LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell women's soccer team (4-3-3) (1-0-1) continues America East play this Thursday, October 2, when the River Hawks matchup against New Hampshire (2-4-3) (0-1-0) at Wildcat Stadium. Kickoff is set to begin at 6:00 p.m.
October 2 @ New Hampshire
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Looking at UMass Lowell
The River Hawks picked up their first conference victory this past Sunday, after a 1-0 outcome at UMBC. UMass Lowell has a 1-0-1 America East record, with the team currently tied for second (4 points) in the conference with Vermont. Sophomore Gaby Eckroth (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) scored the lone goal in the contest against the Retrievers, marking her third straight game with a goal. Redshirt freshman Nina Hertz-Saebbö (Gothenburg, Sweden) added an assist on Eckroth's goal, registering her second assist of the season, while sophomore Rachel Welch (Franklin, Mass.) started in goal for the eighth time this season, recording two saves to complete the clean sheet.
Scouting the Wildcats
New Hampshire comes into the matchup on Thursday against the River Hawks after falling 2-1 to Vermont in their first conference game of the season this past Sunday. The Wildcats currently own a 2-4-3 overall record with a 0-1-0 record in America East action. Graduate student Chloe DeLyser added the lone goal in the match against the Catamounts, while freshman Abby Beasley assisted on the play. Junior Sonja Zeepvat collected eight saves while starting in net.
Graduate student Ricshya Walker leads the Wildcats in goals (3) and points (9), while tying for second in assists (3) with Beasley and junior Natalie Zibinskas. Beasley has also logged the most minutes on the team (801), while junior Elizabeth Finn has taken the most shots on the team with 21. Zeepvat, who has appeared in eight games and started in five, has made 25 saves for a .735 save percentage. Also in net, sophomore Caroline Cohen has started in four games, seeing action in seven total games this season, as the keeper has made 19 saves for a .679 save percentage, and a 2-2-1 record.
New Hampshire Matchup History
The all-time series between the River Hawks and the Wildcats currently sits at a 4-4-5 record for UMass Lowell. The most recent matchup ended in a 2-0 victory for the River Hawks on October 17, 2024. The conference record between both sides when matched up is 4-4-4. UMass Lowell hasn't dropped a match against the Wildcats since October 31, 2019, falling 5-1 in the contest.
Goals on Goals
The River Hawks recorded five goals in their last non-conference game of the season against New Haven, 5-1, on September 14. This is the most since 2022, scoring five times in a 5-0 win over Stonehill on September 1.
Leading the Flock
Senior Maddie Guthrie (Stow, Mass.) still ranks first on the team in assists (3) after ten games, while also leading the team in minutes played (785). Welch sits behind Guthrie in second for most minutes registered (720). Freshman Emma Theorén (Sollentuna, Vällingby) is tied for second on the team in assists (2) with senior Nadja Andersen (Nakskov, Denmark) sophomore Nuala Rodgers (Dedham, Mass.), and Hertz-Saebbö. Eckroth leads the team in goals (5) and points (10), as freshman Nora Belin (Stockholm, Sweden) is right behind with three goals and six points. Hertz-Saebbö has tallied the most shots on the team with 21, as junior Marissa Sage (Milford, N.H.) ranks second with 17 total shots.
Between the Posts
Welch has made eight starts in net for the River Hawks so far this season. The Massachusetts native has made 41 saves to earn a .788 save percentage in 720 minutes played, sitting at a 3-2-3 record on the season. Meanwhile, freshman Lucie Chumanová (Prague, Czech Republic) has started in two games this season, making 10 saves to post a .667 save percentage while owning a 1-1 record.
Around the America East
Eckroth is sitting in sixth in the conference in shots (18) and shots per game (2.57).
Eckroth also still sits atop the America East leaderboard in second in goals (5) and goals per game (.714), with Belin next up for the River Hawks, ranking in sixth with three goals and a .375 goals per game average. Also posting their names on the points leaderboard, Eckroth currently ranks first in the America East for points per game with 1.43, with Belin sitting in seventh with a .75 points per game average.
Guthrie remains in the top three of the conference in assists, currently tied for second with three total assists and 0.300 assists per game. Andersen ranks 10th in assists (2) and assists per game average (.222) in the America East, while Rodgers, Theorén, and Hertz-Saebbö all sit right behind her, with two assists each.
In the goalkeeper rankings, Welch ranks second in saves per game with 5.13, while sitting in fifth for save percentage (.788), and first for both shutouts per game (.375) and shutouts (3) in the America East.
As a team, UMass Lowell currently leads the America East in shots (174) so far. The River Hawks are also ranked second in the conference in goals (17), and third in the America East in points (49), assists (15), and saves (53).
