LOWELL, Mass. – After a six-game homestand and a 27-day break from traveling, the No. 18 UMass Lowell field hockey team (11-3, 4-1 AE) hits the road for the final time in the 2023 regular season this week. The squad is set to visit America East foe Bryant (5-8, 0-5 AE) for its only game this week on Friday, October 20. The action is slated to start at 3 p.m.
RIVER HAWK REWIND
The River Hawks earned a crucial victory in their lone game this past weekend, defeating No. 19 UAlbany, 3-2, in an exciting matchup. Senior Sage Valente (Watertown, Conn.) opened the scoring, followed by a tally from graduate student Berbel Rozema (Rotterdam, Netherlands). Sophomore Madison Leeper (East Amherst, N.Y.) then added to her 10th goal this year, putting away the game-winner in the 44th minute. Senior goalkeeper Christina Calandra (Manchester, Mass.) and freshman Marie Oliemans (Driebergen, Netherlands) split time in the cage, combining for four saves in the win.
LEADING THE FLOCK
Through 14 games, Madison Leeper leads the River Hawk offense with 23 points. Leeper has scored a team-high 10 goals, while senior Mirth Gans (Tiel, Netherlands) and freshman Karli Penrod (Seaford, Del.) lead the team with six assists each. In the cage, senior Christiana Calandra has recorded 28 saves for a goals-against average of 2.00, while freshman Marie Oliemans owns a 0.57 goals-against average and an .879 save percentage with 29 saves.
A WIN WOULD
A win on Friday against the Bulldogs would mark the River Hawks’ fifth consecutive in the series. It would also match a UMass Lowell Division I record for most wins in a season, tying last year’s total of 12 wins.
IN THE RANKINGS
The UMass Lowell field hockey team was nationally ranked for the fourth week in a row. The River Hawks received 115 votes in the NFHCA week seven coaches’ poll (Oct. 17), climbing back to 18th in the country. The team also remained in the top 20 in NCAA RPI, placing 17th.
NATIONAL NEWS
The River Hawks continue to make a mark nationally. The team is currently fourth in the nation for scoring margin (1.93), fifth in scoring average and goals per game (3.21), and ninth in winning percentage (.786). Individually, Oliemans remains ranks second in the nation for goals-against average (0.571) and save percentage (.879).
STIFF COMPETITION
The River Hawks had a nationally-ranked opponent on their docket for the first three straight weeks of the season, including No. 18 Massachusetts on Sept. 17. UMass Lowell earned the 2-1 upset against the Minutewomen, marking the team’s second ever win against a ranked team at the DI level. Their most recent victory against a nationally-ranked opponent came on Oct. 13, when the River Hawks defeated No. 19 UAlbany, 3-2. Since 2021, the team has challenged nine nationally ranked opponents, with six of the seven setbacks being decided by two goals or less.
DEFENDING HOME TURF
The River Hawks put together an eight-game home win streak at Wicked Blue, the longest of the Division I era. The team has continued its stout defense, allowing just nine goals across its 10 home games.
QUITE THE STRETCH
The River Hawks won seven games in a row from Sept. 15 through Oct. 6 to set a new Division I program record.
HISTORY IN THE MAKING
UMass Lowell defeated Maine for the first time in Division I program history on Sept. 22. With that 4-0 victory, the River Hawks became the first America East team to shut out the Black Bears since 2019.
RINSE AND REPEAT
A nine-goal performance against Central Michigan on Sept. 9 was actually the team’s second consecutive outing decided by that margin. The River Hawks also exploded for nine goals in the win against Merrimack on Sept. 1, tying the record for most goals in a single game for the team at the Division I level. UMass Lowell previously scored nine goals vs. Saint Louis (9.18.2016).
SPREADING THE LOVE
The River Hawks have already showed off their depth this year, as seven different players tallied a point in the home opener. The team followed that performance with a total of 11 different goal scorers across back-to-back 9-0 wins vs. Merrimack and Central Michigan. In total, 15 different River Hawks have already tallied a point in 2023.
WEEKLY AWARDS
Madison Leeper was named America East Offensive Player and Alissia de Vries was named America East Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 26 … Marie Oliemans was named America East Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 19.
OF NOTE
Madison Leeper put together a five-game scoring streak from 9.22 to 10.6 … Leeper set a new career high with two goals vs. Brown (9.24) … Marie Oliemans earned her first start and complete-game shutout against Northeastern (9.15) … Ava Clarke (Hopkinton, Mass.) notched the first two goals of her River Hawk career vs. Central Michigan (9.9) … senior Sage Valente (Watertown, Conn.) registered her first career goal vs. Central Michigan (9.9) … freshman Christina Wagner (Cicero, N.Y.) tallied her first career goal and assist against Merrimack (9.1) … Karli Penrod and Florine Gerrits (Amstelveen, Netherlands) both registered the first goals of their careers vs. Merrimack (9.1) … junior Sydney Grim (Reading, Pa.) logged her first career goal against LIU (8.25).