LOWELL, Mass. – Entering the final week of the season with the top seed in the America East on the line, the UMass Lowell women's lacrosse team (11-3, 5-0 AE) wraps up non-conference play when they visit Massachusetts (11-3) on Tuesday, April 12. The team then will finish out the regular season at the Bryant Bulldogs (9-6, 4-1 AE) on Saturday, April 26, with the winner earning the America East's top seed.
LAST TIME OUT
Sophomore Alexa Kuhn tied her career high with 16 saves, as the UMass Lowell women's lacrosse team (11-3) nearly pulled off a second-half comeback, but fell to the Dartmouth Big Green (8-5), 14-12, on Wednesday afternoon. Leading the way for the River Hawks' offense, sophomore
Jillian Goldie (Owen Sound, Ontario) tallied three goals and an assist for four points.
Right behind her, junior Audra Hansen (Stamford, Ct.) added a hat trick, while senior
Jade Catlin (Middletown, Md.) scored twice. Sophomore
Bronwyn Hilbert (Lancaster, Pa.) chipped in with a goal and an assist, and junior
Macy Shultz (Adams, N.Y.), sophomore
Chloe Bowers (Whitefish Bay, Wis.), and freshman
Sydney Correll (West Grove, Pa.) all tallied a goal.
LEADING THE FLOCK
Catlin paces the offense through 14 games, scoring 47 goals alongside six assists for 53 points. Behind her, Goldie ranks second with 42 points on 29 goals and 13 assists. Hansen ranks third on the squad with 39 points, while junior Grace Lydon (Rowley, Mass.) totals a team-best 14 assists. Sophomore Allie Reading (Draper, Utah) sits second on the squad with 14 caused turnovers, one behind Catlins' 15. Junior Rachel Stax (Milton, Ga.) has totaled 63 draw controls so far this season, a new career high, and in net Kuhn has made 133 saves, good for a .493 save percentage, ranking 12th in the country and first in the conference through 14 games.
ONE FOR THE RECORD BOOKS
This season has been one to remember for the River Hawks, with multiple program records being shattered since the season opener. With four goals in game one against Manhattan, Catlin reached the 94 career goals mark, setting the new record for goals in a career for a River Hawk. Only two games later, she set the points record for the program, surpassing the previous high of 137 points. Against UMBC, Goldie added her name to the record books, tallying a new single-game high of nine points, including a career-best six goals.
SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST
In her senior season, Jade Catlin is putting up one of the best seasons of her career, ranking in the top 15 in the America East in nearly every major statistical category. One of the top offensive players in the conference, she ranks fourth in points per game (3.79) and third in goals per game (3.36). Meanwhile, she also sits tied for 14
th in ground balls per game (1.57), 12
th in draw controls (3.00), and eighth in caused turnovers (1.07). With two games remaining in the regular season, she also has a chance to surpass the program record of 48 goals in a season, set last year by both her and
Chloe Bowers.
FREE IS FOR ME
The River Hawks have been one of the best teams in the nation when given a free position shot, posting a .551 free position percentage, which ranks fifth in the country. Leading the way for UMass Lowell, Catlin owns a .652 free position percentage, sitting 20th in the country, while averaging 1.07 free position goals per game, which ranks 13th in Division I.
AMERICA EAST HONORS
This week, Kuhn was named the America East Goalkeeper of the Week for the fifth time this season. The week prior, Catlin was named the America East Offensive Player of the Week after scoring a season-high six goals over Binghamton. Earlier in the season, following the record-breaking win over UMBC, Goldie was tabbed with the same honor, while freshman Madison Carter (Baltimore, Md.) was tabbed the Rookie of the Week for the second time this season. In week three, Kuhn
was named Goalie of the Week while Reading was named the conference's Defensive Player of the Week, 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 MASSACHUSETTS
The Minutewomen enter Tuesday's game riding a nine-game win streak, most recently taking down St. Bonaventure, 20-13, on Saturday afternoon. Leading the squad on offense is Kassidy Morris, who totals 77 points off 61 goals and 16 assists. Behind her, three players tally over 50 points, including Delaney Rodriguez-Shaw, who paces her team with 28 assists. On defense, Lauren Carey posts a team-best 23 caused turnovers, and in net Catrina Tobin has started every game, making 95 saves while allowing 144 goals, good for a .397 save percentage.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
Bryant enters Saturday's clash with a 4-1 record in conference play, including winning the last two against Vermont and UAlbany. Pacing the team on offense is Isabelle Katter, who posts 54 points off 30 goals and 24 assists in 15 games. Right behind her, Emily DeGeorge totals a team-best 42 goals with seven assists for 49 points. On defense, Kaelynn O'Brien leads the America East with 45 caused turnovers, good for 3.00 a game. In net, Sam Centofante has started all 15 games, making 114 saves and allowing 167 goals for a .406 save percentage.
MATCHUP HISTORY
Tuesday marks the seventh match all-time between the Minutewomen and River Hawks, with Massachusetts earning the win each time. Meanwhile, Saturday will be the ninth game between Bryant and UMass Lowell, and although Bryant owns a 6-2 advantage all-time, the River Hawks won last season, 16-13, at Cushing.
