Box Score

LOWELL, Mass. (Oct. 9, 2013) – Missed opportunities, including hitting a post, led the Lowell River Hawks (1-11, 0-1 America East) to a loss at home as the visiting Harvard Crimson (3-5, 1-2 Ivy) walked away with the 4-0 win. Harvard freshman F Marissa Belleza scored a pair of goals to lead the Crimson to the victory at Cushing Field.

M Caitlin Rea got the Crimson on the board first, beating River Hawks' senior GK Melanie Hopkins (Harwich, MA) with a hard shot from the corner in the 14^th minute of play. Balleza upped the score to 2-0 with her first of two on the night, scoring in the 32^nd minute with a 15-yard shot into the right corner.

Balleza would increase the Crimson's lead to 3-0 13 minutes late, flipping a shot over Hopkins' shoulder for her third tally of her rookie campaign. Harvard closed the door with their fourth goal of the night in the 50^th minute as D Sophie van Weede scored on a dribbler into the left corner, her first collegiate goal.

Harvard outshot UMass Lowell 10-5 and earned a slight edge in corners, 6-4. Melanie Hopkins finished the game with 3 saves while her Harvard counterparts, Jenn Hatfield (1 save, 53:17) and Madison Jung (2 saves, 16:43), equaled her total to earn the shutout.

The River Hawks will head on the road for a pair of games next weekend, taking on Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH on Friday, October 11 before completing the trip in New Haven, Conn. Sunday, October 13 to face the University of Pennsylvania. The team will return home on Friday, October 18 for an America East contest vs. the University of Vermont.