Box Score

Junior Melissa Effertz (Oceanside, Calif.) scored her second career hat trick to lead UMass Lowell field hockey to a 6-0 win over Saint Anselm on Wednesday night at Cushing Field.

“I thought we dominated possession throughout the game and I thought that was important to the total team effort,” said head coach Shannon Hlebichuk.

The River Hawks (8-1, 3-0 Northeast-10) will stay home this week to host Southern Connecticut St. on Saturday at 1 PM. Saint Anselm (3-7, 1-2 NE-10) will return to Manchester, NH to host Assumption on Saturday at 1 PM as well.

UMass Lowell outshot the Hawks 15-0 in the opening half and out-cornered Saint Anselm 12-0, keeping play almost exclusively at the Hawks' end of the field.

Effertz got the scoring going early, connecting on a perfectly executed corner play in the 12^th minute. Sophomore Bianca Jones (Watertown, Mass.) delivered the ball to junior Rachel McCarthy (Reading, Mass.) at the top of the circle. McCarthy then slid the ball to Effertz a step inside and she rifled a shot through the defense.

“It was an outstanding performance,” said Hlebichuk of Effertz. “Her speed, ball control and finishing skills tonight were spot on.”

McCarthy followed in the 19^th minute with her 13^th goal of the year, placing a penalty stroke in the top right corner.

Senior defender Sarah Wilcox (Old Town, Maine) got into the action in the 26^th minute. Wilcox carried the ball down to the left post and jammed in a shot, squeaking it past the goalkeeper.

UMass Lowell closed out the first half with Effertz's second tally of the night as she knocked in a ball during a frenzy at the net-front in the 33^rd minute.

The River Hawks went on to score twice more in the second half, with goals by Effertz and junior Janelle DeCamillis (Littleton, Mass.). Effertz scored on a rebound of a Jones' shot at 64:05 and DeCamillis punched the ball through during a scramble in front of the keeper at 69:56.

For the match, UMass Lowell carried a 30-3 edge in shots and an 18-2 advantage in corners.

River Hawk goalkeepers Melanie Hopkins (Harwich, Mass.) and Bryanna Bourbeau (Litchfield, N.H.) did not make a save in the combined shutout. Hopkins played just shy of 60 minutes, while Bourbeau was in net for 10:27.

Saint Anselm's Megan Sullivan (Braintree, Mass.) stopped 7-of-11 shots on goals in 32:36 and Shauna Whittemore (Bennington, N.H.) made six saves on eight shots in 37:24.