LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell field hockey team (4-3) is hitting the road this week. The squad will first head to No. 17 UAlbany to open America East conference play on Friday, September 26 with a 2 p.m. matchup before returning to Massachusetts and making the short trek to Northeastern to wrap up the month on Sunday, Sept. 29 at 12 p.m.
 
RIVER HAWK REWIND
The River Hawks picked up a huge win in their lone game last week, defeating Wake Forest of the ACC, 1-0, on Sept. 22. Junior Madison Leeper (East Amherst, N.Y.) tallied the game-winning goal in that outing, while sophomore goalkeeper Marie Oliemans (Driebergen, Netherlands) made eight, second-half saves.
 
LEADING THE FLOCK
Through seven games, Madison Leeper paces the offense with five goals and 10 points. Sophomore Karli Penrod (Seaford, Del.) and freshman Karlijn Kerkhof (Rotterdam, Netherlands) follow closely with nine points apiece. Graduate student Mirthe Gans (Tiel, Netherlands) has registered a team-high four assists. In the cage, graduate student goalkeeper Christina Calandra (Manchester, Mass.) and Marie Oliemans boast two wins each. Oliemans totals 40 saves and an .870 save percentage.
 
A WIN WOULD
A win on Friday would give the River Hawks' their second straight win against the Great Danes and their first win against a ranked opponent this season. It would also mark the team's fourth consecutive win in a conference season opener. A win on Sunday would mark the River Hawks' fourth win against Northeastern, as they lead the series against the Huskies, 3-0.
 
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 sixth nationally for save percentage (.828) and seventh for shutouts per game (0.43).
 
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 seven 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).