Friday, October 2 vs. Maine (6 p.m.)
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Sunday, October 4 at Vermont (1 p.m.)
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LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell field hockey team is slated to square off against a pair of America East Conference opponents this week. The squad will host Maine on Friday, October 2 under the lights at Wicked Blue Field beginning at 6 p.m. and then visit Vermont on Sunday, Oct. 4 for a 1 p.m. tilt to kick off a three-game road trip.
  
Looking at UMass Lowell
UMass Lowell, who is 5-4 so far in 2015, is looking to snap a three-game skid. Last week, the team dropped a 2-1 decision at New Hampshire on Sept. 26 to open conference play before facing a 5-3 setback at home against Harvard on Sept. 27. So far this year, the River Hawks boast a .589 shot on goal percentage, compared to .510 by their opponents. Through nine games, freshman Torrie Huk (Milford, Del.) leads the team with five goals and 11 total points. Junior Georgia Cowderoy (Ashmore, Queensland, Australia) (4 goals, 2 assists) and sophomore Christa Doiron (Worcester, Mass.) (3 goals, 3 assists) follow close behind with 10 and nine points, respectively. Senior captain Sophie Watt (Sawtell, Australia) is setting up most of UMass Lowell's scoring chances in 2015, as she has tallied a team-best five assists and seven total points. Senior Jenna Freitas (Manchester, N.H.) has added to the offense with three goals and seven points, as well. Sophomore goalkeeper Kelsey Federico (Windham, N.H.) has earned every decision in the cage, totaling 51 saves and a .708 save percentage.
 
Scouting Maine
The Black Bears roll into conference play this week with a 9-2 record, after winning their two most recent outings by outscoring their opponents, 10-2. Maine blanked Bryant, 8-0, on Sept. 26 before edging out Northeastern on Sept. 27, 2-1. Sydney Veljacic has tallied eight goals and two assists for 18 points so far, while Danielle Aviani and Marissa Shaw have added six goals apiece. Jessica Skillings leads the team with nine assists and has found the back of the cage two times this season. Time has been split between goalkeepers Emily Corbett and Emma Cochran (4-1), combining for two blank sheets. Corbett is boasting a 0.88 goals against average with 25 saves, while Cochran owns a 1.27 goals against average with 16 saves.
 
Head Coach Shannon Hlebichuk on Maine
"We are looking forward to our only home game under the lights this year against Maine on Friday. It's always an exciting atmosphere in front of our fans for those games. As usual, Maine will be a difficult opponent. They have had a very successful non-conference season that has prepared them well for league play."
 
Scouting Vermont
The Catamounts (2-8) are trying to break a two-game skid, as they head into conference play following a 2-1 loss against Bryant on Sept. 25 and a 4-3 setback against Quinnipiac on Sept. 27. Vermont will travel to New York to square off against Albany on Oct. 2 before hosting the River Hawks. Leading the offense is Molly Higgins with six goals for 14 points on 14 shots. Lauren Tucker is second on the team four points off a team-best four assists. In the cage, Lena Benwood owns a 2-7 record with 66 saves, a 3.27 goals against average and two shutouts.
 
Head Coach Shannon Hlebichuk on Vermont
"Our matchup on Sunday at Vermont is arguably one of our most important games this season. We need to find the competitive and aggressive style of play that we started the year with in order to be successful. We will have to play hard right from the first whistle to avoid playing from behind and to be able to control the momentum of the game."
 
Series History
UMass Lowell and Maine have met seven times in the sport of field hockey. The Black Bears own a 5-1-1 record in the all-time series, including a 2-1 victory when the teams squared off last season. The series between UMass Lowell and Vermont began in 1986, as Sunday's contest will mark the 13th meeting all-time. The Catamounts lead the series, 9-2-1, after earning a 2-1 decision in 2014.
 
Around the League
The River Hawks are currently fifth in the AE East Division standings. As a team, UMass Lowell ranks third in the league in scoring average (3.00), as well as fourth in goals scored per game (2.33) and penalty corners (6.22)
 
Honors and Awards
Jenna Freitas received River Hawk of the Week honors on Sept. 8 for her two-goal performance against Holy Cross. Georgia Cowderoy was tabbed River Hawk of the Week on Sept. 1 after posting two goals in as many games. Kelsey Federico was named the first America East Defensive Player of the Week in 2015 on Aug. 31. She was recognized for helping the team get off to a 2-0 start this season with 15 saves in a pair of contests.
 
Focused on Offense
One of Coach Hlebichuk's keys to success for 2015 was to score more and the team has done just that. The River Hawks are averaging 2.33 goals per game this year, compared to 1.37 in 2014.
 
Close Calls
Eight of the River Hawks' nine games so far in 2015 have been decided by just one goal. Add these to last year's 11 one-goal games, and 70.4% (19-27) of the team's outings since 2014 have been very closely-contested.
 
Calm under Pressure
Coach Hlebichuk's teams have thrived in 7-vs-7, sudden-victory situations. Most recently, the River Hawks scored less than one minute into overtime at Dartmouth on Sept. 4 to secure a 3-2 win. Including last year, UMass Lowell is now 4-1 in overtime decisions.
 
What a Start
UMass Lowell's 4-0 record to begin 2015 marked the program's best start of the Division I era. The last time the River Hawks were undefeated through four games was in 2010 when they won the Division II National Championship.
 
Other Notables
Kristin Aveni tallied one goal and one assist for a career-high three points against Harvard on Sept. 27 … Torrie Huk's two goals at Hofstra on Sept. 18 marked a personal best … Marzana Fiedtkou registered the team's first defensive save of the year at Brown on Sept. 13 … The River Hawks' win against Brown was their first in the all-time series … Christa Doiron posted a career-high two assists and Jessica Walsh totaled a personal-best three points, including her first-career assist, at Massachusetts on Sept. 11 … Jenna Freitas' two-goal performance against Holy Cross on Sept. 6 tied a career-high she had originally set during her freshman season in 2012 … Torrie Huk and Jessica Walsh logged their first career goals at Dartmouth on Sept. 4 … The River Hawks started 2-0 for the second straight year … UMass Lowell's victory against Providence on Aug. 30 was their first ever against the Friars … Kelsey Federico logged a season-high 11 saves against PC … Sophie Watt's goal against Quinnipiac on Aug. 28 marked her first career goal.