No. 1 River Hawks Fall to No. 5 Vermont in America East Semifinals

Tuesday, November 3

Lowell, Mass.

1PM

University of Massachusetts Lowell

(10-8)

Vermont

(13-5)

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

Karli Penrod winding up for a reverse stick shot

11/3/2026 4:36:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score Highlights

LOWELL, Mass. – Seniors Alice Van Hemelen (Tervuren, Belgium) and Karli Penrod (Laurel, Del.) each scored a goal, as the No. 1 seeded UMass Lowell field hockey team (10-8) fell, 3-2, against No. 5 Vermont (13-5) in the 2026 America East Championship semifinals on Tuesday afternoon at Wicked Blue Field.

Junior Audrey Carter (Dover, N.H.) and freshman Frédèrique van den Dungen (Rosmalen, Netherlands) each added an assist in the contest. Sophomore goalkeeper Veerle Mous (Breda, Netherlands) registered six saves in the first half, while classmate Megan MacMiller (Tarzana, Netherlands) added two in the second half.

Both sides came out fast and furious in the opening quarter, as Mous made two quick stops before the River Hawks converted on their first corner in the sixth minute thanks to a blast from Van Hemelen that sailed high into the net to put the home squad on top, 1-0. Just two minutes later, Carter forced a turnover in the defensive 25 and broke away down the field before dishing to Penrod, who beat the final Catamount with a reverse-stick rip to stretch the lead to 2-0. However, in the ninth minute, Vermont's Addie DelOrefice chipped in a turnaround chance to cut the difference in half, 2-1.

The teams stayed aggressive heading into the second quarter with UMass Lowell fending off two UVM corners in the first three minutes. In the 23^rd minute, though, Gabriella Santini got a final touch on a ball from Battistelli to even the board at 2-2. Late in the quarter, DelOrefice tried to put the visitors ahead, ringing the post and putting another attempt into Mous' pads to keep the stalemate intact heading into the break.

Vermont pressured with six shots in the third quarter, including a chance from Isi McMahon on a breakaway in the 38^th minute that missed just wide to keep the score all tied up heading into the final quarter.

The deciding moment came in the 47^th minute when Consu de Castro redirected a pass from Fiona McMahon on a corner to pull ahead, 3-2. The River Hawks forced two corners down the stretch, but were not able to net a tying score.

The River Hawks finish the 2026 season with a 10-8 record.