LOWELL, Mass. –  Coming off a hard-fought, defensive battle on the road, the UMass Lowell women's lacrosse team (2-2) returns to action for two games this week, first starting with a trip to take on the Massachusetts Minutewomen (3-1), which was originally scheduled to be played at home before being changed due to inclement weather, on Wednesday, February 25. The team will then return to the friendly confines of Cushing Field to take on the Siena Saints (3-0) on Saturday, February 28.

LAST TIME OUT
Senior Grace Lydon (Rowley, Mass.) scored a pair of goals in the fourth quarter, as the UMass Lowell women's lacrosse (2-2) fell in a defensive battle against the Temple Owls (5-0), 9-6, on Saturday afternoon. Lydon, who added a draw control to her stat sheet, was one of four River Hawks to record a point in the game. Redshirt freshman Chiara Pompei (Catonsville, Md.) also added two goals, while senior Macy Shultz (Adams, N.Y.) finished with a goal and an assist, and junior Bronwyn Hilbert (Lancaster, Pa.) tallied a goal alongside two ground balls and two caused turnovers. Defensively, sophomore Madison Carter (Baltimore, Md.) finished with three ground balls and two caused turnovers, while junior Alexa Kuhn (Rocky Point, N.Y.) made ten saves in 60 minutes of action.

LEADING THE FLOCK
Through three games, junior Chloe Bowers (Whitefish Bay, Wis.) paces the squad with ten points and nine goals. Right behind her, Lydon posts a team-best four assists alongside five goals for nine points. Leading the squad on the draw, sophomore Georgia Ruscitti (Toronto, Ontario) and freshman Brienne Brezynskie (Elmira, Ontario) each total eight draw controls, while Carter leads the defense with eight caused turnovers. In net, Kuhn not only posts 33 saves, but leads her team with eight ground balls collected, so far.

WEEKLY WINNERS
After a pair of excellent performances in week one, Kuhn was named the America East Goalkeeper of the Week while Brezynskie was tabbed the conference's Rookie of the Week. Against the Jaspers, Kuhn started her season strong in net, allowing only six goals while making 11 saves on 28 shots faced, good for a .647 save percentage and her 17^th career double-digit save performance. Meanwhile, Brezynskie left her mark in her first collegiate game, posting a hat trick, including the game-winner. Not only impressing on the offensive end, but she also filled up the box score all over the field, tallying two ground balls, two caused turnovers, and two draw controls.

SCOUTING MASSACHUSETTS
The Minutewomen enter Wednesday's contest with a 3-1 record, while currently riding a two-game win streak with wins against Vermont and LIU. Leading the way offensively for Massachusetts is Kassidy Morris, who totals 12 goals and seven assists for 19 points, while both Dylan Lyons and Ava Connaughton also tally double-digit points. While both Bridget Valentine and Marisa Gatz share the team lead with five caused turnovers each, Cate Marshall sits top of the leaderboard with 23 draw controls. In net, Bayley Duffy has started all four games, making 41 saves and allowing 37 goals for a .526 save percentage.
 
SCOUTING THE SAINTS
Siena currently sits at a 3-0 record with a match against the Vermont Catamounts on Wednesday afternoon. So far, the Saints have scored double-digit goals in each contest, led by Olivia Nicholson, who leads her squad with 11 goals, 11 ground balls, and six caused turnovers on the season. Jenna Pollicino, meanwhile, paces the team with eight assists. In net, McAllister Salter has started all three games, making 12 saves while allowing 20 goals, good for a .375 save percentage.

MATCHUP HISTORY
The River Hawks and Minutewomen have battled seven times, with Massachusetts earning the win each time. UMass Lowell and Siena have faced off three times, with the River Hawks owning a 2-1 advantage in the series, most recently earning an 11-9 victory on the road last season.