Box Score (PDF)

LOWELL, Mass. – Three early goals gave the visitors the advantage they would need, as the UMass Lowell field hockey team (4-3) was handed a 3-2 loss against Fairfield (2-4) on Friday afternoon at Wicked Blue Field.
 
Both teams traded 19 shots apiece with the River Hawks taking slight, 7-5 edge in penalty corners. Senior Christa Doiron (Worcester, Mass.) registered her first goal of the season, while sophomore Anouk Lalande (Brussels, Belgium) added her team-best seventh. Sophomore goalkeeper Eva Berkhout (Amersfoort, Utrecht, Netherlands) and senior Kelsey Federico (Windham, N.H.) split time in the cage, totaling four and six saves, respectively.
 
"Fairfield was strong in the first half, but we played a bad first 20 minutes," said Head Coach Shannon Hlebichuk. "At halftime, we talked about pride and the fact that the game was still within our reach. It wasn't anything structurally that we needed to change on the field, it was mostly our energy and communication, all non-athletic things that cost us three goals."
 
The Stags controlled the pace of play in the opening minutes, tallying the first goal in the eighth minute when a 2-on-1 breakaway allowed Kaley McMullen to sneak past Berkhout. Fairfield then extended their margin with a pair of goals just three minutes apart to lead 3-0 in the 19th minute.
 
The River Hawks put the pressure on with two corners, converting on the second to cut into the difference. On that play, a scrum in front of the cage ensued before sophomore Emily Flood (Port Moody, British Columbia) collected a loose ball and lifted it towards the goal for a final tip from Lalande, making the score 3-1 at the break.
 
In the second half, Fairfield threatened once again in the 52nd minute on a corner opportunity, but Federico held strong with three consecutive kick saves. However, it was UMass Lowell that would strike last, as Doiron dribbled into the circle all alone, beating the last defender and sending a shot through the opposing keeper's pads.
 
Friday's contest marked the 12th meeting between UMass Lowell and Fairfield, as the Stags now hold a 9-3 edge all-time. The River Hawks will hit the road next to travel to in-state foe Massachusetts for the annual Kennedy Cup game on Sunday, September 17 at 3 p.m.