LOWELL, Mass. – Sophomore Berbel Rozema (Rotterdam, Netherlands) logged two goals to help lift the UMass Lowell field hockey team (7-4, 5-3 AE) to a 3-2 victory against No. 16 Stanford (7-2, 5-2 AE) in the squad's regular-season finale on Friday afternoon.
 
With the program's first win ever against the Cardinal, UMass Lowell finishes the season with a Division I record five league victories. Additionally, the River Hawks have now clinched a berth into the America East Championship for the first time since 2017.
 
"I just couldn't be more proud," said Head Coach Shannon LeBlanc. "It was a complete team performance that started this week at practice with all of our players buying into what we prepared to do today. I loved watching them compete on the field, but the preparation and how serious they took the game from start to finish was inspiring."
 
Rozema's two-goal performance was the first of her career. Junior Jenna Berger (Waterloo, Ontario) also added a goal in the outing. Freshman goalkeeper Eleonore Boekhorst (Bilthoven, Netherlands) totaled seven saves in the decision, as well.
 
Despite battling slushy and windy conditions, the River Hawks were quick to get on the board in the first quarter, as the team has now scored first in six of its seven wins this season. Following two quick shots from her teammates on a corner play, Rozema collected a third straight rebound for the final put-back that slid past the Stanford keeper in the sixth minute, giving the home team a 1-0 edge.
 
Stanford was able to erase the difference in the 23rd minute, when Kaylie Mings collected her own rebound and dished a pass to the post for Juli Porto's one-timer on goal.
 
The River Hawks regained the upper hand, though, late in the third on another corner chance, as Berger batted a high save out of the air and into the back of the netting. Then in the 47th minute, the home team added what would become the game-winner, thanks to a great pass from junior Grace Davis (Waterloo, Ontario) that found Rozema streaking into the circle for an off-balance shot on target that made the score 3-1.
 
The visitors turned up the pressure with six corners in the final 10 minutes. And although the Cardinal would convert in the 59th minute, the River Hawk defense fended off the remaining chances, including one in the final two seconds of regulation, to hang on for the 3-2 outcome.
 
The River Hawks will now await their seeding and matchup for the 2021 America East Championship.