BALTIMORE, Md. – A late score off a header by freshman Ioanna Papatheodorou (Nea Erithraia, Greece) put the cap on an offensive bombardment by the UMass Lowell women's soccer team (7-3-1, 4-0 America East), as they defeated UMBC (4-5-2, 1-3 AE) by a score of 1-0 at Retriever Soccer Stadium.
The River Hawks poured on a whopping 26 shots in Sunday afternoon's match, overshadowing the Retrievers' total of ten. Papatheodorou led the attack with eight attempts, but her teammates also contributed, with six of UMass Lowell's starters taking at least two chances. Freshman goalkeeper Lisa Sjogren (Skellefteå, Sweden) finished the afternoon with four saves.
"We got challenged today by a good UMBC team," said Head Coach Mira Novak. "I think looking at the stats and the numbers and the chances we had, I don't think it told the whole story. In the second half, it was two-way traffic, and we were just a little bit lucky. But, I'm happy we finished with the shutout. We're finishing this week 4-0."
The attack buildup in the first half for the River Hawks began on a high note between the 13th and 15th minutes, with the UMass Lowell squad tallying six of their 15 first half shots in that span. Freshman Laerke Niklasson (Roskilde, Denmark) fired the ball low from the right side, following it up with closer taps on the ensuing rebounds before it was ultimately covered up by UMBC keeper Morgan McGruder.
The Retrievers countered midway through the opening frame with a pair of quality rushes in the 28th minute, including a distant free kick from the far-right side that was knocked down and held by Sjögren.
UMass Lowell kept pushing in the Retriever zone as the half continued. Before the first 45 minutes drew to a close, junior Stephanie Kemp (Mansfield, Mass.) struck the ball with her left foot from long range, but it ricocheted off the crossbar to send both teams to the break scoreless.
UMBC regrouped to start the second frame and forced the River Hawks to shift to the defense. In the 51st minute, Caroline Koutsos was guarded tightly by senior Halle Anderson (Stonington, Conn.), forcing her to curl in a long shot that went over the bar.
The River Hawks regained control of possession and continued to bolster their efforts in the final third as time ticked away. In the 73rd minute, senior defender Dunja Mostarac (Belgrade, Serbia) settled a bouncing ball after a rebound and volleyed it from in close, only to meet the side netting.
Following the goal kick, UMass Lowell navigated the attack wide getting the ball at the feet of Niklasson in the right corner. She made a running cross around the defender to the far post, where Papatheodorou awaited to head the ball in. The River Hawk scoring leader directed the ball into the top left corner over the outstretched arms of the keeper to earn her eighth goal of the year in the 79th minute.
UMass Lowell's backline would hold as the remaining time ticked away to leave Baltimore with the 1-0 decision.
The River Hawks return home for Alumni Day against UAlbany next Sunday, October 10, at 2 pm.
