FAIRFIELD, Ct. – Freshman Chloe Bowers (Whitefish Bay, Wis.) scored a game-high five goals, as the UMass Lowell women's lacrosse team (1-0) took down defending NEC champions Sacred Heart (0-1), 15-7, in the season opener on Sunday afternoon.
With the win, the River Hawks earned a victory in the season opener for only the second time in program history, the first coming during the shortened 2020 season.
"Good opening win," said Head Coach Lisa Miller. "Lots of people contributed. I'm pleased with the effort and result. Looking forward to working on a few things and continuing to improve."
Bowers, who was making her collegiate debut, added an assist to finish the day with six points. Behind her, junior Jade Catlin (Middletown, Md.) totaled four goals and an assist, marking her eighth straight game with at least one goal. Freshman Jillian Goldie (Owen Sound, Ontario) also shined in her first career game, contributing three goals on four shots. Junior Megan Milkowich (Watertown, N.Y.), and sophomores Grace Lydon (Rowley, Mass.) and Audra Hansen (Stamford, Conn.) rounded out the goal scorers with one each. In net, sophomore Hannah Shaddock (Corning, N.Y.) earned the start, making four saves in three quarters, while junior Kendall Whalen (Belmont, Mass.) made four saves in the fourth quarter.
The young UMass Lowell offense came out of the gates firing, as Goldie found the back of the net for her first career goal with 13:00 on the clock. Just over a minute later, Bowers joined in on the action, firing a free-position shot past the keeper for her first collegiate goal. Sacred Heart responded quickly to cut the lead in half, but Bowers and Hansen countered with back-to-back goals to put their squad up 4-1 with 7:22 to go. The Pioneers added one to pull within two, but Catlin's first goal put the River Hawks ahead by three after the first.
Although Sacred Heart tallied the first goal of the second only a minute and a half in, the visitors refused to let them make the game any closer, stringing together three goals in just one minute, highlighted by two from Catlin, to take a commanding 8-3 lead with 11:42 to play. The two sides followed with lockdown defense, as the game remained the same score for over seven minutes before a goal by the Pioneers ended the scoreless drought. The River Hawks, however, added one more off the stick of Bowers, her third of the day, to take a five-goal advantage, 9-4, into the break.
Looking to fight their way back, the Pioneers started the second half with a vengeance, scoring the first two goals of the quarter to cut the deficit to three. UMass Lowell showed their resiliency, though, as Catlin connected on a second free-position goal, Bowers added two more of her own, and Milkowich added her first of the season to give their squad their largest lead of the day, 13-6. Meanwhile, the defense showed their experience, forcing four turnovers to keep the Pioneers off the board and take the seven-goal edge into the final period.
In the fourth, the Pioneers looked to mount a comeback as Maggie Araneo tallied a woman-up goal with 14:03 on the clock, but the River Hawks put an end to those chances when Lydon tallied her first goal, and Goldie finished off her hat trick, sealing the 15-7 victory.
Next up, the River Hawks will play hosts to local rival Merrimack on Wednesday, February 14, in the team's home opener. Opening draw is set for 2 p.m.
