Recap courtesy of UMass Athletic Communications
No. 11 UMass 3, UMass Lowell 1
Box Score
AMHERST, Mass. – After neither team scored for the game's first 22 minutes, the 11th ranked UMass field hockey team scored a goal in the second, third and fourth quarters, while the defense continued its stellar play to beat UMass Lowell 3-1 on Sunday afternoon at the Gladchuk Field Hockey Complex. With the win, the Minutewomen retain the Kennedy Cup for a third straight season and improve to 12-1 all-time against the River Hawks.
Isla Campbell and Emily Barrett each scored for a second straight game while Amber Fairon added her team-leading fifth goal of the season. Elani Sherwood, Niamh McKenzie and Barrett all added assists.
Barrett finished the weekend with seven points behind three goals and an assist.
The River Hawks held a 5-3 edge in first-quarter shots, with UMass goalkeeper Rozárie Mrázová making two saves, including a key stop in the final minute to keep the score deadlocked after one.
That chance marked UMass Lowell's last until early in the fourth, a stretch of 38:46.
The Minutewomen had the only four shots of the second quarter, with Campbell breaking the deadlock at the 22:27 mark. Sherwood made a centering feed to Campbell, who fired a hard reverse into the back of the cage.
UMass made it 2-0 just 33 seconds into the third quarter, as McKenzie centered to Barrett perfectly in front of the goal, and she one-timed it past UMass Lowell goalkeeper Megan MacMiller. The Minutewomen again held the River Hawks scoreless in the third quarter, holding a 5-0 edge in that department.
UMass Lowell answered in the fourth, finding more opportunities. Out of its four shots, the River Hawks were able to put one past Mrázová in the final minute off a penalty corner.
Final shots were 15-9 in favor of UMass while final penalty corners were even at three apiece. Mrázová made three saves while MacMiller finished with five for UMass Lowell. Through four games, the Minutewomen have allowed just 30 shots and only 15 shots on goal.
The Minutewomen now turn their attention to a big showdown at No. 3 Harvard. Gametime is set for 3:30 p.m. from Cambridge. UMass then returns home next Sunday to host New Hampshire at 1 p.m.
