LOWELL, Mass. -- Junior captain Rachel Morrier (Plaistow, N.H.) scored twice in the first 15 mintues of action on Thursday night as the River Hawks played to a 2-2 tie against Vermont at Cushing Field. The tie moved the River Hawks record to 3-5-4 over all and 0-2-1 in conference play.

"The first 15 minutes were probably the best 15 minutes we've put together this year," commented UMass Lowell Women's Soccer Head Coach Francesco D'Agostino. "It's getting better and better. The kids were rested enough and ready to perform. Rachel [Morrier] had a great game putting two goals away, but we need to find the next player who is going to put a few away for us and relieve some of the pressure off her.

Morrier found the back of the net in the seventh minute off a free kick to the right of the goal, about 30 yards out, taken by senior Andrea Morrow (West Boylston, Mass.). The kick found senior Shannon Groffie (Toms River, N.J.) inside the 18, where she headed it forwards where Morrier was streaking in, and she placed it past the Vermont keeper.

Less than ten minutes later, freshman Kristin Birgisdottir (Mofsfellsbaer, Iceland) put a cross into the six yard box where Morrier made a sliding kick and into the back of the net for the, 2-0, River Hawk lead.

Vermont countered with a series of chances and corners, but each time the junior keeper Julia Schneider (Bridgewater, Mass.) was there to make the stop and keep the home team in front. The River Hawks kept hte Catamounts off the board in the first half, marking the eighth time this season the squad has not conceded a goal in the opening 45 minutes of play.

In the 58th minute, the Catamounts sent a cross into the box that bounced around inside the box until it found the feet of Sarah Martin just outside the box, Martin would side step a defender and put a shot past the defenders and a diving goalie and bring the contest to within a goal.

In the 63rd minute, Groffie took a pass from Birgisdottier off her chest and into the right side of the box shooting a ball on the ground and past a diving keeper, but it went just wide.

The Catamounts tied the contest up in the 75th minute when they got a bounce inside the box that Brooke Jenkins placed past the keeper and defenders.

The last good chance for the home team came in 93rd minute when the River Hawks would pass the ball inside the box a couple of times before Morrier put a shot on that went just wide.

Schneider made two saves in the extra periods to keep the matchup tied at two all.

Vermont finished with a 29-18 advantage in shots, while UMass Lowell finished with a 6-5 advantage in corner kicks.

Schneider stopped nine shots in the contest, while Coco Speckmaier registered seven saves.

The River Hawks return to action for a 4:00 p.m. start at reigning America East Champion UAlbany on Sunday, October 8.