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LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell field hockey team (1-1) mounted a thrilling comeback with a trio of goals late in regulation to force double overtime, but would eventually fall, 4-3, against Miami University (2-2) in the squad's home opener on Friday.
 
"I thought we showed a lot of spirit and a lot of energy throughout the game," said Head Coach Shannon Hlebichuk. "We had a four minute letdown in the second half, which led to that three-goal deficit that we crawled out of. But for me, as a coach, watching that heart and spirit and energy that it took to make that comeback late in the game could be season-defining in the most positive way."
 
Building off a 1-0 lead at the break, the visiting RedHawks tallied two quick goals off the stick of Geagy Pritchard in the opening minutes of the second half to make the score 3-0, but UMass Lowell continued to battle and erased the difference with three consecutive goals in the final 10 minutes of regulation. Freshman Anouk Lalande (Brussels, Belgium) changed the momentum when she batted a bouncing ball into the back of the cage to put her squad on the board.  
 
With less than three minutes to go, junior Christa Doiron (Worcester, Mass.) collected a loose ball near the post and finished her own rebound, cutting the difference back to one. The River Hawks then forced a corner as the buzzer sounded at the end of regulation. After drawing up the final play, senior Georgia Cowderoy (Ashmore, Queensland, Australia) successfully tipped in a good pass from junior Katie Luchino (Freehold, N.J.) to knot the score at 3-3 and force the first of two 7-on-7 overtime periods.
 
Junior goalkeeper Kelsey Federico (Windham, N.H.), who turned in an outstanding, 16-save performance, knocked away four strong Miami attempts in the first overtime and two more in the second before Mariona Heras dished a behind-the-back pass to Paula Portugal for the game-winning shot in the 91st minute of the contest.
 
Cowderoy paced the River Hawks with four shots in the decision, while Dorion added three of her own. Six of Federico's 16 saves came in the second half, helping to keep her team's comeback chances alive.
 
Friday's contest marked the first meeting ever between UMass Lowell and Miami in the sport of field hockey. The River Hawks will return to action when they square off against Massachusetts at Wicked Blue Field for the Kennedy Cup on Sunday, September 4 beginning at 1 p.m.