LOWELL, Mass. – After a Friday buy, the UMass Lowell field hockey team (3-3) is back in action on Sunday, September 22 when it welcomes Wake Forest (2-3) of the ACC to Wicked Blue Field for a 12 p.m. matchup.  
 
RIVER HAWK REWIND
The River Hawks finished 1-1 on the road last week. The squad first picked up its second straight shutout victory at home with a 2-0 victory against Stonehill on Sept. 13. Junior Madison Leeper (East Amherst, N.Y.) tallied both goals in that win. The River Hawks then faced a 4-3 setback in overtime at Massachusetts on Sept. 15. Sophomore Karli Penrod (Seaford, Del.) added two goals of her own in that contest, while sophomore Marie Oliemans (Driebergen, Netherlands) made a career-high 15 saves.
 
LEADING THE FLOCK
Through six games, Karli Penrod and freshman Karlijn Kerkhof (Rotterdam, Netherlands) pace the offense with nine points apiece. Penrod is tied with Madison Leeper with a team-best four goals, while graduate student Mirthe Gans (Tiel, Netherlands) has registered a team-high four assists. In the cage, graduate student goalkeeper Christina Calandra (Manchester, Mass.) boasts two wins, while Marie Oliemans totals 32 saves and an .842 save percentage.
 
A WIN WOULD
Sunday's matchup will be the first meeting between UMass Lowell and Wake Forest. A win against the Demon Deacons would mark the River Hawks' first ever victory against an ACC opponent.
 
AE ON ESPN
The River Hawks' contest against Stonehill on Sept. 13 was streamed live on ESPN+ domestically for the first time ever in the regular season. The upcoming Wake Forest match will also be featured on the ESPN platform. The AmericaEast.tv broadcast will still be available for international viewers, as well.
 
HOME SWEET HOME
The River Hawks have earned shutout wins in their two 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.
 
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, Kerkhof now has points in four of the team's six games.
 
SPREADING THE LOVE
The River Hawks have already shown their depth this year, as eight different players have tallied at least a point so far.
 
CRACKING THE RANKINGS
The River Hawks are 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.
 
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).