LOWELL, Mass. – Sophomore Karlijn Kerkhof logged a personal-best two goals, as the UMass Lowell field hockey team (1-2) faced a 4-3 setback against Northeastern (2-0) on Friday evening at Wicked Blue Field.
 
"Obviously a one-goal game is always a tough one because you want to be on the other side of that score," said Head Coach Shannon LeBlanc. "I love that we scored three goals. I thought that we finished some balls that needed to be finished, but overall it's always tough to lose at home."
 
Senior Madison Leeper (East Amherst, N.Y.) added one goal in the contest, while sophomore Alice Van Hemelen (Tervuren, Belgium) and freshmen Rena Pistilli (Lambaré, Paraguay) and Holly Beckinsale (Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland) chipped in with one assist apiece. In the cage, freshman goalkeeper Veerle Mous (Breda, Netherlands) totaled five saves.
 
The teams traded one shot apiece in the opening minutes before the River Hawks jumped in front in the seventh minute when Leeper put a one-timer on a pass from Van Hemelen to create a 1-0 edge.
 
The Huskies retaliated in the 13^th minute, however, as Laine Ambrose fired from the 25-yard line for Emmy Stubbs, who got a final touch in front of the cage to even the board at 1-1.
 
The River Hawks looked for a go-ahead goal in the second quarter, totaling four corners and three shots, including a chance on target by Kerkhof in the 21^st minute. The Huskies retaliated with a hard ball in the 28^th minute, but Mous batted it away to extinguish the chance and keep the game deadlocked at 1-1 heading into the break.
 
Coming out of halftime, the Huskies gained momentum in their offensive end, putting two shots on goal before taking the lead on a corner thanks to a score by Lucy Walton in the 48^th minute. Just over a minute later, Northeastern was awarded a penalty stroke and converted once again, this time off the stick of Camille Armaganian, stretching the difference to 4-2.
 
UMass Lowell battled back with a corner and earned a stroke of its own, as Kerkhof went top shelf to close the gap to just one at 4-3 in the 50^th minute. The home side pressured with three corners and three shots in the final minutes, but Northeastern fended off the attack to seal the 4-3 outcome.
 
The River Hawks now head out on their first road trip on Sunday, September 7 when they visit Yale for a 2 p.m. matchup.