AMHERST, Mass. -- The UMass Lowell women's lacrosse team (1-3) faced a strong Massachusetts (2-2) squad on Wednesday afternoon, falling 16-7 on the road at Garber Field.
 
"We anticipated a fast and physical first ten minutes of the game," commented head coach Lisa Miller. "We were able to come up with a few stops only to give the ball back quickly. Eventually, we settled down and were able to make saves and clear the ball successfully. If we clean up the draw control game and play with more composure and aggression on the offensive side of things, we think we can compete well in the conference schedule."
 
Amherst jumped out to an 9-0 lead in the first half, with three goals from Stephanie Croke early on. Graduate student Katie Welch (North Reading, Mass.), sophomore Izzy Liquori (Agawam, Mass.) and junior Samantha Blair (West Islip, N.Y.) all attempted shots through the first 15 minutes, but Massachusetts goalkeeper Lauren Hiller was able to make the saves.
 
Liquori was responsible for the River Hawks' first goal of the game at 13:50, thanks to the visitors first free position opportunity of the day. However, the Minutewomen would continue their charge, tallying the next two goals to bring their total to double-digits by the ten-minute mark.  
 
Liquori was able to strike one more time for the visitors before the half ended at 6:53. The Minutewomen would end the half on a three-goal run to take a 14-2 edge at halftime.
 
UMass Lowell started strong in the second half, with senior Hannah Rose (Framingham, Mass.) going unassisted in the first three minutes. The home team would counter with one of their own, although Liquori and sophomore Grace Hansen (Stamford, Conn.) would put up back-to-back goals to trim the deficit, 15-5, at 17:01.
 
The River Hawks closed out the game with a goal from sophomore Anna Bauter (Dexter, N.Y.), for her second tally of the season, followed by the last Liquori goal at 2:38 and the final score stood, 16-7.
 
Liquori matcher her season-high with seven draw controls, while sophomore Caroline Klim (Wrentham, Mass.) tallied one. Hansen and senior Gabby Torain (Glen Burnie, Md.) chipped in with two caused turnovers a piece.
 
Liquori ended with four goals for her second multipoint game of the season, while Rose, Hansen and Bauter all tallied one.
 
Sophomore Madison Grazidei (Bayport, N.Y.) collected her first start of the season, tallying two saves, while freshman Mackenzie Brown (Southington, Conn.) finished the contest with a career-high of nine.  
 
The River Hawks will continue their road journey, as they head to Stony Brook for an afternoon tilt with the Seawolves on Sunday, March 14.