Tuesday, October 28 at Yale University (7 P.M.) at Reese Stadium, New Haven, Connecticut
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The America East season is done but for the UMass Lowell women's soccer team there are still games to win and worlds to conquer; next stop New Haven and a Tuesday night match with Yale University.
 
"Yale's roster is filled with problem solvers, they're sharp kids and they play through all three lines, it should be a good match," said UMass Lowell Head Coach Joel Bancroft.  "They've got s rich history and we're trying to build toward the goal of being regionally competitive and eventually a regional power."
 
UMass Lowell is 5-11-1 overall and 2-5-1 in their already completed America East Conference schedule.  The River Hawks will finish the year in eighth place in the nine team conference.   That is a step up, one spot, from a year ago.
 
 Yale is 6-4-3 overall and 1-1-3 in Ivy League action.  They are 3-3-1 at home and have three ties and a win in their last five games. 
 
Bancroft, like most coaches, is looking for improvement every time his team takes the field.  He has seen growth and development.  What he, also, wants to see is consistency.  
 
"Over a span of three or four games, now, we've played very well at times, but we have lacked consistency," said Bancroft.  "We need to be switched on for 90-minutes."
 
The River Hawks have dropped three in a row.  They have played very well at times and often for long stretches, but there have been momentary lapses which have proven costly.
 
"We have had individual breakdowns, when we need 90-minutes of full intensity soccer," said Bancroft. 
 
Some of it has been the inexperience of a team in its second year of the transition to Division I and a roster featuring a large freshman class.  Injuries have also put the freshman in positions of greater responsibility.
 
"We're starting five, six, seven freshman at times and they are hitting a wall," said Bancroft.  "These can be unreasonable times.  They've played a lot of minutes and bodies are wearing down.  We've got to better manage the players and their time."
 
The roller coaster ride is not unexpected with a young team, but the coaching staff likes what it has seen as the team has developed during the season.
 
"There are so many variables that you can't control," said Bancroft.  "There will always be ups and downs, but the median level should be raised and it has been.  By and large they have a better understanding of the system, now it's a matter of execution."
 
 
Last Time Out
UMass Lowell lost to New Hampshire, 2-0 
The River Hawks were unable to bounce back from a tough start.  After launching only two first half shots, UMass Lowell fired 11 shots in the second and outshot UNH 13-12 in the game.  Unfortunately they could not find the back of the net.
 
Yale tied Penn, 1-1
Yale got a second half goal from Melissa Gavin to earn a 1-1 tie with the University of Pennsylvania.  Yale outshot Penn 13-11 (6-4 on goal.)
 
The Opponent
Yale University (6-4-3 / 1-1-3)
Scoring has been at a premium in Ivy League play.  Yale has split a pair of 1-0 games, has two nil-nil ties and a 1-1 on their conference record.  The Bulldogs have outscored opponents 15-8 going 5-3-0 in eight non-conference games.
 
Fannie Coxe and Melissa Gavin lead the team with ten points.  Coxe, Gavin, Sarah McCauley and Geneva Decker each have three goals.
 
Senior goalkeeper Elise Wilcox has a 0.52 Goals Against Average and a .912 Save Percentage.  She has three shutouts.
 
The Series
UMass Lowell and Yale have met just once in the past.  That was a year ago and Yale won the meeting, 3-1 on two second half goals.
 
Just for Kicks…
Freshman Shannon Groffie (Toms River, N.J.) leads the team in scoring with a goal and six assists for eight points.  Sophomore Taylor Chianese has found the back of the net most often with three goals.  She had the game winning goals against Delaware State and St. Bonaventure.  Senior captain Sarah Raye (Salem, Mass.) and senior Emily Bracken (Bridgewater, Mass.) each have added two goals. 
 
Guarding the Nest…
Senior goalkeepers Jill Carlson, who picked up wins against Siena, St. Bonaventure and Vermont, carries a 1.73 goals against average and a .750 save percentage into the match.  Senior keeper Jane Hatzikonstantis (Tewksbury, Mass.) has seen limited action, but with success.  She has a 2.32 goals against average and a .643 save percentage, got credit for the victory against Delaware State after Carlson sustained an injury during the first half.