ORONO, Maine – It was a full-team effort on the road on Friday, as the UMass Lowell field hockey team (6-2) carried its momentum into America East Conference play and shutout Maine (4-5), 4-0, at the UMaine Field Hockey Complex.
 
With the decision, the River Hawks have secured their first ever victory against the Black Bears. It also marked the squad's third consecutive win in a conference opener and fourth shutout of the season.

"Today was a very good day," said Head Coach Shannon LeBlanc. "We were dialed in for 60 minutes and it showed on the scoreboard. I am extremely proud of the discipline and attention to detail that the team showed today."
 
A total of four different River Hawks scored in the outing. Sophomore Madison Leeper (East Amherst, N.Y.) and freshman Karli Penrod (Seaford, Del.) both logged one goal and one assist to lead the offensive effort. Graduate student Berbel Rozema (Rotterdam, Netherlands) and junior Ava Clarke (Hopkinton, Mass.) rounded out the goal scorers, while senior Mirthe Gans (Tiel, Netherlands) and sophomore Meike Vischer (The Hague, Netherlands) also added an assist.
 
Senior Christina Calandra (Manchester, Mass.) earned the start and the win in the cage, tallying three first-half saves. Freshman keeper Marie Oliemans (Driebergen, Netherlands) closed out the clean sheet with five saves of her own.  
 
Play went up and down the field for the majority of the game, as the River Hawks took just a slight, 11-10 advantage on shots. However, the difference came down to the UMass Lowell offense capitalizing on those opportunities and the team's defense holding steadfast on the other end of the turf.
 
The Black Bears tested Calandra less than a minute into the contest, but she held firm, as the River Hawks took control of possession and converted on a direct corner less than a minute later off the stick of Rozema. The visitors would continue to pressure in the first with a strong, reverse chip also from Rozema in eighth minute, but it was blocked by the Black Bears' keeper to contain the difference at 1-0.
 
The River Hawks owned the second quarter with a 4-1 shot advantage and were able to extend their lead just before the break when Clarke controlled a ball from Leeper and bounced her finish over the opposing goalkeeper's boot.
 
While UMass Lowell logged just two shots in the third, both were for goals, stretching the buffer to 4-0. The first tally came less than two minutes into the second half when Leeper connected for a one-timer on a pass Vischer. The team's final score then came in the 40^th minute when Penrod stole a ball out of a scrum and dribbled to her right before sending a slapshot across the cage and into the far corner.
 
The River Hawks played keep away in the fourth quarter to stave off any attack from Maine and hold onto the shutout.
 
UMass Lowell is back in action on Sunday, September 24 when they host Brown at 3 p.m.