Box Score (PDF) | Postgame Interview | Highlights

LOWELL, Mass. – Freshman Sophie Gehrels (Zeist, Utrecht, Netherlands) logged a personal-best two goals to lead the UMass Lowell field hockey team (7-7) to a 2-0 victory against Sacred Heart (5-8) on Sunday afternoon at Wicked Blue Field.
 
Fellow rookie Clara Defourt (Brussels, Belgium) picked up the assist on both of those tallies, marking a new season-high for her, as well.
 
"It was a solid 70 minutes," said Head Coach Shannon Hlebichuk. "I would say in the first half, we really controlled possession. We were able to get some corner opportunities and convert on those which was really good to see because we've been working on those detail pieces. I thought Sacred Heart brought us their best game, played really hard and made us work for every opportunity we had. Overall, it was a good showing."
 
The River Hawks' offense pressured right from the first whistle, earning the first two corners in the contest and pulling in front, 1-0, in just the fifth minute of the game. On the successful corner attempt, Defourt swept a hard ball toward the center of the circle, where Gehrels was set up for the final tip on cage.
 
The freshman duo of Defourt and Gehrels combined yet again in similar fashion on a penalty corner in the 25th minute to extend the home team's lead to 2-0 heading into the break.
 
Play was contained to the middle of the field during the opening minutes of the second half. The River Hawks threatened in the 52nd minute when freshman Sophie Kroeze (Laren, North Holland, Netherlands) and sophomore Tori Hannah (Plainsboro, N.J.) had a 2-on-1 breakaway, but a good defensive save from the Pioneers' Allie Brouhard kept the visitors within two.
 
Sacred Heart would get on the board in the 65th minute, as Nichole Tolli dribbled past the last line of UMass Lowell's defense before finishing a ball into the lower corner. SHU then continued to battle, pulling its goalkeeper for an extra field player in the final minutes, but the River Hawks were able to hold on for the 2-1 victory.
 
Sunday's contest marked the ninth meeting between UMass Lowell and Sacred Heart in the sport of field hockey. The River Hawks now lead the all-time series, 6-3. The squad gets back into conference play next week with a trip to Vermont on Friday, October 13 for a 3 p.m. tilt.