FINAL SCORE: Vermont 3, UMass Lowell 2
LOWELL, Mass. — Vermont (13-5, 2-3 AE) defeated UMass Lowell (10-8, 4-1 AE), 3-2, in the America East Semifinals on Tuesday afternoon at Wicked Blue Field. After falling behind by two goals, the Catamounts scored three unanswered goals to advance to their third consecutive America East Championship. With the victory, Vermont matched a program record for most wins in a season with 13.
RELATED LINKS
Box Score | 2026 America East Championship
COACH'S QUOTE
"What impressed me most today was the players' resilience through an intense first quarter after going down two goals," said Head Coach Kate Pfeifer. "They continued executing our game plan, stayed connected, and believed in our ability to get the job done. Lowell played a great game, came out firing, and tested our defense throughout all four quarters."
HOW IT HAPPENED
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UMass Lowell opened the scoring at the 9:37 mark of the first quarter on a penalty corner. Alice Van Hemelen converted off an assist from Frédèrique van den Dungen.
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The River Hawks doubled their lead at the 7:37 mark of the first quarter when Audrey Carter found Karli Penrod making a run down the length of the pitch. Penrod fired a tomahawk shot into the top of the cage.
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Vermont cut the deficit to one at the 6:21 mark of the first quarter when Jaime Lewis controlled the ball in the lower portion of the striking circle and found Addie DelOrefice near the top of the circle. DelOrefice fired a backhand shot past Veerle Mous.
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The Catamounts evened the score at two at the 7:56 mark of the second quarter when Alicia Battistelli gathered a loose ball in the striking circle and fired a shot on goal that Gabby Santini redirected into the back of the cage.
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The Catamounts held an 8-2 advantage in shots on goal at halftime.
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Vermont earned three penalty corners and recorded two shots on goal in the third quarter, but the River Hawks' defense held the Catamounts scoreless.
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Vermont took its first lead of the afternoon at the 13:58 mark of the fourth quarter on a penalty corner. Emily Enden delivered the insertion to Fiona McMahon, who stopped the ball before sliding a pass to Consu de Castro. De Castro redirected the pass into the back of the cage to give the Catamounts a 3-2 advantage.
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UMass Lowell earned back-to-back penalty corners late in the fourth, but the Catamounts' defensive unit stood strong to secure the 3-2 victory over the River Hawks.Â
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
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DelOrefice scored her second goal of the postseason and finished with two points.
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Santini scored her first goal of the postseason.
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De Castro scored her first postseason goal, which proved to be the game-winner.
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Lewis, McMahon, and Battistelli all recorded an assist.
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The Catamounts held an 11-3 advantage in shots on goal.
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Vermont also held a 7-5 edge in penalty corners.
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With today's Win, Vermont Mutual Insurance Group will donate $100 to the Lund Family Center through the Cat's Win, Community Win's initiative. Vermont Mutual has donated over $5 Million Dollars since launching their Charitable Giving Fund in 2014.
UP NEXT
Vermont will travel to Albany, NY, to face No. 3 UAlbany on Friday, Nov. 6, at 2 p.m. ET on Alumni Turf. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
For news and updates about the Vermont Field Hockey program, follow @UVMfieldhky on Instagram, X, and Facebook, and visit UVMathletics.com
