Box Score

Junior Melissa Effertz (Oceanside, Calif.) scored her second hat trick in as many games to lead UMass Lowell to a 6-4 win over Southern Connecticut State on Saturday afternoon in Lowell, MA.

“Southern Connecticut was a great team, probably one of the toughest opponents we've had to date,” said head coach Shannon Hlebichuk. “They were scrappy on offense, tough on defense and really made us work for those six goals.”

The River Hawks (9-1, 4-0 Northeast-10) extended their winning streak to eight games with the victory and now head to Saint Michael's on Tuesday at 3:30 PM. The Owls (4-6, 1-2 NE-10) return home to face Adelphi on Tuesday at 7 PM.

The opening half provided a flurry of goals as Southern Connecticut St. stunned the River Hawks with a pair of quick tallies, before giving way to an offensive onslaught from UMass Lowell to close out the period.

The Owls got on the board in the 18^th minute with a strike from Randi Schock (Stamford, Conn.). Sarah Cebry (Burlington, Conn.) sent in a corner and Schock uncorked a shot from deep that hit a River Hawk stick and slipped past the goaltender.

Southern Connecticut St. followed with its second goal just 1:10 later as Cebry finished off a net-front scramble for her league-leading 16^th goal of the year.

UMass Lowell responded in a big way over the half's final seven minutes. Rookie Jenna Freitas (Manchester, N.H.) kicked off the activity with her first collegiate goal in the 29^th minute. Effertz found Freitas in a scramble at the net and the freshman back-handed a shot past the goalkeeper.

The River Hawks then scored in the 33^rd minute as junior Rachel McCarthy (Reading, Mass.) found Effertz streaking down the center of the field. Effertz snuck behind the defense and beat the keeper low for her eighth tally of the season.

Freitas then put UMass Lowell ahead with her second goal of the game in the 34^th minute, scoring from Effertz a few steps inside the circle.

The half allowed both teams to regroup and Southern Connecticut St. came out firing with Cebry's second goal of the match at 41:32.

Undaunted, the River Hawks pumped in three consecutive goals to grab a commanding 6-3 advantage. Effertz struck twice, in the 46^th and 60^th minute, to give her a second consecutive hat trick, 10 goals for the season and a single game career-high of eight points.

Sandwiched in between Effertz's final two goals, McCarthy scored her team-leading 14^th tally of the year at 52:40.

The Owls scored once more in the 64^th minute, but failed to gain any more ground afterwards. Bailey McGinnis (North Branford, Conn.) found the net with a close-ranged shot from the left side.

For the match, UMass Lowell outshot the Owls 21-7. Goalkeeper Melanie Hopkins (Harwich, Mass.) improved to 9-1-0 on the year, stopping one of four shots on goal. River Hawk rookie Bryanna Bourbeau (Litchfield, N.H.) played the final 8:31 in net and allowing the last Southern Connecticut St. score.