LOWELL, Mass. – Junior Ava Clarke (Hopkinton, Mass.) and sophomore Meike Vischer (The Hague, Netherlands) each scored twice to help lift the No. 18 UMass Lowell field hockey team (13-3, 6-1 AE) to a 5-1 victory against America East Conference opponent UC Davis in the penultimate regular-season contest on Friday at Wicked Blue Field.
 
With the decision, the River Hawks set a new Division I program record for season wins (13), improving up the previous record set in 2022. The team, which has now won three straight, has positioned itself for a shot at a share of the America East regular-season title with a win in Sunday's upcoming finale.
 
"Today was an important game for us to stay at the top of the standings," said Head Coach Shannon LeBlanc. "I loved how we came out and competed. We had some great opportunities. It took us a little while to put the ball in the net, but I think we responded well after the first quarter, so I'm just really proud of the effort overall."
 
Clarke and Vischer both matched season highs with their two-goal performances on the day. Sophomore Madison Leeper (East Amherst, N.Y.) added a tally of her own, marking her sixth score in seven games.
 
The River Hawk defense continued to shine in the performance, limiting UC Davis to just three shots. Senior goalkeeper Christina Calandra (Manchester, Mass.) made one save, while improving to 6-2 on the year.
 
The River Hawks quickly took control of the ball possession in the first quarter. Sophomore Isabelle Halters (Noordwijk, Netherlands) tested the Aggies' keeper in the sixth minute with a rocket of a reverse chip, but it was batted away to keep the game scoreless through one.
 
However, the home offense would break the game open with three goals in the second quarter. Leeper got things started in the 21^st minute, capitalizing on an Aggie miscue and turning the takeaway into the first goal of the afternoon. Less than two minutes later, Clarke put herself in the perfect spot to get a last-second tip on a hard ball from outside the circle by graduate student Berbel Rozema (Rotterdam, Netherlands) and extend the lead. Clarke would add one more in the 27^th minute, as she finished a rebound that trickled past the opposing keeper, giving her side a 3-0 edge at the break.
 
The River Hawks outshot the Aggies, 9-0, in the third quarter and added to their buffer in the 37^th minute when Halters dished a centering pass to Vischer for the finish. Vischer later made it 5-0 in the 48^th minute, dribbling through the circle before sending a sweeping shot into the far corner.
 
UC Davis was able to get on the board in the waning minutes when Lizzy Tedrow converted on a penalty stroke opportunity, but the River Hawks went onto seal the 5-1 outcome.
 
The River Hawks will close out the regular season on Sunday, October 29 when they host Stanford at 1 p.m.