Lowell, Mass. – Junior Hilary Jaén (Las Margaritas, Panama) and graduate student Calliste Brookshire (Kingston, Mass.) play the heroes Thursday evening, pushing UMass Lowell (3-9-2, 2-3-0 AE) past New Hampshire (9-3-1, 4-1-0 AE), 2-0, at Cushing Field.  

"We knew this was going to be a hard game. UNH is a great defensive team, so the fact that we scored two today, I couldn't be happier," said Head Coach Mira Novak. "We seized the moment. When the moment came, we were ready, and we showed up." 

Graduate student Taylor Burgess (Mendon, Mass.) completed the clean sheet, making three saves in net for the River Hawks.  

New Hampshire outshot UMass Lowell, 9-6, with Jaén and senior Kelli Buckley (Shrewsbury, Mass.) leading the charge with two shots apiece.  

It was a quiet offensive first half for the River Hawks, as two shots were totaled. Brookshire tried to get the offense started in the 20th minute with a free kick, but the Wildcats' keeper got a decent read on the ball, stepping out of her zone to collect the pass.  

With both squads working hard to defend their side, Buckley received her chance in the 40th minute, as she sent a shot toward net, but it was blocked by a Wildcat defender.  

Buckley regained the ball in the 44th minute, taking another chance, but was caught up in traffic.  The River Hawks and the Wildcats headed into the half with an even score of 0-0.  

UMass Lowell received a corner kick early in the second half. Brookshire found senior Emma Mitchell (West Orange, N.J.) above the box, who then crossed the ball to Jaén. Jaén immediately tapped in the first goal of the contest at the 51st-minute mark, giving the River Hawks the 1-0 lead.  

Jaén quickly caught New Hampshire off balance again, as she bolted up the left side of the turf, ripping a shot into the keeper's gloves in the 53rd minute.  

Up next, freshman Gaby Eckroth (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) notched a header in the 73rd minute, floating it over the crossbar, as the River Hawks were itching for another goal. 

UMass Lowell received a penalty kick in the 73rd minute. Brookshire would take the kick and stun the keeper, sending a forceful kick into the back of the net, giving UMass Lowell the insurance they needed and making it 2-0.

UMass Lowell kept its defense tight for the remainder of the game, keeping the visitors away from Burgess, reflecting in a 2-0 victory for the River Hawks.  

UMass Lowell will hit the road for an America East matchup on Sunday, October 20, kicking off at 1 p.m.