Friday, September 4 at Dartmouth (3 p.m.)
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Sunday, September 6 vs. Holy Cross (3 p.m.)
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LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell field hockey team is slated to play a pair of games this week, making its first road trip of the year up to Dartmouth on Friday, September 4 before welcoming Holy Cross to Wicked Blue Field on Sunday, Sept. 6. Both games are scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.
 
Looking at UMass Lowell
UMass Lowell is 2-0 so far in 2015 after picking up a pair of wins last week. The team first defeated Quinnipiac, 2-1, on August 28 before taking a 3-2 decision against Providence on Aug. 30. So far this year, the River Hawks and their opponents are tied with 33 shots apiece, although UMass Lowell boasts a .606 shot on goal percentage. Through two games, junior Georgia Cowderoy (Ashmore, Queensland, Australia) has a team-best two goals and four points. Senior captain Sophie Watt (Sawtell, Australia) follows closely with one goal and one assist for three points. Classmate and co-captain Kelly Freitas (Manchester, N.H.), along with sophomore Christa Dorion (Worcester, Mass.) round out the team's goal scorers with one apiece. Sophomore goalkeeper Kelsey Federico (Windham, N.H.) has earned both decisions in the cage thus far, totaling 15 saves and a .833 save percentage.
 
Scouting Dartmouth
The Big Green will host the River Hawks in its 2015 season opener on Friday. The Ivy League program is coming off of a 5-12 finish last season, including a 3-4 record in conference action. Julia Donald is the team's top returning scorer from a season ago when she scored four times and finished with 10 points as a rookie. Brooke Van Valkenburg looks to add to the offensive effort after tallying three goals for nine points in 2014. Paige Duffy is the lone veteran goalkeeper on the roster this year. As the backup for the previous two seasons, Duffy has seen just 29:07 of action. Joining her this year is freshman keeper Hailey Valerio, a three-time team MVP at Garnet Valley in Pennsylvania.
 
Scouting Holy Cross
The Crusaders own a 1-1 record so far on the young season after defeating Siena, 3-1, in their season opener and facing a neutral-site, 2-0 loss against Maine in Lowell. The team will host Harvard on Sept. 4 before visiting the River Hawks this weekend. Emily Loprete currently leads Holy Cross with two goals for four points and six total shots. Michelle McNeil has added one goal of her own, while Maureen Connolly has two assists. Goalkeeper Megan Inch has earned both decisions in the cage with seven saves and a .700 save percentage.
 
Head Coach Shannon Hlebichuk on This Week's Opponents
"We have had very competitive matches in the last two years with both Dartmouth and Holy Cross. We hope that we will build off the positives from our opening weekend and make some small adjustments to the details of our game.  We were fortunate enough to gain some confidence this past weekend, but know that we have to be ready to compete  and sustain a high level of intensity to earn wins this weekend."
 
Series History
Dartmouth owns a 7-1 advantage in the all-time series against the River Hawks, dating back to 1987, although UMass Lowell earned a hard-fought, 1-0 decision in the most recent meeting between the two squads last season. Holy Cross and UMass Lowell have met 18 times since 1975. The Crusaders hold a 14-4 lead in the series, including a 3-2 win in 2014.
 
Honors and Awards
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. Georgia Cowderoy earned River Hawk of the Week honors on Sept. 1 after posting two goals in as many games.
 
Notables
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.