LOWELL, Mass.—A trio of hattricks from sophomore Abby McLaughlin (Walpole, Mass.), freshman Megan Brockbank (Bayport, N.Y.) and sophomore Anna Bauter (Dexter, N.Y.) helped the UMass Lowell women's lacrosse team earn a 19-12 win over Hartford Saturday afternoon at Cushing Field.
 
This afternoon's win marks the River Hawks' first conference win of the season. After today, UMass Lowell moves to 2-4 (1-2 AE), while the Hawks bump down to 0-3 (0-3 AE).
 
"We're so young. We have a bunch of freshman and sophomores. I think the kids are starting to get a feel for what they like to do, what they're good at," said Head Coach Lisa Miller. "We're finally into an offense they're more comfortable with, so it lets them play to their strengths. They're an unselfish group. They like to play together."
 
Brockbank got the River Hawks on the board early, finding the back of the net just 25 seconds into the contest. The Hawks leveled the score moments later off a free position goal from Megan Miller, but sophomore Izzy Liquori (Agawam, Mass.) won back the lead for UMass Lowell with a free position tally of her own shortly thereafter.
 
Hartford kept the teams locked with a rebuttal goal moments later, but a trio of goals from senior Hannah Rose (Framingham, Mass.), junior Samantha Blair (West Islip, N.Y.) and sophomore Grace Hansen (Stamford, Conn.) pushed the River Hawks to a 5-2 margin. McLaughlin kept Hartford at a distance with a pair of goals over two minutes to offset a peppering of goals from the Hawks.
 
With under five to play in the first half, Bauter sparked a five-goal scoring spree by the River Hawks with a man-up shot off the assist by Blair. Less than a minute later, McLaughlin capped off her first-half hattrick, followed by goals from Brockbank, Bauter and sophomore Layton Nass (Manhasset, N.Y.) to move UMass Lowell to a seven-goal advantage. Despite two late tallies by Hartford's Kaitlyn D'Andrea and Shannon Tuozzo, the River Hawks headed to the break up, 12-7.
 
The River Hawks laid on the offensive pressure early in the second half, with goals from graduate student Katie Welch (North Reading, Mass.) and freshman Kaitlin Tobin (Southold, N.Y.). Brockbank and Bauter completed their hattricks later that half, trading shots with the Hawks' Tuozzo and D'Andrea to maintain a 16-9 margin.
 
Despite Hartford's late game efforts to diminish the lead, goals from Hansen, Liquori and sophomore Alex Palermo (Reading, Mass.) ultimately secured the 19-12 victory for the River Hawks.
 
In cage, freshman Mackenzie Brown (Southington, Conn.) played a complete game, earning her second win of the season. Helping lead the River Hawks on defense, Nass registered a team and career-high four caused turnovers while also securing a team-high five ground balls.
 
The River Hawks are back at home on Saturday, March 27, at 12 p.m. against New Hampshire.