LOWELL, Mass. – Sophomore Rachel Welch (Franklin, Mass.) collected three saves and recorded the first shutout of her collegiate career while in goal, as the UMass Lowell women's soccer team (1-3-1) played to a 0-0 draw at home against Massachusetts (2-1-2) in the Kennedy Cup matchup on Sunday night.
"The effort and attitude that we went into the game with today was pretty good," said Head Coach Mira Novak. "I feel from the team, we were hungry and we wanted to get the win. A little bit less quality during the final thread which we would need to win a game. Overall, we got our first shutout and the team had a solid performance today, so I'm happy with that."
The River Hawks outshot the Minutewomen, 19-11, while Massachusetts took four corners to UMass Lowell's two. Sophomore Nina Hertz-Saebbö (Gothenburg, Sweden) recorded six shots during the contest.
The River Hawks were aggressive offensively, as two shots came in the opening ten minutes, with freshman Kiera Fitzpatrick (Methuen, Mass.) seeing a chance on the right side in the ninth minute, striking the ball to the bottom center, but it was caught by the keeper.
Sticking with it, Hertz-Saebbö and junior Eliana Parreira (Chelmsford, Mass.) each offered shots around the 20-minute mark, as the River Hawks were searching for their first goal to jump in front.
Two chances on goal from the visitors occurred in the 30th minute, but a blocked shot and a great save from Welch on the right side of the net kept the score the same.
Sophomore Mia Eva Girgis (Montreal, Quebec) struck a shot from outside the box with three minutes remaining in the half, but the ball drifted right of the goal. The clock reached zero and the score stayed even, 0-0, heading into the break.
The River Hawks, still hungry for a goal, began the second half with a strike from junior Marissa Sage (Milford, N.H.) in the opening minute, sending the ball flying high over the top. Junior Luka Marceau (Newton, Mass.) kept battling, ripping a shot to the bottom left in the 59th minute, although the visiting keeper was there to jump in front.
Sophomore Nuala Rodgers (Dedham, Mass.) and Hertz-Saebbö both saw opportunities on goal midway through the second half, but the Minutewomen keeper stayed consistent, recording two saves to keep the game tied.
In the 79th minute, senior Maddie Guthrie (Stow, Mass.) unleashed a shot from way outside the box, as the ball came speeding at the crossbar, bouncing off it and finding Eva Girgis, who launched a shot to the bottom center of the goal before the opposing keeper was able to get her hands on it.
The game was close all the way until the end with both sides searching for a late goal. The Minutewomen blasted a shot on net in the 85th minute, but Welch was there to make the stop, getting a hold of the ball on the right side.
The River Hawks kept fighting until the clock hit zero, seeing their last attempt on net from Hertz-Saebbö in the 89th minute, but the shot was saved at the bottom center. A back-and-forth game finalized as a 0-0 draw against Massachusetts.
The River Hawks return for their fourth straight home game this Wednesday, September 3 against CCSU at Cushing Field. The game is set to begin at 6 p.m. in Lowell, Mass. Admission is free all season thanks to Eastern Salt and Mahoney Oil.
