LOWELL, Mass. - The UMass Lowell field hockey team (1-1) begins week two of the season by wrapping up a three-game homestand against Northeastern on Friday, September 5 at 6 p.m. The River Hawks will then make their first road trip of the season to visit Yale on Sunday, Sept. 7 at 2 p.m.
 
RIVER HAWK REWIND
The River Hawks opened the 2025 season with a 1-1 week. The squad first defeated Merrimack, 6-0, in the season opener on Aug. 29 with the help of a pair of goals by senior Ava Clarke (Hopkinton, Mass.). A 3-0 setback against No. 14 Massachusetts followed, as freshman keeper Veerle Mous (Breda, Netherlands) made 11 stops.
 
LEADING THE FLOCK
Through two games, Clarke paces the offense with two goals and four points. Sophomore Karlijn Kerkhof (Rotterdam, Netherlands) follows with one goal and one assist for three points, in addition to a team-best 11 shots on goal. In the cage, Mous owns the 1-1 record and boasts 11 saves for a .786 save percentage.
 
A WIN WOULD
A win on Friday would give the River Hawks their fourth victory against Northeastern in five games after the Huskies took a 6-3 decision in 2024. A win against Yale on Sunday would mark the first ever win for the River Hawks in that series, as the Bulldogs held a 5-0 advantage prior to the Division I era.
 
HOME SWEET HOME
The season-opening win against Merrimack extended the River Hawks' home win streak to 10 games. The team went an undefeated 9-0 on its home turf in 2024.
 
MILESTONE WATCH
Head Coach Shannon LeBlanc is two wins away from a milestone. She currently owns 298 career victories, having finished Division II with exactly 200 wins. She is the winningest coach in program history.
 
STARTING STRONG
The decision against Merrimack marked the River Hawks' ninth consecutive win in a home opener at Wicked Blue.
 
SPREADING THE LOVE
The River Hawks have already shown their depth this year, as six different players tallied a point in the home opener.
 
STIFF COMPETITION
Four of the River Hawks' 2025 opponents were listed in the NFHCA Division I preseason national rankings, including Harvard, who had checked in at No. 6. Also on the list were Massachusetts, UAlbany and Wake Forest. Last year, the River Hawks defeated one nationally ranked opponent in No. 20 Rutgers. Since 2021, the team has challenged 13 nationally ranked opponents with nine of the 10 setbacks being decided by two goals or less.
 
TEAM 50
UMass Lowell field hockey is celebrating 50 years in 2025 after starting back in 1975. The team is honoring the history of the program all season, including on Alumni Day with a special post-game reception on Sept. 21. To register, click here.
 
OF NOTE
Veerle Mous logged a personal-best 11 saves vs. Massachusetts (8.31) … Audrey Carter and Haley Wernig each logged their first career goal vs. Merrimack (8.29).