Box Score Box Score (PDF) | Bancroft Interview

KINGSTON, R.I. – The UMass Lowell women's soccer team (0-0-1) fought to a 1-1 double overtime draw at Rhode Island (0-0-1) on Friday night, in the squad's 2016 season opener.
 
 "I thought we showed a lot of heart today," said Head Coach Joel Bancroft. "They are a great program. We were in a good place with about 10 or 11 minutes left in the game and the girls would love another crack at them. It is always good to get a point on the road, especially against an A-10 conference team."
 
The River Hawks lead the Rams, 1-0, for 87 minutes, before conceding a penalty kick with less than three minutes in regulation.
 
Sophomore goalkeeper Julia Schneider (Bridgewater, Mass.) tallied a career-high 11 saves in the outing, while her counterpart racked up five. Freshman midfielder Courtney Coleman (Antioch, Ill.) paced the team with two shots on goal.
 
UMass Lowell struck fast and quick, jumping to a 1-0 advantage in the first six minutes of the match. Senior forward Taylor Chianese (Chepachet, R.I.) finished a touch from teammate Rachel Morrier (Plaistow, N.H.) into the upper left hand corner of the net from 15 yards out.
 
Half way through the first half, Rhode Island began to find their offensive groove, eventually outshooting UMass Lowell, 5-1. Schneider displayed a strong outing in the net, saving all five shots to keep the score 1-0, after 45 minutes of play.
 
The second half saw an equal balance of play between the two teams, as each squad created multiple opportunities to score, but failed to find the back of the net.
 
With three minutes to play, the Rams ceased their scoring opportunity, when Nicole Brennan netted the equalizer on a penalty kick.
 
Neither team could find the back of the net before regulation ran out, leading to a sudden death overtime between the two sides.
 
After two clean sheets in the over time periods the match concluded in a draw. The River hawks were merely outshot, 3-2, in the extended periods, as each goalkeeper made two saves apiece.
 
Friday's match was the second ever meeting between the River Hawks and the Rams, as Rhode Island holds a slight 1-0-1 lead in the all-time series. UMass Lowell is back in action on Tuesday, Aug. 23, at Quinnipiac for a 4 p.m. tilt, as part of a three-game road swing.