LOWELL, Mass. – Sophomore Gaby Eckroth (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) tallied a goal for the second straight game, as the UMass Lowell women's soccer team (3-3-3, 0-0-1 AE) battled to a 1-1 draw against NJIT (5-2-3, 0-0-1 AE) in their first conference game of the season on Sunday evening.
"A lot of credit to the team for fighting and finding a way back," said Head Coach Mira Novak. "I think the first game is always hard. It feels like the playoffs and you go into that game, maybe having butterflies in your stomach a little bit. So, we dealt with that early on and unfortunately conceded an early goal. I'd love us to create a few more opportunities out of what we have. We didn't lose today, but would've liked to get three points. Proud of the team how they fought back and didn't lose."
The River Hawks had a slight edge on shots over the Highlanders, 12-11, while NJIT took five corners to UMass Lowell's three. Sophomore Rachel Welch (Franklin, Mass.) got the start in net, making six saves on the day.
The River Hawks started the game aggressively on offense, as a pair of shots were fired off in the first three minutes, but the Highlanders stayed in front to keep the hosts off the board. Just moments later, NJIT struck first after senior Maria Nogueira sent a cross in front of the net to senior Emily Jozak, heading in the ball for a 1-0 lead in the seventh minute. Looking to answer back, redshirt freshman Nina Hertz-Saebbö (Gothenburg, Sweden) fired off a shot in the ninth minute, but it was handled by the Highlanders keeper. For the next 20 minutes, both sides played strong defense, keeping the score the same midway through the first.
In the 32nd minute, Eckroth saw an opportunity to even the score, and she made sure to capitalize. Collecting the ball off a throw-in, the sophomore instantly turned and fired, sending a shot into the back left side of the net, tying the score up at 1-1. The Highlanders attempted to regain the lead in the 43rd minute after launching a shot on net, but Welch was able to reach up and poke the ball out of play for a huge save, keeping the game tied heading into the break.
Both sides opened the second half with a defensive effort, as the River Hawks registered the only shot by the 60-minute mark. Over the next 15 minutes, the Highlanders ripped three attempts on goal, but Welch was determined, making three big saves during that span.
With only five minutes remaining in the match, Hertz-Saebbö was searching for the go-ahead goal, as the forward struck a shot, but it flew right of the net. In the 89th minute, the River Hawks saw one last chance to jump in front after Hertz-Saebbö crossed it over to Eckroth, who headed an attempt at the bottom left of the goal, but the visiting keeper was there to make the save, sealing the 1-1 decision.
The River Hawks are back on the field next Sunday, September 28, against UMBC in their second conference game at Retriever Soccer Park. Kickoff will begin at 1 p.m. in Baltimore, Md.
