LOWELL, Mass. – America East action continues as the UMass Lowell women's soccer team (3-5-2, 0-1-0 AE) will play host to the Vermont Catamounts (3-4-2, 0-0-2 AE) on September 29 before hitting the road to take on the NJIT Highlanders (2-4-5, 0-1-1 AE) on October 2.
September 29 vs. Vermont (ESPN+ – 7:00 p.m.)
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October 2 at NJIT (AE.tv – 12:00 p.m.)
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LOOKING AT UMASS LOWELL
The River Hawks welcome Vermont after falling to UAlbany 1-0 in the conference opener on September 25 in Albany. UMass Lowell will look to pick up a first America East Conference win on Thursday against the Catamounts. Sophomore
Ioanna Papatheodorou (Nea Erithraia, Greece) leads the team with five goals and two assists for 12 points. Juniors
Chloe Layne (Wrentham, Mass.) and
Calliste Brookshire (Kingston, Mass.) have each scored three goals this season and tallied eight and seven points, respectively. Papatheodorou sits second in the league in shots this season with 36 and is tied for second in goals.
SCOUTING THE CATAMOUNTS
Vermont comes to Lowell looking for its first league win of the season. The Catamounts are 0-0-2 in conference play after draws against UMBC and Bryant. Leading the offense is Kate Bossert, who has scored three goals and added one assist for seven points. Sydney Remington and Jill Brody have each tallied two goals on the season. Erin Murphy has made eight starts in goal, making 34 saves with a 2-3-2 record.
MATCHUP HISTORY
UMass Lowell is 3-3-3 against Vermont dating back to the 2013 season. Last time these teams met, the Catamounts came away with a 2-1 double overtime victory in Burlington. The last time the River Hawks beat Vermont was a 2-1 road win on October 18, 2018. This matchup is historically low scoring with just six goals between the teams in the last four meetings.
SCOUTING THE HIGHLANDERS
The Highlanders are also in search of their first conference win of the year after tying Maine and falling to New Hampshire for an 0-1-1 record in league play. Ciara Adams and Lauren Chamberlain lead the team with four points each. Adams leads the way with two goals this season while nine other Highlanders have found the back of the net. Molly Saylor has made 11 appearances in goal with a 2-4-5 record and 64 saves on the year.
MATCHUP HISTORY
The River Hawks are 2-1 against the Highlanders dating back to the 2017 season. The home team has won in each of the previous three meetings. Last time the teams met, UMass Lowell came with a 2-1 victory behind goals from
Marissa Saucedo and
Ioanna Papatheodorou.
LEADING THE FLOCK
Ioanna Papatheodorou was the leading scorer in the league last season, tallying 10 goals for 20 points. The sophomore is already halfway to reaching that mark again with five goals through eight games. She has added two assists to total a team-high 12 points. The River Hawks will look to their star striker for more production as the conference slate is around the corner. Paptheodorou sits second in the league in shots and shots on goal while leading the way in goals and points.
VETERAN CORE
The River Hawks have returned four veteran members of the team this season in
Emily Nelson,
Dunja Mostarac,
Lily Fabian and
Chaima Khammar. The veteran leadership group has been key in getting the newcomers acclimated and raising the level of play on the field. Having been through several seasons, the group leads by example on and off the field.
INSTANT IMPACT
Several newcomers have already made an impact on the River Hawks this season. Freshmen
Sophie St. George (Walpole, Mass.) and
Nadja Andersen (Nakskov, Denmark) have seen game action in every game this season, each registering one assist and driving the offense forward. Freshman goalkeeper Bára Beránková (Hradec Králove, Czech Republic) has made three appearances in goal, including three starts against #14 Auburn, Hartford and Dartmouth. The rookie has made 15 saves on the year.
