LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell women's soccer team (1-2-0, 0-0-0 AE) fell to the Boston University Terriers (2-1-0, 0-0-0 PL) by a score of 2-1 on Thursday night at Cushing Field.
 
Junior Calliste Brookshire (Kingston, Mass.) scored the lone goal for the River Hawks, her first of the new campaign. Redshirt junior Taylor Burgess (Mendon, Mass.) made five saves on the evening.

"I think the energy and the level we brought tonight was poor and that's not how we want to play," said head coach Mira Novak. "We dug ourselves into a 2-0 hole at the half and it's hard to dig yourself out of that. I think in the last fifteen minutes we had some chances to get back in the game and that's positive. But in terms of what happened between the boxes was not how we want to play. If we want to get anything out of Sunday's game, it has to be a big mind check for the team."
 
The Terriers brought plenty of energy early on and took a 1-0 lead just eight minutes into the game. Giulianna Gianino made a darting run forward through the midfield and scored on a long-range effort into the top corner. The River Hawks responded with a chance of their own at the other end of the field, but Brookshire's effort went wide of the goal into the side netting. UMass Lowell would get another great chance to get on the board as graduate student Lily Fabian (Monson, Mass.) whipped an in-swinging cross into the box, but sophomore Ioanna Papatheodorou's (Nea Erithraia, Greece) header went wide of the goal.
 
In the 20^th minute, Boston University doubled the advantage as Abigail McNulty's near post header found the back of the net. The Terriers continued to hold majority of the possession in the first half, pinning the River Hawks in their own end. A giveaway in the defensive third almost proved costly, but graduate student Dunja Mostarac (Belgrade, Serbia) made a diving effort to block the shot. UMass Lowell went into the halftime break trailing by two goals.
 
The second half was a better performance for the River Hawks as they began to build more of an attack through the midfield. Boston University brought the same energy from the first half and put UMass Lowell under pressure in possession. Burgess made an important save just under 10 minutes into the half to keep the deficit at two.
 
Despite only a few chances on the visitor's goal, the River Hawks were awarded a penalty in the 81^st minute after a handball in the box. Papatheodorou saw her penalty and rebound attempt saved by Bennett. The River Hawks had another opportunity just three minutes later, but Brookshire's attempt from the left side of the box was saved.
 
Brookshire did find the back of the net in the 90^th minute, finishing off a great cross from Fabian from the right side of the field. The junior's left-footed effort nestled into the bottom corner of the goal but came with just five seconds to play. The clock ran out and the Terriers came away with a 2-1 victory.
 
The River Hawks return to action on Sunday, August 28 against the UConn Huskies. Kickoff is slated for 1:00 p.m. at Morrone Stadium in Storrs.