LOWELL, Mass. – Looking to fight for the final spot in the America East Tournament, the UMass Lowell women's lacrosse team (6-9, 2-3 AE) hosts the Vermont Catamounts (8-6, 4-1 AE) in the final game of the 2026 regular season on Saturday, April 25. Opening draw is scheduled for 12 p.m. at Cushing Field.

LAST TIME OUT
Senior Grace Lydon (Rowley, Mass.) tallied five points, as the UMass Lowell women's lacrosse team used a dominant second-half defensive effort to take down the New Hampshire Wildcats, 15-12, on Saturday afternoon. Lydon, who finished with four goals and an assist, was one of seven River Hawks to record a point in the contest. Freshman Brienne Brezynskie (Elmira, Ontario) finished tied with Lydon with four goals and an assist as well, while senior Macy Shultz (Adams, N.Y.) added three goals and an assist. Rounding things out, redshirt freshman Chiara Pompei (Catonsville, Md.) tallied a pair of goals, junior Bronwyn Hilbert (Lancaster, Pa.) added a pair of assists, and junior Marlee Green (Honeoye Falls, N.Y.) and sophomore Georgia Ruscitti (Toronto, Ontario) each scored a goal. In net, freshman Lauren Lorentzen (Carlsbad, Calif.) made five saves in the start.

LEADING THE FLOCK
Through 15 games, Shultz paces the squad with 39 points and 17 assists, while Lydon sits right behind her with a team-high 25 goals and 11 assists for 36 points. Ranking third on the team, Hilbert totals 35 points, while junior Chloe Bowers (Whitefish Bay, Wis.) sits tied for the team lead with 25 goals. Leading the squad on the draw, senior Rachel Stax (Milton, Ga.) totals 45 draw controls, while sophomore Madison Carter (Baltimore, Md.) leads the defense with 16 caused turnovers. In net, Lorentzen has started nine of 15 contests, making 45 saves for a 4-4 record.

PLAYOFF PICTURE
Although the River Hawks do not control their own destiny, they can still make the playoffs dependent on Saturday's results around the league. In order for UMass Lowell to clinch the fourth seed in the America East Tournament, not only do they need a win against Vermont, but they would also need for Bryant to beat Binghamton on Saturday afternoon.

100 POINT CLUB
After recording a hat trick in the team's conference opener at UAlbany, Lydon reached the 100-point milestone for her career, becoming only the eighth River Hawk to ever reach the mark, joining current teammates senior Audra Hansen (Stamford, Ct.) and Bowers. Only three weeks later, Shultz reached the milestone as well with her first goal of the day in the 11-10 overtime victory over UMBC.

OVERTIME THRILLER
Looking for their first conference victory of the season, the River Hawks faced a 7-3 deficit against UMBC midway through the third quarter. Refusing to back down, the team used a 7-2 scoring run to take their first lead of the day, 10-9, with just over a minute to play. Although the Retrievers responded seconds later to send the game to overtime, UMass Lowell stayed resilient, as Lorentzen made a huge save to gain possession for her team before Pompei eventually recorded the game winner. Not only did the win mark the first of conference play for the squad, but it was also the program's first overtime victory since 2017 when they took down Bryant, 10-9.

OFFENSIVE OUTBURST
In the first-ever match against Furman, the River Hawks' offense reached a new level, scoring 20 goals and a program-record 15 assists, surpassing the previous record of 12 set back in the 2017 season. Individually, Bowers finished with seven goals, the second-most goals and points in a game in program history, while Shultz added seven points as well with six assists, tying the single-game program record set by now assistant coach Megan Brockbank when she also finished with six assists and a goal against New Hampshire during the 2021 campaign.

WEEKLY WINNERS
After a pair of excellent performances in week one, junior Alexa Kuhn (Rocky Point, N.Y.) 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. Brezynskie continued to turn in strong performances all season, earning her Rookie of the Week a second time after scoring four goals and adding an assist against New Hampshire.

SCOUTING VERMONT
The Catamounts, who enter Saturday with an 8-6 record, are coming off a dominant 14-4 victory over then-undefeated in conference play UAlbany. Leading the Catamounts' offense is Lydia Doraz, who ranks in the top five in the conference with 32 goals, 22 assists, and 54 points. Behind her, Jane Trauger totals 45 points with a team-high 37 goals, while six other Catamounts total double-digit points. Defensively, Sabine Godwin leads the team with 18 caused turnovers and 60 draw controls, and in net, Ayla Shea has started 12 of 13 appearances, making 113 saves with 102 goals allowed for a .526 save percentage.

MATCHUP HISTORY
The River Hawks and Catamounts have faced off 11 times, with Vermont owning a 7-4 advantage. The River Hawks, however, have earned the victory each of the last two seasons, including a one-goal, 14-13, win last season at Vermont.