Box Score

LOWELL, Mass. – Propelled by third-quarter goals from junior Clara Defourt (Brussels, Belgium) and freshman Sofie Knook (Amsterdam, Netherlands), the UMass Lowell field hockey team (7-7) defeated Holy Cross (6-8), 2-1, on Senior Day at Wicked Blue Field.
 
"It was a gritty performance," said Head Coach Shannon Hlebichuk. "I think we had some dead legs from our competition against UNH on Friday night, but I really liked how we worked through it. It maybe wasn't our best performance or our prettiest, but a win is a win."
 
Both Defourt and Knook totaled three points in the contest, as Defourt matched a personal-best with her first points of the season and Knook added her first career assist.
 
The River Hawks controlled the ball for the majority of the first half, outshooting Holy Cross, 9-2, although neither side was able to get on the board in the first 30 minutes of action.
 
The offense came alive on both ends in the third quarter, as the teams combined for three goals in the first five and a half minutes after halftime. UMass Lowell broke open the scoring in the 31st minute when Knook sent a ball into the circle off a restart for a high tip on cage by Defourt.
 
Less than four minutes later, Knook converted on a corner opportunity thanks to a pass from Defourt to extend the home team's margin to 2-0.
 
Holy Cross cut the difference in half in the 36th minute when Olivia Venezia finished a pass from Madeline Alderfer. However, the River Hawks maintained the momentum in the fourth quarter, holding the Crusaders without a shot in the final frame to secure the 2-1 outcome.
 
Prior to the start of the game, UMass Lowell recognized Eva Berkhout (Amersfoort, Utrecht, Netherlands), Leah Cardarelli (Acton, Mass.), Morgan Irons (Bordentown, N.J.), Anouk Lalande (Brussels, Belgium) and Brooke Roberts (Medway, Mass.) in a special Senior Day ceremony.
 
The River Hawks will get back to America East play on Friday, October 25, welcoming the league's newest member Monmouth to Lowell for a 7 p.m. tilt.