LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell women's soccer team (1-2-0) is set to host two home games this week at Cushing Field, with the first contest against Kansas State (3-0-0) on August 28, beginning at 7:00 p.m., followed by the Kennedy Cup matchup versus Massachusetts (2-1-0) on August 31 at 6:00 p.m. to close out the month of August.
August 28 vs. Kansas State
Watch | Int'l Stream | Live Stats
August 31 vs. Massachusetts
Watch | Int'l Stream | Live Stats
Looking at UMass Lowell
The River Hawks hosted Idaho this past Thursday for the team's home opener, but fell in a 4-0 decision in their third non-conference game. Freshman Lucie Chumanová (Prague, Czech Republic) earned her first career start, tallying nine saves in the contest. Senior Hilary Jaén (Las Margaritas, Panama) registered two shots throughout the game.
In the previous game, the River Hawks had a tight match against Merrimack but fell in a 2-1 contest. Sophomore Nina Hertz-Saebbö (Gothenburg, Sweden) registered the first goal of her collegiate career, as freshman Emma Theorén (Sollentuna, Vällingby) added her first career assist. The Warriors had a slight edge on shots, outshooting the River Hawks 17-15. Sophomore Rachel Welch (Franklin, Mass.) made six saves in goal.
Scouting the Wildcats
Kansas State has come out strong to start the season, sitting at a 3-0 record while having won its most recent game, 2-0, last Thursday at South Dakota. Sophomore Hannah Palmer and sophomore Allison Marshall each recorded a goal in the victory.
Palmer currently leads the team in goals (2) and points (6), while sitting tied for second on the team in assists (2) with sophomore Mabry Williams. Junior McKinnan Braswell has taken the most shots on the team with eight. Sophomore Maddie Sibbing, junior Lily Hendrickson, and junior Reece Walrod have totaled the most minutes for the Wildcats with 270 each. In goal, Sibbing has played in all three games this season for Kansas State, owning a 1.000 save percentage with six saves, and a perfect 3-0 record.
Scouting the Minutewomen
Massachusetts enters Sunday's matchup coming off a 2-1 victory over Harvard last week. Sophomore Amelia Bloom and sophomore Morgan Bellamy both posted a goal in the contest, with redshirt freshman Leah Nisenfeld in net making six saves. The Minutewomen currently sit at a 2-1 record on the season.
Freshman Amelia Deren, Bloom, and Bellamy all lead the team with one goal, while Bloom is also ranked first on the squad in points (3) and shots (11). Graduate Student Sarah DeFreitas, freshman Aline Traber, and Bloom have all registered one assist, tying for first on the team. Nisenfeld has recorded the most minutes (270) for the Minutewomen, so far, as the goalkeeper has made 16 saves and posted a .800 save percentage, holding a 2-1 record.
Kansas State Matchup History
Thursday marks the first contest between UMass Lowell and Kansas State in the Division I era.
Massachusetts Matchup History
UMass Lowell prepares to go head-to-head against Massachusetts for the seventh time in program history this upcoming Sunday. Massachusetts holds the series record at 1-2-3, while the River Hawks' home record sits at 1-0-2 in the matchup.
Leading the Flock
Senior Maddie Guthrie (Stow, Mass.) still ranks first on the team in points (3) and assists (3) after three games. Senior Megan Banzi (Plymouth, Mass.) has registered the most minutes so far with 242, with Guthrie right behind her with 235 minutes played.
Sophomore Gaby Eckroth (Mechanicsburg, Pa.), junior Marissa Sage (Milford, N.H.), freshman Kiera Fitzpatrick (Methuen, Mass.), freshman Anneliese Collin (Portland, Me.), and Hertz-Saebbö are all tied on the team for most goals with one, and all sit tied for second in points (2).
Eckroth has tallied the most shots on the team with eight, as Sage ranks second with seven total shots.
Between the Posts
Welch began the 2025 season in net for the River Hawks, starting in two matches so far. The Mass native has made 17 saves to earn a .810 save percentage and one victory this season.
Chumanová made her first start of her collegiate career in game three of the season against Idaho. The freshman made nine saves while posting a .692 save percentage.
Around the America East
Eckroth is ranked fourth in the conference in shots (8) and shots per game (3.50), while Sage is a few spots behind, ranking sixth for shots (7) and shots per game (2.33).
Sage, Collin, Hertz-Saebbö, Eckroth, and Fitzpatrick are all tied for third in goals on the America East leaderboards with one each. Meanwhile, Guthrie remains at the top of the conference in assists with three and assists per game with 1.00. Senior Nadja Andersen (Nakskov, Denmark), sophomore Nuala Rodgers (Dedham, Mass.), and Theorén are all tied for fourth in assists (1).
In the goalkeeper rankings, Welch ranks first in saves per game with 8.50, while sitting in sixth in the conference for save percentage (.810).
As a team, UMass Lowell currently leads the conference in assists (6) and saves (27). The River Hawks also sit in third in the America East in shots (33), points (16), and goals (5).
