Saturday, April 1 vs. UAlbany: Live Stats | Watch 
 
LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell women's lacrosse team (5-5, 0-2 AE) return home to take on the UAlbany Great Danes (5-5, 1-0 AE) this Saturday, April 1, at 2 p.m.
 
LAST TIME OUT
UMass Lowell enters the week with a 5-5 record after falling to Bryant, 18-5, last Saturday. Senior Grace Hansen (Stamford, Conn.) and freshman Macy Shultz (Adams, N.Y.) led the River Hawks with two goals each, while sophomore Jade Catlin (Middletown, Md.) chipped in with a goal and an assist. On the draw, senior Julia Napolitano (Oakdale, N.Y.) led the squad with three draw control victories. Defensively, Napolitano and sophomore Daia Hansford (Bowie, Md.) both caused a turnover and collected two ground balls. In net, freshman Hannah Shaddock (Corning, N.Y.) saw the most time, making four saves in 30 minutes of play.

LEADING THE FLOCK
Catlin leads the River Hawks through ten games with 34 points off a team-best 20 goals and 14 assists. Behind her, senior Molly Shaw (Marshfield, Mass.) totals 22 points off 22 goals to rank second on the squad. Laundry leads the defense with a team-high 17 caused turnovers. On the draw, Napolitano's 41 draw control victories pace the team, with Laundry sitting behind her with 34 on the season. One of the top teams in the nation in ground balls, Napolitano and senior Caroline Klim (Wrentham, Mass.) lead the squad with 26 ground balls each.

SCOUTING UALBANY
The Great Danes head to Cushing Field following a 12-9 victory over Vermont in the team's first conference match. UAlbany's offense is led by midfielder Katie Pascale who has totaled 25 goals and 18 assists on the season, while Shonly Wallace tallies a team-high 32 goals. On defense, Mackenzie Beam paces the team with 22 ground balls and nine caused turnovers. In net, senior Aislinn Sweeney has started nine games, making 58 saves for a .352 save percentage in 403 minutes of action.
 
A WIN WOULD
A win against the Great Danes would give the River Hawks their first win in conference play and would mark the first win against UAlbany in program history.
 
UALBANY MATCHUP HISTORY
The River Hawks and Great Danes have met seven times, with UAlbany claiming victory in each match. When they met last season, Shaw tallied a team-high three goals, while Izzy Liquori (Agawam, Mass.) and Rylee Kelly (Harwood, Md.) each totaled three draw controls as the River Hawks fell to the Great Danes, 14-8.

DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS
The River Hawks' defense has proven to be key during the team's hot start, as they currently rank 18th in the country in caused turnovers per game (9.80). Even more impressive, the team sits sixth in ground balls per game (19.40).

HISTORY IN THE MAKING
After scoring her 83rd career goal earlier in the season against Stonehill, senior Izzy Liquori (Agawam, Mass.) surpassed Taylor Sokol to become the UMass Lowell all-time goal scorer.

CONFERENCE HONORS
The rookies have played a huge role in the River Hawks hot start, as they garnered the first four America East Rookie of the Week awards given out by the conference. Most recently, freshman Audra Hansen (Stamford, Ct.) tallied four goals over two games against Quinnipiac and Stetson to earn her second straight weekly award (2/27, 3/6). Before her, Shaddock opened the season with a 2-1 record while making 31 saves in net to earn the first two Rookie of the Week awards of the season (2/13, 2/20).

COMMUNITY IMPACT
Not only are the River Hawks succeeding on the field, but they also continue to help within the community. Senior captain Grace Hansen (Stamford, Conn.) currently serves as the president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee while also volunteering at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell. Meanwhile, senior Caroline Klim (Wrentham, Mass.) continues her role as an ambassador of Morgan's Message, an organization with a goal to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health within the student-athlete community.