LOWELL, Mass. – After earning a big win in the conference opener, the UMass Lowell women's lacrosse team (7-2, 1-0 AE) hit the road to take on the Vermont Catamounts (4-5, 0-0 AE) on Saturday, March 22.

LAST TIME OUT
Junior Grace Lydon (Rowley, Mass.) tallied a career-high four assists, as the UMass Lowell women's lacrosse team (7-2, 1-0 AE) took down the New Hampshire Wildcats (2-6, 0-1 AE), 15-8, in the conference play opener on Sunday afternoon. Lydon, who tallied a goal to total five points, was all over the box score, adding a ground ball, a caused turnover, and four draw controls to her stat line. Tied with her with five points, senior Jade Catlin (Middletown, Md.) finished with four goals, one assist, two ground balls, two caused turnovers, and five draw controls. Junior Macy Shultz (Adams, N.Y.) added two goals and two assists, while sophomore Jillian Goldie (Owen Sound, Ontario) finished with three goals and an assist. Rounding out the goal scorers, junior Audra Hansen (Stamford, Ct.) finished with a hat trick, while sophomore Chloe Bowers (Whitefish Bay, Wis.) and sophomore Marlee Green (Honeoye Falls, N.Y.) each chipped in a goal. In net, sophomore Alexa Kuhn (Rocky Point, N.Y.) finished with six saves in the start.

LEADING THE FLOCK
Bowers and Catlin both pace the offense with 32 points, scoring 28 and 27 goals, respectively. Sitting third, Hansen and Lydon each total 26 points, while freshman Georgia Ruscitti (Toronto, Ontario) has a team-best 12 assists. Catlin alongside sophomore Allie Reading (Draper, Utah) both pace the squad with 11 caused turnovers, tailed by junior who totals nine. Junior Rachel Stax (Milton, Ga.) has totaled 29 draw controls so far this season, and in net, Kuhn has made 75 saves, good for a .497 save percentage, ranking 16^th in the country, in nine games.

AMERICA EAST HONORS
After a strong defensive showing in the conference opener against New Hampshire, freshman Madison Carter (Baltimore, Md.) was named the America East Rookie of the Week. The week prior, Kuhn was named the America East Goaltender of the Week. In week three, Kuhn earned the same honor alongside Reading who was named the conference's Defensive Player of the Week, marking the second straight week the River Hawks earned the two honors, as Kuhn was the Goaltender of the Week and Carter the Defensive Player of the Week in Week Two. After setting the program's career goals record with an impressive four-goal performance in the season opener win, Catlin was named the America East Offensive Player of the Week in Week One.

SCOUTING THE CATAMOUNTS
Vermont enters Saturday's game coming off a dominant win over CCSU, 24-0. Leading the way for the Catamounts' offense is Lydia Doraz, who tallies 26 goals and nine assists in nine games played. Behind her, Meghan O'Connor adds 18 goals and five assists, while five other members of the team total double-digit points. Leading the defense, Sabine Godwin leads the team with eight caused turnovers and 40 draw controls, while Anna Rosenberger has started all nine games in net, making 54 saves and allowing 88 goals for a .380 save percentage.

MATCHUP HISTORY
UMass Lowell and Vermont have faced each other ten times, with the Catamounts holding a 7-3 advantage all-time. Last season, the River Hawks earned a crucial, 16-11 victory in the regular season finale, clinching a playoff berth for the first time in program history.