PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Junior Madison Leeper (East Amherst, N.Y.) tallied what would become the game-winning goal in the fourth quarter to help propel the UMass Lowell field hockey team (2-1) to a 3-2 win at Brown (0-1) on Friday afternoon.
 
"It was a gritty battle today for us," said Head Coach Shannon LeBlanc. "We had to learn to play through some adversity. I loved our goal scoring output against a tough Brown team. We played with composure and confidence, which I always love when I see those qualities out of my team so early in the season."
 
Sophomore Karli Penrod (Seaford, Del.) and freshman Karlijn Kerkhof (Rotterdam, Netherlands) each added one goal apiece, as well. Graduate student Mirthe Gans (Tiel, Netherlands) chipped in with an assist. In the cage, sophomore Marie Oliemans recorded a season-high eight saves in the second half to log the decision. Graduate student keeper Christina Calandra (Manchester, Mass.) totaled two saves in the first half.
 
The River Hawks got right to work from the opening whistle, earning a corner less than a minute into play, although Kerkhof's shot was stopped by the Brown keeper. The Bears quickly retaliated on the other end of the turf with a shot off the crossbar, but the visitors would force back-to-back corners that resulted in a putback by Penrod from right in front to give her side a 1-0 edge in the third minute.
 
In the eighth minute, Brown worked the ball into the circle and sent an attempt high on target that was batted away by Calandra, however the home team was awarded a corner on the play and used it to even the board at 1-1 on a shot by Katie McCallum.
 
The second quarter was controlled by the defense with both teams having limited scoring chances. The River Hawks' threatened with a strong reverse stick hit from Kerkhof that connected with the keeper, as the 1-1 stalemate would stand heading into the break.
 
Just seconds after play resumed for the second half, Kerkhof fired into the pads of Brown's Kylie Del Monte before corralling her own rebound in time to send a backhanded laser high into the far corner of the cage, putting the River Hawks on top, 2-1.
 
Oliemans warded off the Bears' retaliatory efforts, turning away three consecutive chances in the next three minutes. The sophomore keeper then registered three more saves, but the home team was able to knot the score at 2-2 in the 41^st minute on a redirect by Mia Karine Myklebust.
 
Oliemans continued to face pressure from the Bears, coming up with a big stop on a penalty stroke by Imogen Govan.
 
In the 48^th minute, Gans sent a ball into the circle where Leeper was waiting and able to get a stick on it to give UMass Lowell a 3-2 advantage. Two minutes later, Leeper batted another ball in with the hopes of giving the River Hawks some breathing room, but the goal was called off to keep the margin at just one.
 
The River Hawks dug in and controlled the action through most of the remainder of the fourth quarter, battling to maintain possession in their offensive end. However, the Bears would not go quietly, tallying 10 shots in the final seven minutes of regulation to make the visitors work hard to hold on for the 3-2 win.
 
The River Hawks wrap up their three-game road swing at Bucknell on Sunday, September 8. That contest is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m.