LOWELL, Mass. – Senior Grace Lydon (Rowley, Mass.) scored a game-high five points, as the UMass Lowell women's lacrosse team (2-0) cruised to a 16-5 victory over the Merrimack Warriors (0-2) on Wednesday night.

"Obviously, we're playing a lot of kids who haven't played, and I thought they did a really nice job of staying in structure, they knew what they were looking for, and they were patient enough to find it," said Head Coach Lisa Miller. "I thought we did some really good things up and down the field, and I thought I saw some light bulbs go off tonight."

Lydon, who finished with two goals and three assists, was one of nine River Hawks to record a point in the contest. Junior Chloe Bowers (Whitefish Bay, Wis.) finished a game-best four goals, while senior Kaitlynn Anderson (Winnipeg, Manitoba) added a career-high four points on two goals and two assists. Junior Bronwyn Hilbert (Lancaster, Pa.) and sophomores Georgia Ruscitti (Toronto, Ontario) and Chiara Pompei (Catonsville, Md.) each contributed two goals, while freshman Ada Krupa (East Irondequoit, N.Y.) and sophomore Sydney Correll (West Grove, Pa.) rounded out the goal scorers with one apiece. In net, junior Alexa Kuhn (Rocky Point, N.Y.) made six saves in the start.

The River Hawks wasted no time getting to work on offense, with Bowers scoring the first goal of the game just over a minute in on a free position shot. The offense was just getting started, as Ruscitti followed with a score seconds later, before Pompei added the first two of her career and Anderson added her first of the season, giving the hosts a 5-0 advantage with 6:54 on the clock. Although Merrimack responded immediately with a goal on a woman-up opportunity, UMass Lowell finished the quarter strong, not allowing another goal while Bowers tallied her second of the day, putting the River Hawks on top 6-1 after one.

The second quarter began much like the first, with Bowers scoring right away, building the advantage to six. Both teams proceeded to lock down defensively, as the game went scoreless for nearly five minutes before Anderson found Hilbert in front of the net, setting up the team's second goal of the period. The Warriors fought right back, scoring the next two goals of the game, but once again the hosts finished the period strong with Krupa finding the back of the net in the final minutes, giving her team a 9-3 lead heading into the break.

Both teams came out of halftime with a focus on defense, as neither squad scored for over five minutes before Merrimack got on the board with 9:54 on the clock. UMass Lowell stood strong, though, preventing the opposition from adding another score for the remainder of the third. Meanwhile, the offense found its footing, as Lydon ripped a shot past the keeper on a free position shot, quickly followed by Ruscitti's second goal of the evening, extending the advantage to 11-4 heading into the final quarter.

In the final period, the River Hawks continued to dominate on the offensive end with goals from Hilbert, Lydon, Bowers, Anderson, and Correll, while the defense allowed only one goal in the period, sealing the 16-5 victory.

Next up, the River Hawks wrap up the three-game home stand when they welcome #15 Yale to Cushing Field on Saturday, February 14. Opening draw is scheduled for 1 p.m.