Match Information: Northeastern (0-0-0) at New Hampshire (1-0-0)
When	Monday, Aug. 28  |  7 p.m.
Where	Durham, N.H.  |  Wildcat Stadium
Broadcast & Statistics	Stats  |  Video
Quick Facts	Northeastern (PDF)
Social Media	Facebook: GoNUmsoccer Twitter: @GoNUmsoccer Instagram: GoNUmsoccer Use GoNU and RedBlackOnePack

BOSTON – Arriving at the start of the 2017 regular season, the Northeastern men's soccer team will step away from the confines of its preseason home, Parsons Field, on Monday, Aug. 28, to begin the year with a 7 p.m. non-conference match against its regional foe, New Hampshire, under the lights at Wildcat Stadium. The Huskies will be opposing the Wildcats for the fourth consecutive season and 28th time overall, with NU looking to claim its first victory against UNH since 2014.
 
LIVE STREAM
 
Monday's match will air live on UNH Wildcat Productions, with coverage beginning at 6:45 p.m.

RETURNING FOR THE HUSKIES
 
Despite the addition of 12 newcomers to the Huskies' roster, Northeastern retains all but one of its top nine minute-goers from its 2016 squad, including five of its six 1,000-minute contributors: Ackim Mpofu (1,246 minutes), Jonathan Thuresson (1,240), Lewis Aird (1,146), Gaku Lange (1,120), and Martin Nygaard (1,000). Junior forward Khori Bennett is back as well for his third season atop the Huskies' formation, looking to improve on his team-leading, six-point campaign (two goals, two assists) from last year. 

CAPTAIN'S BANDS
 
Three Northeastern veterans will don captain's bands for the Huskies this year: senior midfielder Ackim Mpofu, redshirt-junior forward Harry Swartz, and senior goalkeeper Jonathan Thuresson. The 2017 season will mark Thuresson's third as captain, while Mpofu and Swartz will both share in their second year on the Huskies' leadership unit.
 
MPOFU COLLECTS HONORABLE MENTION
 
Heading into the 2017 season as a two-time All-CAA Third Team selection (2015, 2016), Northeastern right back Ackim Mpofu was recognized as one of the conference's preseason standouts on Aug. 17, receiving Preseason All-CAA Honorable Mention distinction. Mpofu will start his senior campaign as the Huskies' active points leader (17), five of which he earned during the 2016 season (two goals, one assist). An experienced midfielder in all categories, Mpofu has logged three consecutive 1,000-minute campaigns across his 49 career NU appearances.
 
AT THE HELM
 
Northeastern will be tactically backed by second-year head coach Chris Gbandi, who led the Huskies to a four-victory improvement during his first season in charge. Gbandi guided NU to five shutout wins during his inaugural season at the helm, including three against CAA competition. His six head coaching victories during 2016 rank as the second most by a first-year Northeastern head coach in program history (12 – Ed Matz, 1996).
 
ALL-TIME AGAINST NEW HAMPSHIRE
 
Northeastern trails New Hampshire, 7-19-1, in its all-time series against the Wildcats. Since departing the America East at the conclusion of the 2005 season, the Huskies have recorded one victory in four tries against UNH, riding then-freshman Jonathan Thuresson's five-save clean sheet to the 1-0 win on Aug. 29, 2014, at Parsons Field. Northeastern has collected two road wins at New Hampshire in 12 all-time attempts: Sept. 30, 1990 (W, 1-0) and Oct. 8, 2000 (W, 1-0).
 
LAST TIME AGAINST THE WILDCATS
 
The Huskies withstood New Hampshire's first-half blitz as best they could during the two teams' Sept. 21, 2016, meeting at Wildcat Stadium, conceding only once (18th minute) while the Wildcats racked up a 12-2 shot advantage before halftime. Although a pair of UNH goals early into the second half would put Northeastern behind, 3-0, before the hour mark, Khori Bennett helped lead a late offensive surge, directing three shots on goal despite the Huskies collectively remaining scoreless for the duration of the match.
 
UP NEXT
 
Northeastern will prep for its two-match trip to the west coast, where the Huskies will cross paths with California (Friday, Sept. 1) and No. 1 Stanford (Sunday, Sept. 3).