Box Score (PDF)

LOWELL, Mass. – Senior Torrie Huk (Milford, Del.) logged two goals for four points to lead the UMass Lowell field hockey team (1-0) to a 3-0 victory against Bryant (0-1) in the 2018 season opener on Friday at Wicked Blue Field.
 
The contest not only kicked off the season, but also the inaugural River Hawk Classic. With the decision. The River Hawks advance to the tournament's championship game on Sunday, August 26 at 2 p.m. against Hofstra.
 
"I thought we played a great possession game today," said Head Coach Shannon Hlebichuk. "We really talked about taking care of the ball and we did a really good job of that in both halves. We created a lot of opportunities and our possession of the ball looked fantastic, so I'm really happy with this start."
 
Freshman Grace Davis (Waterloo, Ontario) tallied her first collegiate points with one goal and one assist in the win. Junior goalkeeper Eva Berkhout (Amersfoort, Utrecht, Netherlands) totaled three saves in the outing en route to her first career save.
 
The River Hawks scored their first goal of the 2018 season just 26 seconds into play, when Davis sent a long pass up the field for Huk, who controlled it with one hand and diverted it past the Bryant keeper before eventually tapping it in.
 
UMass Lowell then extended its margin to 2-0 on a corner opportunity in the 10th minute, as sophomore Clara Defourt (Brussels, Belgium) swept a ball from the top of the circle that was redirected on goal by Davis.  
 
Coming out of halftime, the home squad made the score 3-0 on another corner, this time with Huk firing hard into the back of the cage with assists from freshman Jenna Berger (Waterloo, Ontario) and junior Morgan Irons (Bordentown, N.J.).
 
Berkhout faced her toughest test of the day in the 49th minute on a high chip shot by Clare Luttrell, but the veteran keeper batted it out of the air to keep the shutout intact.
 
Friday's contest marked the 18th meeting between UMass Lowell and Bryant in the sport of field hockey. The River Hawks now own an 11-7 edge in the all-time series.