Minutewomen Fall To The River Hawks In Lowell

LOWELL, Mass. -- Massachusetts (5-3, 1-0) fell 2-1 to regional rival UMass Lowell (5-3, 0-0) on Sunday at Wicked Blue Field. Despite excellent defense, especially on penalty corners, the Minutewomen were unable to convert in the offensive third conceding their first Kennedy Cup in the 10 all-time matchups between the two programs.

The action was back-and-forth for much of the first quarter with possession shifting early and often. The River Hawks claimed an early lead, but the Minutewomen were able to equalize as Hannah de Gast capitalized on a penalty corner for her second goal of the season.

The Minutewomen remained in a back-and-forth battle throughout the first half as the defense allowed just two shots on goal through the first 30 minutes of action. UMass entered the halftime break in a 1-1 tie, seeking the advantage and an increase in possession in the offensive third.

The River Hawks did not waste time in the third quarter, as midfield Meike Vischer scored her second goal of the game within one minute to secure the advantage.

UMass continued to prove consistent on defense, allowing just three shots on goal despite facing 12 total shots and nine penalty corners. However, the Minutewomen were unable to turn this defensive consistency into offensive output, managing just three shots on goal.

Match Quote

"A tough loss today following some injury issues during the week" stated assistant coach Holly Turbill. "That said, the girls fought hard to adapt and created multiple scoring attempts we were unable to capitalize on. Lowell played very well and deserved the win today and we have multiple things to focus on heading into this week of practice."

Breaking Down The Action

The River Hawks opened the scoring, netting a high deflection into the top right corner, making it 1-0 Lowell.
The Minutewomen found the equalizer late in the first quarter as Hannah de Gast tipped in a Emilie Keij assist, making it 1-1 with three minutes remaining in the first quarter.
Lowell midfielder Meike Vischer scored her second goal of the game 18 seconds into the third quarter, securing a 2-1 lead for the River Hawks they would not surrender.
UMass pulled their goalie and forced four penalty corners in the final three minutes of regulation but was unable to secure an equalizer as time expired.

Notable Numbers

1: Graduate Student Emilie Keij recorded her first assist of the 2023 campaign.
2: Sophomore Hannah de Gast tallied her second goal of the season, tying for the highest single-season mark of her career.
3: The Minutewomen allowed just 3 shots on goal despite facing 12 total shots in the contest.

Series History

The Minutewomen are now 10-1 all-time against UMass Lowell, as they fall for the first time in the all-time series.

Up Next

UMass returns to Amherst to begin a four-game homestand with a matchup against La Salle on Friday, Sept. 2 at 3 p.m. The game can be followed live on umassathletics.com or UMassFH on Twitter.

Scoreboard

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Team Stats

Hannah de Gast

Emilie Keij

Alexa Collins

Mali Herberhold

Players Mentioned

Hannah de Gast

Emilie Keij

Players Mentioned

Hannah de Gast

Emilie Keij

Scoreboard

University of Massachusets Athletics