Oct. 25, 2010

Keanna Santos has been through some growing pains at UMass Lowell, but she's starting to turn the corner on the soccer field for the NCAA Division II River Hawks.

"She had a tough time finding her rhythm last year and she was slowed by some nagging injuries," UMass Lowell coach Elie Monteiro said. "She's a hard worker though, she came back in great shape for this season, and she's among our most improved players."

A sophomore forward from Lakeville, who played at Apponequet before transferring to Dartmouth High School, Santos has six goals and two assists for the River Hawks, who took a 6-8-1 overall record and 6-7-0 Northeast-10 Conference mark into Saturday's league matchup at home against Pace University.

"Kea is playing with a lot more confidence and that's helped her game," Monteiro said. "She knows she can score goals at the college level and she's a powerful player who helps us stretch the field."

Santos, who had scored in five of her last nine games heading into Saturday, netted the game winner for the River Hawks in 1-0 victories over American International and New Haven.

She scored a goal and notched two assists in a 4-2 win at LeMoyne and also had two goals to help fuel a 5-1 victory over Southern New Hampshire.

The River Hawks, who have scored 10 of their 19 goals in the second half this season, were looking to snap a three-game losing streak, all by one-goal scores, against Pace.

"Kea has helped us with her speed and her ability to make good runs and put pressure on opposing defenses," Monteiro said. "She works well with her teammates and we're looking for a lot more good things from her down the road."