Oct. 14, 2010

Box Score

Freshman goalkeeper Melanie Hopkins (Harwich, Mass.) recorded her ninth shutout of the year, tying the program record for shutouts in a single season, lifting the No. 3 River Hawks (12-0) to a 2-0 non-conference victory over Bentley (5-7) on Thursday evening in Waltham.

Senior forward Sammy Macy (Tewksbury, Mass.) netted the eventual game-winner 13:29 into the game, grabbing the rebound from a flurry of UMass Lowell shot and launching the ball to the back of the cage to put her team up 1-0.

In the second half, freshman Rachel McCarthy (Reading, Mass.) was awarded a penalty stroke just over 10 minutes into the half, which she converted for her fifth goal of the year, sending the ball through the top right of the cage, over goalkeeper Julia Powell’s left hand. The River Hawks held onto the 2-0 lead for their 12th victory of the season.

Hopkins stopped the only shot she faced in the game, tying Patrice Mendoza’s record of nine shutout in the 2003 season. She has allowed just two goal in the River Hawks’ first 12 game, as the squad has outscored opponents 62-2 on the year.

Bentley’s Powell made 12 saves on the 14 shots that reached the cage.

The River Hawks held a slight advantage in penalty corners (6-5), including a 4-0 edge in the first half. They also outshot the Falcons 20-4 and 10-0 in the first half.

Next up, UMass Lowell hosts Southern Connecticut at 1:00 p.m. for a Northeast-10 Conference game on Cushing Field. The teams last met on Sept. 10 in New Haven, when the River Hawks captured a 5-1 victory.