2-0-0 on the young 2026 season and delivers head coach Jake Beverlin his 150th career win with the program — a milestone earned the hard way, with the Beacons trailing for the better part of the second half before finding a way through.

A scoreless first half belied the Beacons' attacking intent. UMass Boston outshot Bridgewater State 13-3 on the afternoon and held a 6-3 advantage in corner kicks, generating sustained pressure that the Bears' goalkeeper worked to contain. 

Bridgewater State broke the deadlock in the 49th minute when Ethan L'Italien finished off a pass from Landon Raposa to give the Bears a 1-0 lead.

The Beacons refused to fold. Senior forward Ryan Doherty (Donegal. Ireland) led the charge with four shots on the day, relentlessly testing the Bridgewater State defense and creating the spaces that would eventually crack open the game.

Senior Rafael Gross (Minas Gerais, Brazil.) operated as the creative engine in the final third, and his influence would prove decisive.

The equalizer arrived in the 73rd minute. Senior forward John Arruda (Espirito Santo, Brazil) latched onto assists from Gross and fifth-year midfielder Ryan Lima (Minas Gerais, Brazil.) to pull the Beacons level at 1-1.

Arruda's finish shifted the momentum entirely.

Thirteen minutes later, the Beacons delivered the decisive blow. First-year midfielder Raphael Alves (Framingham, Mass.) came off the bench and fed the ball to Chirico, who drove it home in the 86th minute — with Gross collecting his second assist of the match. The late strike gave UMass Boston a 2-1 lead and, ultimately, the win.

Gross finished with two assists, one on each of the Beacons' goals, making him the catalytic force behind the second-half comeback.

Chirico played all 90 minutes and took three shots, putting one on goal.

Alves' impact off the bench — providing the decisive assist after coming on — underscored the depth available to Beverlin's side.

The Beacons' defensive organization was a constant throughout, limiting Bridgewater State — who fell to 1-1-0 — to three total shots all afternoon. The match was a physical affair, with a combined 25 fouls and three yellow cards recorded across both sides.

Up Next: 

UMass Boston travels to Standish, Maine, to face Saint Joseph's College of Maine on Sunday, Sept. 6, at 1:00 p.m.

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