AMHERST, Mass. – A pair of third-quarter goals helped the UMass Lowell field hockey team (1-2) take No. 25 Massachusetts to overtime, but the home team would prevail in the shootout in this year's Kennedy Cup matchup.
 
The teams battled through 20 extra minutes of 7v7 overtime play with neither side able to break the 2-2 deadlock, forcing the game to go to a shootout. Graduate student Jenna Berger (Waterloo, Ontario) pulled the opposing goalkeeper out of position and slid a ball into the corner of the cage to knot the shootout at 1-1, but Dempsey Campbell was successful on the Minutewomen's final chance to end it.
 
"We put everything out there today," said Shannon LeBlanc. "We played a tremendous full 60 and two overtime periods. The talent and composure that we displayed today was outstanding. This game certainly goes down as one of the grittiest Kennedy Cup games to date."
 
Graduate students Cailin Little (Acton, Mass.) and Lily Watson (Littleton, Mass.) each tallied a goal for the River Hawks in the contest. Junior goalkeeper Eleonore Boekhorst (Bilthoven, Netherlands) totaled seven saves in a valiant performance.
 
The teams battled evenly for the majority of the first half until Emilie Kiej netted the first goal of the outing on a direct corner in the 28^th minute.
 
However, the River Hawks attacked quickly coming out of halftime, as Little backhanded a loose ball around the scrum and into the cage just over 30 seconds into the third quarter. Less than three minutes later, Watson tipped a pass on target on another set piece to give the visitors a 2-1 edge.
 
The Minutewomen would retaliate with their own corner to open the final period, and although Boekhorst made another good stop on the play, the home team used a second corner chance to even the board at 2-2 thanks a high ball by Gabrielle Benkensteio in the 50^th minute.
 
In the 74^th minute, the Massachusetts offense pulled Boekhorst out towards the baseline, leaving an open shot for Emily Crawford, but the veteran keeper came sliding back across the front of the cage to knock the ball away and keep the stalemate intact for the shootout.
 
The River Hawks now head back home to host Wagner on Monday, September 5 at 1 p.m.