LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell women's soccer team (5-5-4, 2-2-2 AE) returns to Cushing Field this Sunday, October 26, when they host the UAlbany Great Danes (2-11-2, 1-5 AE), at 12:00 p.m. in their final home game of the regular season. The River Hawks will also celebrate this year's senior class with a ceremony before the match.
October 26 vs. UAlbany
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Looking at UMass Lowell
The River Hawks finished last week with a 1-0-1 record, after tying with Maine, 2-2, in a well-fought match, and defeating Vermont 1-0 to cap the week. UMass Lowell now sits at a 2-2-2 America East record, with the team currently tied for fifth with Maine with eight points in conference play.
Against Maine, freshman Nora Belin (Stockholm, Sweden) scored her fourth goal of the season, while junior Luka Marceau (Newton, Mass.) added a goal as well. Sophomore Gaby Eckroth (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) tallied her first assist of the season on Belin's goal, and junior Marissa Sage (Milford, N.H.) also added an assist on the play. Redshirt-freshman Nina Hertz-Saebbö (Gothenburg, Sweden) and senior Nadja Andersen (Nakskov, Denmark) each registered an assist on the goal from Marceau, as well.
Belin soared this past week, as she netted the game-winning goal for the River Hawks in the final minutes against Vermont on Sunday to earn a 1-0 victory. Freshman Emma Theorén (Sollentuna, Vällingby) and senior Hilary Jaén (Las Margaritas, Panama) each tallied an assist on Belin's goal, while sophomore Rachel Welch (Franklin, Mass.) collected four saves and her fourth clean sheet of the season.
Scouting the Great Danes
UAlbany enters Sunday's game against UMass Lowell after falling 3-0 against Dartmouth on Tuesday, October 21. The Great Danes now sit at a 2-11-2 record with a 1-5 conference record, currently tied for eighth in the America East with NJIT.
Redshirt-junior Madison Hnis is leading the team in goals (3), points (6), and shots (24), while redshirt-sophomore Jolie Pye, sophomore Mariella Fulcher, and senior Selma Elverum are all tied for first on the team in assists (1). In net, redshirt-freshman Claudia Volino has started in all 15 games for UAlbany, collecting 83 saves for a .703 save percentage. The goalkeeper has also logged the most minutes on the team with 1350.
UAlbany Matchup History
The all-time series between the Great Danes and the River Hawks sits at a 5-8-1 record. The River Hawks own a 3-2-1 home record over UAlbany, while the Great Danes took a 3-2 victory over the River Hawks in the most recent matchup on October 6, 2024.
America East Rookie of the Week
Belin was a huge piece offensively in last week's contests for the River Hawks, as the forward earned America East Rookie of the Week honors for the second time this season.
The freshman recorded two goals for four points in a 1-0-1 week for the River Hawks, registering a game-winning goal in the last minutes of play against the Catamounts to mark her second straight game with a score.
Freshman Highlight
Belin continues to stand out during her freshman campaign, as she recently tallied her fifth goal of the season during Sunday's 1-0 victory over Vermont. This marks the first freshman with 5+ goals since Ioanna Papatheodorou in 2021.
Game-Winning Goal in Regulation
On Sunday, Belin scored the game-winning goal in the 89th minute of regulation against Vermont, making it the latest UMass Lowell game-winner in regulation since September 25, 2016. The previous game-winning goal in regulation was against UAlbany in the 90th minute, as the River Hawks took a 1-0 win.
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.) remains first on the team in minutes (1111) after 14 games, with Welch sitting behind Guthrie in second for most minutes registered (1080). Guthrie, Theorén, Andersen, and Hertz-Saebbö are all tied for first on the team in assists (3). Eckroth and Belin are both ranked first on the team in goals (5), while Eckroth leads the team in points with 11, and Belin sits a close second with 10. Eckroth is ranked first on the team in shots with 28, as Hertz-Saebbö sits behind with 26 total shots.
Between the Posts
Welch has started in net 12 times, so far, for the River Hawks this season. The Massachusetts native has made 55 saves to earn a .786 save percentage in 1080 minutes played, sitting at a 4-4-4 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 ranks seventh in the conference in shots (28) and shots per game (2.55).
Belin and Eckroth are both tied in fifth in the America East in goals (5). Also posting their names on the points leaderboard, Eckroth is currently sitting in fourth in the conference for points per game with 1.00, and Belin is ranked seventh in points per game with .83.
Guthrie, Hertz-Saebbö, Andersen, and Theorén are all currently tied for fourth in the conference in assists (3).
In the goalkeeper rankings, Welch ranks second in saves per game with 4.58, while sitting in seventh for save percentage (.786), and second for both shutouts per game (.333) and shutouts (4) in the America East.
The River Hawks are also ranked first in assists (22) in the conference, sit in third in goals (20) and points (62), and are fourth in the America East in saves (68).
