NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Seniors Grace Hansen (Stamford, Ct.) and Molly Shaw (Marshfield, Mass.) both tallied four goals, as the UMass Lowell women's lacrosse team (1-1) took down Merrimack (0-2), 13-7, on Wednesday afternoon.
 
With three goals and an assist, sophomore Jade Catlin (Middletown, Md.) tied Hansen and Shaw with a game-high four points, while senior Anna Bauter (Dexter, N.Y.) chipped in with two goals. Seniors Izzy Liquori (Agawam, Mass.) and Abby McLaughlin (Walpole, Mass.) both recorded two assists, while sophomore Jenn McCarry (Ambler, Penn.) rounded out the point scorers with an assist. In net, freshman Hannah Shaddock (Corning, N.Y.) made seven saves, while earning the first win of her career.

"We scored a couple quick goals to open up the game and set the tone," said head coach Lisa Miller. "The defense was, once again, lights out and did a fantastic job limiting shots and protecting Hannah, who was, once again, solid in the cage. We are still trying to figure out our identity on attack and continue to get comfortable playing at a pace we believe will make us successful."
 
The River Hawks came out of the gate firing, tallying the first goal of the game only 59 seconds in when Hansen scored off a free-position shot. Moments later, the UMass Lowell offense exploded, as Bauter, Shaw and Hansen all found the back of the net in less than a minute, giving the visitors a 4-0 lead with 11:28 remaining in the first. After a goal by the Warriors cut the deficit to three, the River Hawks quickly responded when Liquori dished a pass off to Shaw, who snuck a shot past the keeper for her second goal. Minutes later, Hansen finished off the hat trick with an unassisted goal, helping her team hold a 6-3 lead after the first.
 
The second quarter was a hard-fought battle, as neither team was able to get on the board for over five minutes. With 9:39 to play, Merrimack broke the scoring drought to chip away at the difference, but the River Hawks responded just over a minute later as Catlin scored her first goal of the match. The UMass Lowell defense stayed sharp, allowing only one goal in the final eight minutes, while Catlin added one more to send her team into the half up 8-5.
 
Coming out of the break, the UMass Lowell offense quickly took over again, as Bauter and Hansen scored back-to-back goals in under two minutes to push the River Hawks' lead to 10-5. With 12:50 to go in the period, Merrimack scored to pull within four. However, the River Hawks were up to the challenge and proceeded to hold the Warriors scoreless for over 12 minutes before allowing one final goal with seconds on the clock.
 
In the final quarter, the River Hawks' defense played flawlessly and prevented any comeback attempt by the hosts, as they did not concede a goal over the 15 minutes of action. Offensively, Shaw scored her third and fourth goals of the game to seal the 13-7 decision.
 
Next up, the River Hawks will head home for the first time this season to take on Holy Cross on Sunday, February 19. The opening draw is slated for 1 p.m.