Junior midfielder Rachel Morrier had three shots in the contest against Dartmouth. (Courtesy of UMass Lowell Athletics)
Brooke Keating
Connector Staff
Women’s soccer fell 2-1 to Dartmouth after a long back and forth battle Tuesday night at Cushing Field.
The game opened with a strong defensive presence from the River Hawks, spending most of the first half in their own zone. UMass Lowell goaltender Julia Schneider showcased her more aggressive side, and was unafraid to stray from the goal to make a key save.
The only goal of the first half came at 18:23 from Dartmouth senior Holly Patterson, who shot top right and out of Schneider’s reach to put the Big Green up 1-0. Patterson’s goal was assisted by Meredith Gurnee, who led the team in shots in the first half with 3.
Dartmouth outshot the River Hawks 6-3 after 45 minutes.
The second half was much more of a back and forth between the teams. At 56:05 of the match, freshman back Courtney Coleman danced her way around defenders and shot top left to tie the game at one.
This goal brought new life to the River Hawks, and momentum began to shift in their favor.
21 minutes later, Dartmouth senior Holly Patterson scored again to return the lead to Dartmouth. Assisted by Hayley Soriano, Patterson netted her 4th goal of the season, and moved her to the top scoring spot for the Big Green.
UMass Lowell, hungry for another goal, fought back even harder in the last 10 minutes of the game, and a penalty kick in the last 10 seconds brought the whole field to their feet.
Ultimately, the River Hawks fell to the Big Green, but came back fighting, outshooting their opponent 9 to 4 in the second half. Schneider made 4 saves on the night.
All five seniors – Taylor Chianese, Carolyn Ragon, Erin Scanlon, Taylor Packwood, and Samantha Balbierz – were honored prior to the game’s start, and then started in their last collegiate match on home turf.
Coach Joel Bancroft acknowledges the work his seniors had put in, noting that when they started as freshmen, the organization competed at the Division II level.
“It was thrust upon them that we’re going D-I and I thought they handled things well. They’re all very committed to what you see now, and they all played a role uniquely, but equally as important. They’re going to continue to do wonderful things postgrad, much like they did when they were here,” Coach Bancroft said.
Coach Bancroft also noted the improvement his team has seen throughout the season. “Our performances in the last two games is just a little peak into what is in the future of this program, so I think everyone will be excited to see what the next version of the River Hawks looks like,” he said.
