LOWELL, Mass. – Graduate student Taylor Burgess (Mendon, Mass.) and freshman Rachel Welch (Franklin, Mass.) combined for 10 saves on the night in net, as the UMass Lowell (1-4-2) women's soccer team fell, 4-0, to the Seawolves of Stony Brook (4-2-1) at Cushing Field on Thursday evening.

"We were 30 minutes late into the game. We didn't have a good start; they just ran over us. To be honest, I think we got what we deserved. They just outplayed us in every way," said Head Coach Mira Novak. "We need to go back to basics. If we want to be in games, we have to play brave."

Burgess saw plenty of action during the first half, including two phenomenal saves in a row in the 30-minute stretching beyond her reach to keep the River Hawks in the contest. Welch held her own in the second half, as she made five saves and did not allow any goals.

Although the Seawolves outshot the River Hawks, 26-5, the River Hawks held their opponents without a goal in the second half. Sophomore Luka Marceau (Newton, Mass.) led the UMass Lowell offense with two shots on the night.

In the eighth minute, Stony Brook's Reilly Rich rocketed a ball towards teammate Linn Beck, who redirected it into the back of the net, giving the Seawolves a 1-0 edge in the eighth minute.

The River Hawks answered with back-to-back shots. Senior Emma Mitchell (West Orange, N.J.) first found the ball at her feet and launched an attempt from the top of the box, but the Seawolves' keeper was able to make the stop. Marceau's first shot was then earned off of a Stony Brook turnover in front of the visitor's own net, creating a great scoring opportunity, but the ball sailed left of the post at the 10-minute mark.

In the 18th minute, constructed by a free kick, Stony Brook picked up its second goal of the night, as Beck collected the kick and shoved it to Gabrielle Côté to finish the job.

Senior Lærke Niklasson (Roskilde, Denmark) found Marceau outside the box with space in the 20th minute. Marceau had her second chance at a shot, striking the ball with good speed to the right side of the goal.

In the 24th minute, Côté was able to fully break away from the River Hawks, dashing up the field to then pass to Eva Sprewell, who weaved behind the UMass Lowell defenders, stretching the difference to 3-0.

The Seawolves would score their final goal of the contest late in the first half in the 31^st minute when Hedvig Helling bolted up the right side of the turf, made it into the box and quickly ripped a shot that hit the back left corner of the net.

Junior Megan Banzi (Plymouth, Mass.) made an incredible block in the 69^th minute, as Welch was recovering from the save just before. On the play, Banzi leapt in front of a second-chance opportunity and was just in time to get her foot on the ball, sending it away.

The River Hawks' best offensive opportunity of the night came from a cross by graduate student Calliste Brookshire (Kingston, Mass.) on the left side of the box, floating a pass to senior Hope Santaniello (Agawam, Mass.), who one-touched the ball in the 74^th minute, but it found the hands of the Seawolves' keeper.  

UMass Lowell dedicated this contest to Morgan's Message. Morgan's Message is devoted to eliminating the stigma around mental health within the athletic community.

Next, the River Hawks are hitting the road for their Kennedy Cup matchup with the Massachusetts Minutewomen, with a kickoff set for 2 p.m. at Rudd Field on Sunday, September 15.