River Hawks Hang on to Early Lead in 1-0 Victory against Bryant to Open League Play

Friday, October 2

Lowell, Mass.

3PM

University of Massachusetts Lowell

(6-4, 1-0)

Bryant

(5-4, 0-1)

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Bryant	0	0	0	0	0
UMass Lowell	1	0	0	0	1

River Hawks Hang on to Early Lead in 1-0 Victory against Bryant to Open League Play

10/2/2026 8:08:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

LOWELL, Mass. – Junior Audrey Carter (Dover, D.H.) scored less than five minutes into the game to give the UMass Lowell field hockey team (6-4, 1-0 AE) a lead it would hold onto in a 1-0 victory against Bryant (5-4, 0-1 AE) on Friday afternoon.

"I'll start with the positive," said Head Coach Shannon LeBlanc. "The second half was strong and I Ioved our fourth-quarter of hockey and how we took control of the game during that time. And obviously I love a conference win regardless of how we got there. However, I don't think we put our best foot forward today and we need to reflect on some of the details of today's game that were out of character for us to make some quick changes for Sunday's game at Providence. I know our crew loves to reflect and make change, so we are looking forward to training and film tomorrow to bring our best on Sunday."

The River Hawks opened America East Conference play with a win for the second consecutive season and improve to 5-0 at home so far this year. As a team, UMass Lowell took a 6-1 edge in shots on goal.

The River Hawks broke open the scoring in just the fourth minute of action, as the opposing keeper kicked a loose ball away that Carter charged and finished to put her side on top, 1-0. The Bulldogs followed with five corners throughout the remainder of the quarter, looking to even the board, but the UMass Lowell defense shutdown the attack.

The teams battled for possession, as the River Hawks earned two corners in the second quarter with senior Alice Van Hemelen (Tervuren, Belgium) getting a shot on target in the 22^nd minute. Two minutes later, Van Hemelen charged through the circle and tested the Bulldog keeper once again, but the 1-0 margin would stand at the break.

The River Hawks pressured for the majority of the third quarter, holding the opposition without a shot. Freshman Ella Sluder (Allentown, N.J.) put an attempt on cage in the 42^nd minute and the team forced a corner in the 43^rd minute, but the initial shot by sophomore Rena Pistilli (Lambare, Paraguay) was blocked.

To start the fourth, senior Karli Penrod (Seaford, Del.) and Van Hemelen put back-to-back shots on goal followed by four corners for the home team. In the 57^th minute, Bulldogs would take the final corner of the game, but the River Hawk defense thwarted the opportunity ahead of a save by sophomore goalkeeper Megan MacMiller (Tarzana, Calif.) inside the final two minutes to help secure the 1-0 victory.

Up next, the River Hawks head out on the road for a non-conference tilt at Providence on Sunday, October 4 at 12 p.m.