Friday, September 18 at Hofstra (3 p.m.)
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LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell field hockey team continues its four-game road trip with a single contest this week at Hofstra. The River Hawks and Pride will square off on Friday, September 18 beginning at 3 p.m. at the Hofstra Field Hockey Stadium.
 
Looking at UMass Lowell
UMass Lowell is 5-1 so far in 2015 after splitting a pair of games last week. The squad faced its first defeat of the year in a hard-fought, 4-3 battle at Massachusetts on Sept. 11 before bouncing back with an exciting, 2-1 victory at Brown on Sept. 13. So far this year, the River Hawks boast a .595 shot on goal percentage, compared to .495 by their opponents. Through six games, junior Georgia Cowderoy (Ashmore, Queensland, Australia) paces the team with eight points, including three goals. Freshman Torrie Huk (Milford, Del.), who is tied for first with three goals, and sophomore Christa Doiron (Worcester, Mass.) follow close behind with seven points apiece. Leading UMass Lowell in assists is senior captain Sophie Watt (Sawtell, Australia) with four helpers and six total points. Classmates Jessica Walsh (North Easton, Mass.) (5 points) and Jenna Freitas (Manchester, N.H.) (4 points) have added to the offense with two goals each, as well. Sophomore goalkeeper Kelsey Federico (Windham, N.H.) has earned every decision in the cage, totaling 33 saves and a .750 save percentage.
 
Scouting Hofstra
The Pride enters Friday's game with a 4-3 record so far, thanks to a pair of home wins last week. Hofstra defeated Rider, 2-1, on Sept. 11 before earning a 4-2 decision against UC Davis on Sept. 13. Claudia Marin Samper is first on the team with seven goals and four assists for 18 points. Stella Schoen has logged five goals and 11 points of her own this season, while Samantha Schlegel follows with eight points. Goalkeeper Carys Swan has started six of seven games played, registering 34 saves and a .708 save percentage for a 3-3 record.
 
Head Coach Shannon Hlebichuk on Hofstra
"Hofstra is one of the stronger programs in the CAA. They returned a lot of experienced players from last year and are already off to a good start this season. We are going to have to capitalize on our opportunities and really limit our mistakes in order to earn the road win."
 
Series History
Friday's contest between the River Hawks and the Pride marks the sixth meeting between the two squads. The all-time series currently stands at 4-0-1 in favor of Hofstra, including a 3-1 decision last season in Lowell.
 
Around the League
The River Hawks are tied with Maine for first place in the AE East Division standings, although UMass Lowell is the only team in either division to remain undefeated at home in 2015 (3-0). As a team, UMass Lowell ranks third in the league with 12 assists and second with 43 penalty corners so far.
 
Honors and Awards
Jenna Freitas received River Hawk of the Week honors on Sept. 8 for her two-goal performance against Holy Cross. Georgia Cowderoy was tabbed River Hawk of the Week on Sept. 1 after posting two goals in as many games. Kelsey Federico was named the first America East Defensive Player of the Week in 2015 on Aug. 31. She was recognized for helping the team get off to a 2-0 start this season with 15 saves in a pair of contests.
 
Focused on Offense
One of Coach Hlebichuk's keys to success for 2015 was to score more and the team has done just that. The River Hawks are averaging 2.50 goals per game this year, compared to 1.37 in 2014.
 
Close Calls
All six of the River Hawks' games so far in 2015 have been decided by just one goal. Add these to last year's 11 one-goal games, and 68% (17-25) of the team's outings since 2014 have been very closely-contested.
 
Calm under Pressure
Coach Hlebichuk's teams have thrived in 7-vs-7, sudden-victory situations. Most recently, the River Hawks scored less than one minute into overtime at Dartmouth on Sept. 4 to secure a 3-2 win. Including last year, UMass Lowell is now 4-1 in overtime decisions.
 
What a Start
UMass Lowell's 4-0 record to begin 2015 marked the program's best start of the Division I era. The last time the River Hawks were undefeated through four games was in 2010 when they won the Division II National Championship.
 
Other Notables
Marzana Fiedtkou registered the team's first defensive save of the year at Brown on Sept. 13 … The River Hawks' win against Brown was their first in the all-time series … Christa Doiron posted a career-high two assists and Jessica Walsh totaled a personal-best three points, including her first-career assist, at Massachusetts on Sept. 11 … Jenna Freitas' two-goal performance against Holy Cross on Sept. 6 tied a career-high she had originally set during her freshman season in 2012 … Torrie Huk and Jessica Walsh logged their first career goals at Dartmouth on Sept. 4 … The River Hawks started 2-0 for the second straight year … UMass Lowell's victory against Providence on Aug. 30 was their first ever against the Friars … Kelsey Federico logged a season-high 11 saves against PC … Sophie Watt's goal against Quinnipiac on Aug. 28 marked her first career goal.