LOWELL, Mass. – After a week on the road, the UMass Lowell field hockey team (4-5) kicks off a three-game homestand this week with a pair of matchups. The River Hawks first host America East foe Bryant in their first Breast Cancer Awareness game on Friday, October 4 at 3 p.m. before welcoming LIU to Wicked Blue for Youth Day on Sunday, Oct. 6 at 1 p.m.
 
RIVER HAWK REWIND
The River Hawks faced a challenging week on the road, falling, 2-1, at UAlbany in the conference opener on September 27 before facing a 6-3 setback at Northeastern on Sept. 29. Junior Madison Leeper (East Amherst, N.Y.) scored in both games, while graduate student Christina Calandra (Manchester, Mass.) and sophomore Marie Oliemans (Driebergen, Netherlands) combined for nine saves in the cage.
 
LEADING THE FLOCK
Through nine games, Madison Leeper paces the offense with seven goals and 14 points. Sophomore Karli Penrod (Seaford, Del.) and freshman Karlijn Kerkhof (Rotterdam, Netherlands) follow closely with 12 and 11 points apiece, respectively. Kerkhof has also registered a team-high five assists. In the cage, Christina Calandra and Marie Oliemans boast two wins each. Oliemans totals 44 saves and an .880 save percentage.
 
A WIN WOULD
A win on Friday would give the River Hawks' their first America East win of the season and their sixth consecutive win against the Bulldogs. UMass Lowell leads Bryant, 5-2, in the DI series. A win on Sunday would mark the River Hawks' fourth win against LIU, as they lead the series against the Sharks, 3-0.
 
GOING STREAKING
Madison Leeper is in the midst of a five-game scoring streak, which started on Sept. 13 vs. Stonehill.
 
ONE FOR THE BOOKS
The River Hawks' 1-0 win against Wake Forest on Sept. 22 marked the first win for the program against an ACC opponent.
 
WICKED TOUGH AT WICKED BLUE
The River Hawks have not allowed a single goal at home in 2024, earning shutout wins in their three home games so far this season. The team is typically strong at home, finishing 2023 with an 11-2 record in friendly confines, including an 8-0 start.
 
BEST OF THE BEST
The River Hawks' goalkeeping unit of Christina Calandra and Marie Oliemans is proving to be one of the best in the nation. UMass Lowell is currently ranked 15th nationally for saves per game (6.89) and 17th for shutouts per game (0.33).
 
INSTANT IMPACT
Karlijn Kerkhof is making a name for herself immediately in her rookie season, tallying a goal in each of the River Hawks' first three contests. With the addition of two assists at UMass Amherst on Sept. 15 and at Northeastern on Sept. 29, Kerkhof now has points in five of the team's nine games.
 
CRACKING THE RANKINGS
The River Hawks were officially nationally ranked for the second consecutive year, breaking in at No. 20 in the Week 1 NFHCA Division I National Coaches' Poll. The team first cracked the national rankings in the 2023 Week 4 Poll at No. 18 and spent the remainder of the regular season (6 weeks) ranked.
 
STARTING STRONG
The decision against Merrimack marked the River Hawks' eighth consecutive win in a home opener at Wicked Blue.
 
AMERICA EAST AWARDS
Karlijn Kerkhof garnered the first America East Rookie of the Week nod of the new season thanks to five points in her first two games. Marie Oliemans then earned Defensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 24 with eight saves in the win against Wake Forest.
 
STIFF COMPETITION
Four of the River Hawks' 2024 opponents were listed in the NFHCA Division I preseason national rankings, including Duke, who had checked in at No. 5. Also on the list were Rutgers, Wake Forest and UAlbany. Last year, the River Hawks defeated two nationally ranked opponents. Since 2021, the team has challenged 10 nationally ranked opponents with seven of the eight setbacks being decided by two goals or less.
 
OF NOTE
Marie Oliemans recorded a career-high 15 saves at Massachusetts (9.15) … Karli Penrod tallied her first two-goal game at Massachusetts (9.15) … Madison Leeper matched a career high with two goals against Stonehill (9.13) … Karlijn Kerkhof logged her first career points in her collegiate debut against Merrimack (8.30).