LOWELL, Mass. – A pair of first-half goals proved to be the difference, as the No. 18 ranked UMass Lowell field hockey team (8-2, 2-0 AE) defeated America East foe Vermont (4-6, 1-2 AE) on Friday afternoon in downpour conditions at Wicked Blue Field.
 
With the victory, the River Hawks improve to 6-0 at home this season and stretch their current win streak to five games, just shy of the Division I program record set in 2022. This also marks the second consecutive year that the River Hawks have started conference play, 2-0.
 
"This game every season, is one of our most competitive games," said Head Coach Shannon LeBlanc. "I think Vermont and UMass Lowell formed a rivalry way back when, so we always know we have to come in and play a really great game in order to beat Vermont."
 
Sophomore Madison Leeper (East Amherst, Mass.) and senior Alissia de Vries (The Hague, Netherlands) each tallied a goal in the decision, while junior Cate Kleeman (Gibbsboro, N.J.) and senior Mirthe Gans (Tiel, Netherlands) each picked up an assist. As a team, UMass Lowell outshot Vermont, 20-10, with a 16-2 advantage on corners.
 
In the cage, senior Christina Calandra (Manchester, Mass.) and freshman Marie Oliemans (Driebergen, Netherlands) split time, combining to have to make just one save thanks to the River Hawks' stalwart backfield.
 
The River Hawks were quick to strike to start the day, pushing into their offensive zone and converting on a corner in just the third minute. On that play, Leeper crashed towards the cage and controlled a rebound off the keeper's pads and knocked in a backhanded finish.
 
UMass Lowell continued to attack with six more consecutive corners, but the 1-0 margin held through the majority of the first quarter. However, the Catamounts evened the board in the waning seconds of the period on a corner opportunity of their own, when Sophia Lefranc sent an off-balance slapshot on target.
 
The home team continued to earn its corner chances, with five more in a row early in the second quarter. The attempts would pay off on the sixth set piece of the period, as de Vries fired a rocket from the top of the circle that rang the back of the cage, giving her side the upper hand, 2-1, heading into the break.
 
Defense for both sides was staunch coming out of halftime, as neither side was able to change the scoreboard in the third quarter, although the River Hawks took a 4-2 advantage on shots.
 
Vermont registered the only three shots of the final quarter and pulled their keeper late in the game in favor of an additional attacker, but Oliemans held firm in a late one-on-one situation with a big save to help ensure the 2-1 outcome.
 
The River Hawks continue their homestand on Sunday, October 1 when they celebrate Senior Day against Bucknell. Game time is set for noon.