River Hawks Conclude Regular-Season Home Slate against Maine on Friday

LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell field hockey team (8-7, 2-1 AE) is set to play one final regular season contest at Wicked Blue Field in 2026, as the River Hawks host the Maine Black Bears (7-7, 2-1 AE) on Friday, October 23 at 3 p.m.

RIVER HAWK REWIND
The River Hawks went 1-1 last week, defeating New Hampshire in a 4-0 conference victory on Oct. 16 before falling, 1-0, against Dartmouth on Oct. 18. Sophomore Rena Pistilli (Lambaré, Paraguay) registered three goals in the win at UNH to lead the way.

LEADING THE FLOCK
Rena Pistilli, along with junior Audrey Carter (Dover, N.H.) and sophomore Alexa Guarneri (Hockessin, Del.), have each found the back of the net six times this fall. Carter leads the way with 15 total points, while Pistilli adds 14. Freshman Frédèrique van den Dungen (Rosmalen, Netherlands) is first on the team with seven assists so far. In the cage, sophomores Veerle Mous (Breda, Netherlands) and Megan MacMiller (Tarzana, Calif.) continue to split time and combine for 55 saves and a .743 save percentage.

SERIES HISTORY
The River Hawks own a 4-19-1 all-time record against Maine, but have won three of the last four meetings.

HOME SWEET HOME
The River Hawks are 6-1 at Wicked Blue Field in 2026. UMass Lowell has continued to dominate on home turf, outscoring its opponents 21-4.

DEFENSIVE DISRUPTION
The River Hawks have held a significant defensive edge over their opponents this season. UMass Lowell is allowing just 1.33 goals per game, the second-best mark in America East, trailing only Vermont. Mous and MacMiller's combined .743 save percentage also ranks second in the conference, behind only Maine.

CORNER CRASHERS
The River Hawks have been incredibly difficult to score on during defensive corners so far in 2026, allowing just six goals on 58 attempts by the opposition, for a 90% success rate.

HAT TRICK HEROES
Rena Pistilli converted on three corners to record her first career hat trick and lead the River Hawks to a dominant 4-0 shutout victory at New Hampshire on Oct. 16. Alexa Guarneri also recorded a hat trick earlier this season in the team's victory against New Haven on Sept. 11.

WEEKLY AWARDS
Rena Pistilli was named America East Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 20 for her three goals at UNH. Freshman Frederique van den Dungen earned her second consecutive weekly honor on Oct. 6, being named America East Defensive Player of the Week after helping the River Hawks secure a 1-0 conference-opening victory over Bryant. On Sept. 29, sophomore Megan MacMiller earned Goalkeeper of the Week honors, while van den Dungen was named Rookie of the Week. Guarneri received America East Offensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 15 after tallying eight points in a 2-0 week against New Haven and Merrimack. Earlier in the season, Mous was named America East Goalkeeper of the Week on Sept. 1 after recording a 0.00 goals-against average in 60 minutes of action against Stanford and UC Davis.

AROUND THE AMERICA EAST
The America East standings are incredibly tight at the top, with four teams currently tied for first place with 2-1 conference records. The River Hawks are tied with UAlbany, Maine and New Hampshire for the top spot.

STIFF COMPETITION
The River Hawks have now faced three nationally ranked opponents this season, including No. 12 Syracuse. Since 2021, the team has challenged 18 nationally ranked opponents, with 12 of its 15 losses decided by two goals or fewer.

OF NOTE
Freshman Mae Kemps (Vught, Netherlands) scored her first career goal at Syracuse (9.19) … freshman Ella Sulder (Allentown, N.J.) scored her first career goal against New Haven (9.11) … Megan MacMiller.

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Players Mentioned

Audrey Carter

Alexa Guarneri

Mae Kemps

Megan MacMiller

Veerle Mous

Rena Pistilli

Frédèrique van den Dungen

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