BURLINGTON, Vt. – For the second time in three games, the UMass Lowell field hockey team (5-3, 3-2 AE) earned a shootout victory, this time defeating Vermont (0-6, 0-4 AE), 2-1, on the road Wednesday.
 
The decision ties the program's most America East wins since joining the league back in 2013. It also improves the team's record to 4-0 in shootouts at the Division I level.
 
"We know going into every conference game that it is going to be a battle," said Head Coach Shannon LeBlanc. "Today was exactly what we expected. The team's composure when we went down one was admirable. They stayed the course and continued to play great possession hockey. Our corner defense again was the player of the game. Eleonore also once again made incredible saves throughout the game and was a force in the shootout. Our coaching staff is very proud of the overall mental and physical toughness that this team continues to bring to every game."
 
After 80 minutes of regulation ended in a 1-1 stalemate, sophomores Kate Miller (Cherry Hill, N.J.) and Berbel Rozema (Rotterdam, Netherlands) found the back of the cage in the one-on-one shootout, while freshman goalkeeper Eleonore Boekhorst (Bilthoven, Netherlands) turned away four attempts by the Catamounts to secure the decision.
 
Junior Hannah Keefe (Westford, Mass.) tallied the game-tying goal in the 18^th minute for the River Hawks, as the teams would be deadlocked for more than 60 minutes of play. Boekhorst finished the day with a personal-best 15 saves.
 
Vermont got on the board in the waning minutes of first quarter, when Sydney Melfi broke away from the defense and dribbled into the circle uncontested before dumping a pass off to Kate Hall, who finished the one-timer.
 
However, the River Hawks responded early in the second following an initial shot by Miller that was eventually tapped home by Keefe through a scrum just in front of the cage.
 
The River Hawk defense was stellar throughout the game, fending off nine Catamount corners, but was especially steadfast in the final minutes of regulation, as the team killed off two UVM corners and six shots in the last four minutes to send the game into overtime.
 
UMass Lowell outshot its host, 7-5, during the two extra periods, but neither side was able to break through, leaving the game to be decided in the shootout.
 
Next up, the River Hawks will wrap up their road swing at UAlbany on Saturday, April 3 at 12 p.m.