Box Score (PDF) | Postgame Interview | Highlights

LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell field hockey team (6-7, 1-2 AE) battled through its sixth overtime game of the season on Friday night, falling just short against America East rival New Hampshire (5-6, 2-1 AE), 2-1.  
 
"We knew it was going to be a battle from the beginning because UNH is a very good program," said Head Coach Shannon Hlebichuk. "They are very structured and well-coached, so we had to bring our A-game. In the first half, we did a great job and capitalized on our opportunities. I thought we had some good looks and their goalkeeper made some good saves. We were in the mix all night and doing some really good things, especially in the first half."
 
Sophomore Torrie Huk (Milford, Del.) scored the lone goal for the River Hawks, as senior Christa Doiron (Worcester, Mass.) picked up the assist. Sophomore goalkeeper Eva Berkhout (Amersfoort, Utrecht, Netherlands) totaled 13 saves in the outing.
 
The teams traded shots through the majority of the first half, with the River Hawks taking a slight, 5-3 advantage through 20 minutes of play. The home squad was able to gain control of the momentum, though, firing off five shots in the next four minutes, including a one-timer from Huk that she curled inside the left post to put UMass Lowell ahead, 1-0.
 
The Wildcats threatened to knot the score in the period on a last second attempt, but Berkhout came charging out of the cage and made a sliding stop to maintain UMass Lowell's one-goal buffer heading into the break.
 
Coming out of halftime, Berkhout and the entire River Hawk backline held strong to fend off the Wildcat attack for almost 25 minutes, however the visitors knotted the score at 1-1 on a direct corner from Nicky Bajus in the 60th minute.
 
UMass Lowell had a chance to end the game in the opening minutes of overtime on a breakaway from Doiron, but the UNH keeper kept play alive. The deciding tally would come in the 83rd minute, when Gianna Bensaia dribbled past two defenders and sent an off-balance, reverse-stick shot hard into the back of the cage to seal the 2-1 outcome.
 
Friday's contest marked the seventh meeting between UMass Lowell and New Hampshire in the sport of field hockey. The Wildcats now own a 6-1 advantage in the all-time series. The River Hawks will play their final non-conference game of the season at home this Sunday, October 8 beginning at 1 p.m.