LOWELL, Mass – The UMass Lowell women's soccer team (1-6-1) fell 2-1 to the UConn Huskies (4-3-1) in an overtime battle at Cushing Field. Sophomore Emily Nelson (Peabody, Mass.) scored the second half goal for the River Hawks.
 
"I was pleased with the way we competed today," commented head coach Mira Novak.  "Unfortunately, we were down one-nil in the first half again, but I am proud of the team and how they rallied from their mistakes and came back in the second half to put us in the game."
 
The Huskies got on the board first during the 21st minute of the game after miscommunication in the defensive end which resulted in an own goal for the River Hawks.
 
Looking to get the momentum back for the squad in the 37th minute, freshman Cristina Blaya (Madrid, Spain.) rocked a shot from 20 yards out, but the shot just missed the top of the cross bar, sailing wide.
 
Heading into halftime, the River Hawks tallied four shots while the Huskies totaled seven. Graduate student Annerens Tijm (Tjerkgaast, Netherlands.) and UConn keeper Randi Palacios each recorded one save.
 
With 20 minutes remaining in the second half, sophomore Lily Fabian (Monson, Mass.) set the play in motion when she sent a cross pass to Nelson who was able to rip a header into the back-right corner of the net, equalizing the score 1-1.
 
With neither team being able to get ahead, the River Hawks entered their fourth overtime this season. Unfortunately, two minutes into overtime, the Huskies struck first when Kess Elmore launched the ball from 40 yards, bringing the final score to 2-1.
 
The River Hawks will see their first bit of conference action when they face Hartford in a home match on Sunday, September 29 at 4 p.m. Following their tilt with the Hawks, the squad will travel to Orono, Maine on October 3 for a 6 p.m. face off with the Black Bears.
 
"Going into conference I feel like we're ready," stated Novak. "We played some really tough out of conference opponents that have tested us well.  It took us a while to get comfortable in uncomfortable situations, but I think the style of play and the way we compete right now are way beyond where we were last year."