SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Sophomore Nuala Rodgers (Dedham, Mass.) registered one goal in today's match, as the UMass Lowell women's soccer team (6-5-5, 3-2-3 AE) competed hard, fighting to a 1-1 draw at Bryant (5-4-7, 2-2-4 AE) in their final game of the regular season on Thursday afternoon.
"Solid way to finish off the regular season against a strong Bryant team," said Head Coach Mira Novak. "They haven't clinched yet, and had to go into the game to earn the tournament. We knew this was going to be really hard. They pushed us back in the first 15 minutes, and had some good chances, so I'm glad that we survived it. As the game went on, I felt that we were getting more and more into it, and then we were creating more chances. So, really tight and even game until the penalty kick came out of nowhere. For me, It wasn't as much about the penalty kick, but about the response from the team. They found a way to earn it back right away, and get a goal back, so the response was fantastic. At the end, We had a lot of possessions and a lot of situations in their box, but unfortunately we weren't able to get a second goal."
The two sides were close in total shots taken, as Bryant took one more shot than UMass Lowell, 13-12, in the contest, while also leading in corners, 11-3. Freshman Nora Belin (Stockholm, Sweden) recorded her first collegiate assist on the goal by Rodgers. Sophomore Gaby Eckroth (Mechanicsburg, Pa.), Belin, and Rodgers each struck two shots over the course of the game, as well. Sophomore Rachel Welch (Franklin, Mass.) got the start in net for the River Hawks, tallying seven saves while in goal.
The Bulldogs started the game with a strong offensive possession, but the UMass Lowell defense stuck together, ending with a diving save by Welch at the bottom right of the net. The score remained the same for 15 minutes after Welch stopped another shot on goal.
Over the next 20 minutes, the match consisted of back-and-forth defense, as Bryant only tallied one shot at the goal. The River Hawks saw their first opportunity of the half in the 40th minute, with senior Hilary Jaén (Las Margaritas, Panama) ripping a shot directly off a free kick, but the home keeper was in front to keep the score even at 0-0 heading into the break.
Bryant was clicking on offense to start the second half, as two shots were drilled on net, but Welch was locked in, making two saves. The Bulldogs were awarded a penalty kick in the 52nd minute, setting up senior Emily Supple, who capitalized on the attempt, giving Bryant an early 1-0 lead. Almost instantly, the River Hawks responded with an equalizer in the 52nd minute after Belin drifted to the goal, finding Rodgers in the middle, with the midfielder striking a forceful shot that hit the back of the net, tying the contest back up at 1-1.
Rodgers ripped another shot on goal five minutes later, but the Bulldogs shut it down with under 30 minutes to play. The River Hawks' defense was just as consistent, cleaning up on the defensive end after turning away three shots before reaching the 70-minute mark. Over the next ten minutes, five shots were taken by UMass Lowell, with four flying on goal, including when Belin offered a chance in the 78th minute, but the Bulldogs kept the stalemate even at 1-1 with only a small amount of time remaining.
The River Hawks had two more opportunities in the final minutes of play, with Eckroth and Belin each striking good attempts on goal, but Bryant held its ground, sealing the 1-1 draw on Thursday afternoon.
The River Hawks will return home for the first round of the America East Playoffs, this Sunday, November 2. The time and opponent for the quarterfinal matchup are to be determined.
"The tie secured a home playoff game for us, so we know that we will be playing at home on Sunday," said Novak. "Now, just waiting on the results in the evening to see how they fall. For us, this is out of the eight years I've been here, this is the seventh year that we are going to host at least one playoff game. So, I'm really proud for this team. We are very young, and had to grow throughout the season. We had to find a way to adjust and deal with some setbacks, and going through the season they had the right mentality. It's been incredible to watch their progress every single day on the field, and see how much they love each other and want to be around each other. It's been really awesome. So, I hope going into Sunday that we can have a great game, and they can get rewarded for all the hard work they've put in throughout the year. We are going into the playoffs really excited about the opportunity to compete for an America East Championship."
