Sept. 17, 2011

Box Score

No. 3 UMass Lowell field hockey outlasted ninth-ranked Adelphi, 2-1, in a fierce battle in Garden City, NY on Saturday afternoon. The River Hawks picked up goals from Sarah Wilcox (Old Town, Maine) and Ali Ferraro (Kingston, N.Y.), then clamped down defensively for the victory.

Riding a five-game winning streak, UMass Lowell has surged to a 5-1 overall record on the season. The Panthers suffered their second consecutive loss, dropping to 4-3 on the campaign.

"We played a really strong first half and Melanie Hopkins kept us in it throughout," said head coach Shannon Hlebichuk. "There were elements of our play I wasn't pleased with in the second half and we will make some changes in preparation for Stonehill. Overall, a road win is always great, especially in a tough environment like Adelphi."

The River Hawks took the game's first lead in the 22nd minute. With pressure in the offensive zone, UMass Lowell's shot was saved, but Wilcox slapped the loose rebound past Lucia Vigliotti (Westbury, N.Y.) for her second goal of the season.

Despite the advantage on the scoreboard, Adelphi outshot the River Hawks in the first half, 10-6. Goalkeeper Melanie Hopkins (Harwich, Mass.) was up to the task, stopping all four on-target shots.

UMass Lowell was able to expand its lead in the second half, scoring again at 43:28. On a penalty corner taken by Rachel McCarthy (Reading, Mass.), the Panthers were able to turn away the initial shot, but Ferraro grabbed the rebound and scored. The goal was her fourth of the season.

Adelphi kept up the pressure, outshooting the River Hawks 15-2 in the second half and eventually finding the net in the 64th minute. Jeanette Heimerle (Smithtown, N.Y.) set up Cassie Cabral (Sayville, N.Y.) for a one-timer that cut the score to 2-1.

With only five minutes remaining, UMass Lowell stifled the Panthers' offense, surrender just two wide attempts despite the last-ditch pressure from Adelphi.

Hopkins improved to 5-1 on the campaign while making 10 total saves. The Panthers' Vigliotti fell to 4-3 after saving just four-of-six shots.

For the game, the River Hawks were outshot 8-25 and out-cornered 9-17, but converted their limited opportunities when it counted.

UMass Lowell looks to ride this wave of momentum into Tuesday's Northeast-10 opener, when it hosts Stonehill College at 7 p.m. on Cushing Field.