GREENVILLE, S.C. -  Senior Macy Shultz (Adams, N.Y.) tied the single-game program record with six assists, as the UMass Lowell women's lacrosse team (3-5) dropped a heartbreaker to the Furman Paladins (3-4), 21-20, in an offensive shootout on Thursday night.

"Who doesn't love a good ole fashioned slugfest," commented Head Coach Lisa Miller. "Even though we came up on the losing end of this one, I am seeing good progress in terms of confidence and composure. Also, really proud of the way Grace, Macy, and Elsa led and battled. Growth is happening, which is all you can ask for as a coach."

Shultz, whose six assists tied now-assistant coach Megan Brockbank's record, added a goal for a seven-point game, tied for the second most in program history. Tied with her, junior Chloe Bowers (Whitefish Bay, Wis.) tallied seven goals, the second-most goals in a single game by a River Hawk. Junior Bronwyn Hilbert (Lancaster, Pa.) finished with a career-high six points on three goals and three assists, while junior Emily Dodd (Calgary, Alberta) added a goal and four assists, the most single-game points and assists in her career. Rounding things out, redshirt freshman Chiara Pompei (Catonsville, Md.) added a hat trick, senior Grace Lydon (Rowley, Mass.) finished with two goals and an assist, sophomore Georgia Ruscitti (Toronto, Ontario) scored twice, and freshman Brienne Brezynskie (Elmira, Ontario) chipped in with a goal. As a team, the River Hawks finished with 15 assists, surpassing the previous record of 12 set during the 2017 season.

Both sides came out of the gate firing, with Furman registering the first goal of the match less than a minute in. The River Hawks responded instantly, with Bowers and Pompei both finding the back of the net moments later to jump in front. The teams continued to go back-and-forth, with Brezynskie and Ruscitti each scoring to keep a one-goal lead, 4-3, but the Paladins jumped back in front with a pair of goals at 5:39. UMass Lowell ended the quarter strong, though, scoring three of the final four goals, twice from Lydon and capped off by a goal from Dodd, to own a 7-6 advantage through the first quarter.

The River Hawks began to settle in defensively in the second, holding Furman scoreless for nearly five minutes. Although the Paladins scored first, the River Hawks answered with haste, scoring three straight, two from Bowers and one from Hilbert, while Dodd, Shultz, and graduate student Elsa Skinner (Annapolis, Md.) added assists, to take a 10-7 lead. The hosts responded with two of the next three scores, with the lone River Hawks' goal coming off the stick of Bowers, but a free position goal by Ruscitti in the final two minutes gave UMass Lowell a 12-9 advantage heading into halftime.

Furman started the second half strong, scoring the first three goals to knot it up at 12-12. However, neither side would slow down offensively, as Hilbert, Pompei, and Bowers each scored, while the Paladins added three of their own, to keep it tied at 15 heading into the final period.

Picking up where they left off, continued to bring intensity on the offensive end to start the fourth, with Shultz and Bowers each scoring in just over two minutes to take a two-score lead, 17-15. Furman answered, jumping in front moments later, but UMass Lowell's defense locked in, not allowing a goal for over five minutes while Bowers scored for the seventh time to equalize the score again, this time with 5:43 on the clock. After a goal by the opposition, Pompei struck again on a free position shot with 3:48 to play, and despite a goal by the hosts moments later, Hilbert completed her hat trick to make it 20-20 with under a minute to play. The Paladins, however, converted on a free position shot as time expired to seal the 21-20 decision.

Next up, the River Hawks return home to host Central Michigan on Tuesday, March 17, in their final game before conference play begins. Opening draw is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Cushing Field.