FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – New England Revolution II (3-4-1, 10 pts.) returns to Foxborough for its only home game this month, hosting North Texas SC (3-3-2, 11 pts.) at Gillette Stadium in the first meeting between the teams this season. The USL League One contest is slated to kick off at 7:00 p.m. ET and is available nationally on ESPN+.
Revolution II snapped a two-game losing skid last weekend, salvaging their three-game road trip with a 2-0 win at Forward Madison FC. Academy products Noel Buck (2005 – Arlington, Mass.) and Michael Tsicoulias (2002 – Newton, Mass.) provided the scoring for Revs II, with the latter netting his second goal in as many games – one that was nominated for League One Goal of the Week. Homegrown Player Justin Rennicks recorded an assist for the second straight match and captain Jake Rozhansky also provided a helper for his second of the year.
Goalkeeper Joe Rice made his first appearance since May 16, recording four saves for his fifth clean sheet 13 games since joining the club in 2020. Defender Ryan Spaulding earned USL League One Team of the Week honors, recording six recoveries, four clearances, three interceptions, two tackles, one key pass, and a shot on target in a 90-minute effort.
On Tuesday, Revolution II signed Noel Buck to USL League One contract. The 16-year-old Arlington, Mass. resident became the fifth player – and the youngest to date – to sign directly to the Revolution II roster from the Revolution Academy program, joining Meny Silva, Dennis Ramirez, Colby Quiñones, and Hikaru Fujiwara. So far in the 2021 USL League One season, Buck has appeared in all eight matches for New England, including four starts, and scored a team-leading three goals. On May 16, Buck became the first Academy player to score a professional goal with Revolution II.
Saturday’s match will mark the first of two meetings this season between Revolution II and North Texas SC. Last year, the teams drew both matchups – 3-3 at North Texas and 1-1 at Gillette Stadium. North Texas is coming off a 0-0 draw last weekend against FC Tucson in a match that saw three red cards. Defender Jorge Almanguer was sent off in the 82nd minute and will miss Saturday’s fixture for the visitors. North Texas enters Saturday’s match having not conceded a goal over the last 214 minutes dating back to May 29.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Here are a few top storylines to watch for during Saturday’s contest:
- Revolution II extending its club record by scoring multiple goals in a fourth consecutive game. New England has scored two goals in four of its eight matches this season.
- Midfielder Hikaru Fujiwara, a Revolution Academy product from Lexington, Mass. who signed a USL League One contract in May, adding to his six appearances and one assist this season. Fujiwara needs 62 minutes to reach 500 in his professional career.
- 16-year-old midfielder Noel Buck (Arlington, Mass.) continuing to appear in every match for Revolution II this season and making his first appearance since signing with Revolution II on Tuesday. Buck currently leads the team in scoring with three goals this season.
- Academy forward Michael Tsicoulias (Newton, Mass.) scoring for a third consecutive match, both coming as a substitute.
- Revolution Homegrown Players Justin Rennicks and Damian Rivera appearing together in an eighth straight game to begin the 2021 season. Rennicks has recorded assists in two straight matches.
- Rivera playing 35 minutes to set a new career high in minutes played, surpassing his previous mark of 709 set last year.
- Defender Sean O’Hearn continuing to play every minute for Revolution II this season.
Match #9: Revolution II vs. North Texas SC
Date: Saturday, June 26, 2021
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m. ET
Location: Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, Mass.)
Social: @NERevolution2, #NERevsII, #NEvNTX
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Streaming:ESPN+ (National) / YouTube (International)
Talent: Bruce Silverman (play-by-play)
