LOWELL, Mass. – The No. 3 seeded UMass Lowell women's soccer team (6-5-5, 3-2-3 AE) will host No. 6 Bryant (5-4-7 2-2-4 AE) in the America East Quarterfinals at Cushing Field on Sunday, November 2, kicking off at 4 p.m.
Tickets are available for purchase on the schedule page, as well as at Cushing Field on Sunday beginning at 2:30 p.m.
November 2 vs. Bryant
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Looking at UMass Lowell
The River Hawks now focus on the America East Quarterfinal game, hosting Bryant, after just facing the Bulldogs in their final game of the regular season on Thursday. The match ended in a 1-1 stalemate against Bryant, with sophomore Nuala Rodgers (Dedham, Mass.) adding an equalizer in the 52nd minute, helping UMass Lowell ultimately tie its final conference game of the regular season. Freshman Nora Belin (Stockholm, Sweden) tallied her first collegiate assist on the goal by Rodgers, while sophomore Rachel Welch (Franklin, Mass.) got the start in net for the River Hawks, collecting seven saves.
UMass Lowell ended the regular season with a 3-2-3 America East record, as the team finished in third in the conference with 12 points.
Scouting the Bulldogs
Bryant tied its most recent contest, 1-1, against UMass Lowell at home on Thursday. Senior Emily Supple recorded one goal in the match, while junior Shannon Mejia stepped into the net for the Bulldogs, making seven saves. The Bulldogs currently sit at a 5-4-7 record with a 2-2-4 conference record, finishing fifth in the America East during the regular season with 10 points.
Supple leads the team in both goals (4) and points (10), while she is also tied with senior Madison Luke and freshman Grayson Edwards for most assists on the team (2). Junior Colleen Ardolino leads the team in minutes (1405), while Luke has taken the most shots (41). In net, Mejia has appeared in 14 games for Bryant, making eight starts to register 720 minutes with 41 saves for a .804 save percentage. Also in goal, senior Selena Negron has seen action in 14 games with eight starts, logging 715 minutes, collecting 30 saves for a .938 save percentage.
Bryant Matchup History
In the all-time series between the River Hawks and the Bulldogs, UMass Lowell owns a 7-0-3 record, with the most recent matchup ending in a 1-1 draw on Thursday, October 30. The River Hawks own a 4-0 record at home, while their away record sits at 2-0-3. The two sides have competed four times in conference play, with UMass Lowell holding a 2-0-2 record over Bryant. For two seasons in a row now, UMass Lowell has ended the regular season by matching up against Bryant before meeting the Bulldogs in the opening round of the America East Quarterfinals.
Playoff Picture
If the River Hawks are able to claim the victory on Sunday, they would travel to face the No. 2 seeded Vermont in the America East semifinals on Thursday, November 6.
Postseason History
This is UMass Lowell's eighth season in a row playing in the America East postseason, all guided by Head Coach Mira Novak. The River Hawks have made eight total appearances in the AE playoffs, with two championship games under their belt.
Record with 2+ Goals or Assists
The River Hawks have posted 76 points this season, totaling their most as a team since the 2022 season, registering 91 points that season. UMass Lowell scored 2+ goals in six matches throughout the season, sitting at a 4-0-2 record. During seven contests in the 2025 season, the River Hawks tallied 2+ assists, owning a record of 5-0-2.
Freshman Highlight
Belin stood out during her freshman campaign, as the forward recently tallied her sixth goal of the season on Sunday, October 26, in a 3-1 victory over UAlbany. This marks the first River Hawk freshman with 6+ goals and 13+ points since Ioanna Papatheodorou in 2021. Along with this, Belin has collected three America East Rookie of the Week honors during the 2025 season, as Papatheodorou also earned three Rookie of the Week honors during her freshman year at UMass Lowell.
Leading the Flock
After the regular season, senior Maddie Guthrie (Stow, Mass.) ranks first on the team in minutes (1276) after 16 games played, with Welch sitting behind Guthrie in second (1260). Guthrie currently leads the team in assists (4), with freshman Emma Theorén (Sollentuna, Vällingby), senior Nadja Andersen (Nakskov, Denmark), redshirt-freshman Nina Hertz-Saebbö (Gothenburg, Sweden), and senior Megan Banzi (Plymouth, Mass.) all tied for second in assists (3). Sophomore Gaby Eckroth (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) and Belin are both tied for first on the team in goals (6), while Eckroth leads the team in points with 14, and Belin sits a close second with 13. Eckroth has posted the most shots on the team this season with 36, as Hertz-Saebbö sits behind with 27 total shots.
Between the Posts
Welch started 14 times in net during the regular season for the River Hawks. The Massachusetts native has registered 66 saves to earn a .795 save percentage in 1260 minutes played, holding a 5-4-5 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
Following the regular season, Eckroth ranks third in the conference in shots (36) and shots per game (2.77).
Belin and Eckroth are both tied in third in the America East in goals (6). Also listing their names on the points leaderboard, Eckroth is sitting in fourth in the conference for points per game with 1.08, with Belin ranked sixth in points per game with .93.
Guthrie is tied for second in the America East in assists (4), while Hertz-Saebbö, Andersen, Banzi, and Theorén are all currently tied for eighth in assists (3).
In the goalkeeper rankings, Welch remains in second in saves per game with 4.71, while sitting in fifth for save percentage (.795), and second for both shutouts per game (.286) and shutouts (4) in the America East.
The River Hawks are also ranked first in assists (28) in the conference, sit in second in goals (24) and points (76), and are fourth in the America East in saves (79).
