LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell women's soccer team (4-5-3, 1-2-1 AE) is back on Cushing Field, this Thursday, October 16, when they host the defending America East Champions, Maine (2-6-2, 1-2-1 AE), at 6:00 p.m. in Lowell, Mass. The team then hits the road to visit Vermont (5-3-4, 3-0-1 AE) on Sunday, October 19, to close the week with a 12:00 p.m. match at Virtue Field in Burlington, Vt.
October 16 vs. Maine
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October 19 @ Vermont
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Looking at UMass Lowell
The River Hawks fell in a hard-fought match, 1-0, this past Sunday against Binghamton. UMass Lowell now sits at a 1-2-1 America East record, with the team currently tied for sixth with Maine with four points in conference play. Sophomore Gaby Eckroth (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) and senior Kirti Craig (Spotswood, N.J.) each recorded two shots over the course of the game on Sunday, while sophomore Rachel Welch (Franklin, Mass.) started in net for the River Hawks, registering five saves.
Scouting the Black Bears
Maine looks ahead to this week's matchup with UMass Lowell after falling this past Sunday, 1-0, against Vermont. The Black Bears currently own a 2-6-2 overall record with a 1-2-1 record in America East play, tied for sixth in the conference with the River Hawks.
Senior Rebecca Grisdale has logged the most minutes on the Black Bears, so far, with 889. Junior Abbey Thornton leads the team in goals (3), while also sitting tied for first with sophomore Emma Nicholson with six points. Junior Victoria Dungey and Nicholson are tied for first on the team in assists (2), as Nicholson has also fired off the most shots with 25. Sophomore Grace Wilson has started in five games so far this season, collecting 19 saves for a .655 save percentage. Freshman Elena Barenberg has seen action in five games this season, posting a .650 save percentage with 13 total saves.
Scouting the Catamounts
Vermont enters this week after recently going head-to-head against Maine on Sunday, taking a 1-0 victory in the contest. The Catamounts currently own a 5-3-4 overall record with a 3-0-1 record in America East play, sitting second in the conference. Junior Madeline Gardner recorded the lone goal in the contest against the Black Bears, as senior Lauren DeGroot and junior Emma Warren also added assists on the play. Senior Kylee Carafoli was in net for the Catamounts, making five saves and posting a shutout in the match. Before matching up against UMass Lowell on Sunday, the Catamounts prepare to face NJIT on Thursday, October 16, at home.
Senior Sydney Remington leads the team in goals (5), points (11), and shots (41). Junior Bridget Kennedy has totaled the most assists on the team so far with three. DeGroot sits behind Remington in goals (4) and points (10), while also sitting in second in assists (2) with Gardner and Sophomore Della Weir. Carafoli has started in goal 11 times this season, registering 33 saves for a .825 save percentage, while also owning a 4-2-4 record on the season.
Maine Matchup History
The Black Bears lead the all-time series between the two teams, as Maine holds a 9-4-1 record since first matching up back in 2013. The last time the two sides met was the Semifinals in the America East postseason, with the Black Bears taking a 2-0 victory on November 7, 2024. The River Hawks have been steady at home versus Maine, with a 3-3 record.
Vermont Matchup History
UMass Lowell owns the advantage in the all-time series against Vermont, with the River Hawks holding a 5-4-3 record over the Catamounts. The last matchup ended in a 2-0 victory for UMass Lowell on October 13, 2024. The River Hawks' conference record against Vermont sits at 5-4-2.
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 sits first on the team in assists (3) after 12 games, while also logging the most minutes on the team with 952, so far. Welch sits behind Guthrie in second for most minutes registered (900). 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 redshirt-freshman Nina Hertz-Saebbö (Gothenburg, Sweden). 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. Eckroth is ranked first on the team in shots with 24, as Hertz-Saebbö sits behind with 23 total shots.
Between the Posts
Welch has started in net 10 times, so far, for the River Hawks this season. The Massachusetts native has made 48 saves to earn a .787 save percentage in 900 minutes played, sitting at a 3-4-3 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 still sits third in the conference in shots (24) and shots per game (2.67).
Eckroth also still ranks atop the America East leaderboard in third in goals (5) and goals per game (.556), with Belin next up for the River Hawks, ranking in ninth with three goals and a .300 goals per game average. Also posting her name on the points leaderboard, Eckroth currently ranks third in the America East for points per game with 1.11.
Guthrie remains in the top three of the conference in assists, currently tied for second with three total assists and 0.250 assists per game.
In the goalkeeper rankings, Welch ranks second in saves per game with 4.80, while sitting in sixth for save percentage (.787), and second for both shutouts per game (.300) and shutouts (3) in the America East.
The River Hawks are also ranked third in the conference in saves (61), and fourth in the America East in points (49), assists (15), and goals (17).
