ALBANY, N.Y. – Junior Madison Leeper (East Amherst, N.Y.) notched a first-half goal in a 2-1 setback for the UMass Lowell field hockey team (4-4, 0-1 AE) at UAlbany (7-1, 2-0 AE) to open America East play on Friday afternoon.
 
"It was a great battle with UAlbany today, which was expected," said Head Coach Shannon LeBlanc. "We had a bit of a slow start in the first half, with some great saves by Chrisina Calandra, which kept us in the game. We played a much more 'Lowell' second half and created more chances for ourselves, but we just couldn't put the ball past a very disciplined UAlbany defense."
 
Leeper extended her scoring streak to four games with her team-leading sixth goal of the season. Sophomore Karli Penrod (Seaford, Del.) added a point on the day, as well, with an assist. In the cage, graduate student Christina Calandra (Manchester, Mass.) and sophomore Marie Oliemans (Driebergen, Netherlands) combined for seven saves.
 
The Great Danes pressured early and broke open the scoring in the fourth minute, when Floor de Ruiter dribbled toward the endline before centering a pass for Blanca Orsola, who put a one-timer on target to make it 1-0.
 
However, the River Hawks were quick to retaliate, turning a UAlbany turnover into a breakaway that resulted in Penrod and Leeper charging into the circle undefended. When the home keeper stepped up out of the cage towards Penrod, she dished a precisely placed pass over to Leeper for the uncontested finish, knotting the score at 1-1 in the eighth minute.
 
UAlbany then threatened with five corners in a row, but the River Hawks had an answer every time, including a diving stop from Calandra in the 11^th minute and another big save in the 14^th to keep the stalemate intact at the end of the first quarter.
 
What would become the game-winner was scored in the 19^th minute, as de Ruiter fired a slapshot from just inside the top of the circle. Play remained mostly contained away from either cage for the waning minutes of the first half, sending the River Hawks into the break trailing, 2-1.
 
Oliemans was quickly tested in the third quarter, making a trio of good stops. The River Hawks earned their lone corner of the contest to start the fourth, but an attempt from graduate student Alissia de Vries (The Hague, Netherlands) was handled by the home keeper.
 
Penrod was able to put one final attempt on target in the final minutes, but UAlbany's Laura Behn came up with a save to seal the 2-1 decision.
 
The River Hawks are back in action on Sunday, September 29 at Northeastern. That contest is set to begin at 12 p.m.