LOWELL, Mass. - The UMass Lowell field hockey team (1-1) is set to host Valley rival Merrimack (0-1) under the lights at Wicked Blue Field on Friday, September 1. The action is slated to start at 6 p.m.
 
RIVER HAWK REWIND
The River Hawks opened the 2023 season with a 1-1 week. The squad first defeated LIU, 5-1, in the home opener on August 25 with the help of a pair of goals from sophomore Isabelle Halters (Noordwijk, Netherlands). The team was then tested by one of the top teams in the nation, as UMass Lowell visited No. 11 St. Joseph's on Aug. 27. Despite holding the opposition scoreless through the first 20 minutes of that contest, the River Hawks went on to face a 4-0 setback.
 
LEADING THE FLOCK
Through two games, Halters paces the offense with two goals for four points, in addition to seven shots. Three other River Hawks have tallied one goal apiece, including sophomore Madison Leeper (East Amherst, N.Y.), who adds an assist for a total of three points so far. In the cage, senior keeper Christina Calandra (Manchester, Mass.) has made six stops for a .600 save percentage.
 
A WIN WOULD
A win Friday would give the River Hawks their second consecutive victory against the Warriors, as UMass Lowell won the 2022 meeting, 6-1.
 
OFFENSIVE OUTBURST
Racking up six goals against Merrimack last season on Sept. 11, 2022, the River Hawks recorded their most goals in a game since 2018 (vs. Hofstra, 6-0).
 
STARTING STRONG
The decision against LIU marked the River Hawks' seventh consecutive win in a home opener at Wicked Blue.
 
SPREADING THE LOVE
The River Hawks have already showed off their depth this year, as seven different players tallied a point in the home opener.
 
A YEAR FOR THE RECORD BOOKS
The River Hawks are coming off their most successful Division I season ever. The squad finished 12-7 overall on the year, which not only marked the River Hawks' third straight winning season, but also set a new a Division I program best for wins. In conference play, the River Hawks once again set a new bar. The team went a program-best 6-2 in America East play to tie UAlbany for a historic second-place finish in the regular-season standings and clinch the No. 3 seed for the America East Championship for the first time ever.
 
OF NOTE
Junior Sydney Grim (Reading, Pa.) logged her first career goal against LIU (8.25).