Box Score

Junior M Rachel McCarthy (Reading, Mass.) scored two goals and set up two others as No. 5 UMass Lowell defeated Adelphi, 4-0, Wednesday night in a Northeast-10 Conference field hockey clash at Motamed Field.

The win was the second straight for the River Hawks, who improved to 12-2 overall and 7-1 in the NE-10 entering Saturday's home match against Bellarmine University (1:00).

Adelphi slipped to 6-10 overall and 4-3 in the Conference.

Senior Sarah Wilcox (Old Town, Maine) set up both of McCarthy's goals, making for six assists in her last two matches.
“Adelphi is always a tough opponent after a long ride,” said head coach Shannon Hlebichuk. “But we looked fresh and motivated. We wanted to play a two-half game and we did. We sometimes come down here and escape, but tonight we came down and played two very good halves.”

McCarthy opened the scoring in the fourth minute when she took a pass from Wilcox in the front of the cage and swept home.

She then played provider for senior Vanessa Kent (Charlton, Mass.) in the 30^th minute and freshman Jenna Freitas (Manchester, N.H.) in the 34^th to give the River Hawks a 3-0 cushion into the half. McCarthy threaded the pass to Kent, who did well to finish out of traffic into the left side of the cage.

Freitas earned her third goal of the season when she received a through-ball from McCarthy and tapped home into the left side.

McCarthy capped the scoring in the 64^th when she picked up the rebound off Wilcox's deflected shot and fired home from point blank.

UMass Lowell kept Adelphi on edge with a 25-4 shots advantage, particularly in the first half where it outshot the Panthers 17-1. Senior GK Kristine Puzio had 15 saves for Adelphi while junior GK Melanie Hopkins (Harwich, Mass.) was tested once in her seventh shutout of the season.