UNH Clinches AE Tourney Berth with 1-0 Win at #17 UMass Lowell

Sunday, October 8

Lowell, Mass.

3:00 PM

University of New Hampshire

(9-4 (5-0AE))

UMass Lowell

(10-3 (3-1AE))

UNH

UMass Lowell

UNH Clinches AE Tourney Berth with 1-0 Win at #17 UMass Lowell

10/8/2023 6:17:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

LOWELL, Mass. – Jemma Woods (Frimley, England) made 10 saves and Nicole Poulakis (Ajax, Ontario) scored the game's only goal to lead the University of New Hampshire field hockey team to Sunday afternoon's 1-0 victory against No. 17 UMass Lowell at Wicked Blue Field.

UNH improved to 9-4 overall and 5-0 in America East to clinch a berth in the conference tournament. UMass Lowell, which entered the game with a perfect 8-0 home record, is now 10-3 overall and 3-1 in the conference.

Poulakis broke the scoreless tie with 6:11 remaining in regulation. Woods made seven of her 10 saves in the fourth quarter and that included four after the Wildcats took a 1-0 lead.

UML starting goalie Christina Calandra played the first half and was credited with two saves. Marie Oliemans was charged with the loss despite stopping 7 of 8 shots in the second half.

UP NEXT

New Hampshire returns to action Oct. 13 (2 p.m.) against the University of Maine for a Border Battle, presented by Buffalo Wild Wings.

FIRST QUARTER

UMass Lowell had the edge in both shots (4-1) and penalty corners (4-0) in the opening 15 minutes.

SECOND QUARTER

UNH responded with a 6-0 shot advantage in the second quarter and the Wildcats recorded the only corner.

THIRD QUARTER

New Hampshire continued to carry play in the third quarter with a 5-2 shot advantage and 2-0 edge in corners.
UNH earned consecutive corners in the 36^th minute. UML blocked the direct shot on the second corner, however, and an immediate long hit set up a 2-on-1 transition attack for the River Hawks. Isabelle Halters corralled the next pass deep in front of the cage, but Woods came off the line to challenge and make the save to keep the game knotted at 0-0.

FOURTH QUARTER

The River Hawks tallied an 11-6 shot advantage in the final frame.
UML was awarded a corner In the 53^rd minute. Woods made a split save to deny Isabelle Halters' shot from the top of the circle, got back to her feet and positioned at the left post in time to blocker aside Halter's rising shot.
An outstanding individual effort by Poulakis gave UNH a 1-0 lead at 53:49. She advanced down the right wing and as she was about to enter the circle, faked to the left and continued toward the end line to deke the defender. Oliemans stepped out from the right post, went down on her left knee and stopped the initial shot, but the ball trickled behind the goalie and Poulakis, after continuing around Oliemans, tapped the ball into the open cage.
UMass Lowell had a series of four consecutive corners in the 57^th minute. UNH's defense blocked a pair of shots and Woods made three saves to preserve the one-goal advantage.
The River Hawks earned another corner with 91 seconds remaining, but this time the Wildcats defensive penalty unit did not allow a shot.
The 'Cats maintained possession for the final 30 seconds to secure the win.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

UNH finished with an 18-17 edge in shots and the shots on goal were even at 10.
UML had an 11-4 advantage in penalty corners with a 7-1 disparity in the fourth quarter.

UNH NOTEBOOK

This marked the second time this season and 14^th in her career that Woods finished with 10+ saves.
Woods made a season-high 11 saves against nationally-ranked Boston College.
Poulakis ranks second on the team in goals (eight) and points (24); she has a team-high eight assists and is tied atop the leaderboard with three game-winning goals.
She has tallied a point eight of the last nine games and in 9 of 13 this season.
UNH defeated a nationally-ranked team for the first time since Oct. 11, 2019, when the Wildcats upended No. 21 UAlbany, 4-3, on the road in double overtime.

SERIES NOTEBOOK

UNH has a 10-6 lifetime record against UMass Lowell.
The road team has won each of the past three matchups (not including UNH's 2-1 shootout win in last year's America East quarterfinal at the University of Maine).

COACH'S QUOTE, UNH head coach Robin Balducci
This was a tremendous, hard-fought game and win. They're a good team, so for them to generate a flurry of attack near the end of the game does not surprise me. We stayed settled and composed. Jemma was outstanding today. She made a lot of huge saves.