Sept. 3, 2010
Box Score
The No. 3 UMass Lowell River Hawks began their season on the right foot, capturing a 6-0 victory over the Mansfield Mountaineers in non-conference action on Friday afternoon at home on Cushing Field. Six different River Hawks tallied goals, spreading the ample offense across the board.
Senior tri-captain and midfielder, Liz Day (North Andover, Mass.) notched a goal and an assist, leading the pack with three points on the afternoon, while freshman goalkeeper Melanie Hopkins (Harwich, Mass.) earned a six-save shutout in her first collegiate appearance.
The River Hawks took a commanding 4-0 lead in the first half of play, beginning with a goal by senior forward Lizzy Ales (Arlington, Mass.) in the fifth minute of play to open up scoring. Ales grabbed the rebound off a shot by junior midfielder Abby Auld (Waltham, Mass.) and tipped the ball in the near side of the cage to put the River Hawks up 1-0.
In the 19th minute of play, Katie Enaire (Amesbury, Mass.) followed up with a goal, assisted by freshman Rachel McCarthy (Reading, Mass.). McCarthy cleared the ball up the far side of the field to Enaire's ready stick, as the senior carried the ball up the remaining quarter of the field and into the circle. She dragged the ball to the far side and shot from the middle of the circle, giving UMass Lowell the 2-0 advantage.
Just a minute later, in the 20th minute of play, the River Hawks' Day piled on another tally to put her squad up 3-0. She blasted a shot from the right side of the circle, as the ball deflected off the diving goalkeeper, Mansfield's Jamie Twist.
To close out the first half, sophomore Emily Painten (Walpole, Mass.) notched a goal after Sammy Macy (Tewksbury, Mass.) grabbed her own rebound, pulling the ball off the goalkeeper's pads and passing across the cage to Painten's ready stick for a backdoor goal, giving the River Hawks a 4-0 lead entering the break.
To open the second, freshman Melissa Effertz (Oceanside, Calif.) notched her first collegiate goal, tipping in a shot from the center of the circle by Day.
Shortly after, sophomore Chelsea Gillies (Chelmsford, Mass.) took a clear shot from the middle of the circle, as well, tallying a goal to put the River Hawks up 6-0.
With just over 15 minutes remaining in the game, Mansfield took three consecutive shots in close proximity to the cage, but freshman goalkeeper Hopkins stepped up and stopped them all.
Hopkins finished the afternoon with six saves on as many shots, while Mansfield's Twist made 15 saves on 21 shots, earning the loss. Eleven of Twist's 15 shots came in the first half, while Hopkins made a pair of saves in the first and four in the second.
The River Hawks held the 6-2 advantage in penalty corners, as well as the 29-6 advantage in shots on the afternoon.
Next up, the River Hawks will hit the road for a five-game stretch, beginning with a pair of games in Indiana, Pa. during the upcoming long weekend. They will first take on No. 8 Indiana (PA) on Sunday at 4:00 p.m. and then Millersville at noon on Monday. Their next home game will be on Sept. 22 at 7:00 p.m. against Northeast-10 Conference rival Stonehill.
