Oct. 8, 2011

Box Score

Freshman Brittany Russo (Danvers, Mass.) and junior F Keanna Santos (Lakeville, Mass.) scored goals two minutes apart early in the second half to lead UMass Lowell over the University of New Haven, 2-0, Saturday afternoon in a Northeast-10 Conference women’s soccer clash at Kayo Field.

The victory was the fifth straight for UMass Lowell, which improved to 7-2-2 overall and 6-2-1 in the NE-10 entering Wednesday’s pivotal home match against Merrimack (7:00).

New Haven slipped to 6-5-0 overall and 4-5-0 in the Conference.

Freshman GK Jane Hatzikonstantis (Tewksbury, Mass.) turned away five shots to post her sixth consecutive shutout of the season and, with plenty of help from UMass Lowell’s defense, maintain her streak of 560 minutes without conceding a goal.

The shutout was UMass Lowell’s fifth straight and seventh in 11 matches this season.

“I thought we managed the game really well, especially in the second half,” said head coach Elie Monteiro. “It was a really mature performance. We managed this game better than any game this season.”

UMass Lowell outshot New Haven 16-9 overall and 7-5 on frame.

Russo scored her sixth goal of the season when she pounced on a miscommunication between the New Haven defense and senior GK Kim Taylor. Junior M Jenna Costa (Attleboro, Mass.) sent a diagonal pass from the right flank between the Charger defense and Taylor, neither of which motioned toward it.

Russo ran on to the pass and tucked past an oncoming Taylor inside the left post for a 1-0 lead.

The River Hawks maintained the pressure right off the kickoff when senior Maddy Bissaillon (Merrimac, Mass.) intercepted in the midfield and sent a volley over the defense into the path of Santos, who beat Taylor one on one inside the right post.

Russo nearly gave the River Hawks a 3-0 lead in the 64th when her attempt ricocheted off the post to the path of junior F Colleen Soper (Auburn, Mass.), who was unable to convert.

Taylor had five saves for the Chargers.