BURLINGTON, Vt. – Vermont cruised to a 6-1 victory over UMass Lowell on Sunday afternoon earning their first conference victory of the season in their annual Rally Against Cancer Game presented by Mascoma Bank. With the win the Catamounts improve to 7-4-0 and 1-2-0 in America East play while the River Hawks fall to 1-4-5 and 1-1-1 in the America East.
 
RELATED LINKS
Box Score | Box Score (.pdf)
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COACH'S QUOTE
"We are happy to get a win and some points today in front of our home crowd," said head coach Kristi Huizenga. "Frances showed great composure to get us on the board early and it really ignited us on both sides of the ball. Although our finishing was very good today, our defense was just as good, especially considering some of the attacking talent that Lowell has."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Vermont created pressure early in the game and following a yellow card inside the box on goalkeeper Taylor Burgess the Catamounts had a penalty kick in the fifth minute. Captain Frances O'Donnell stepped up to the spot, outsmarted the keeper and buried her shot into the lower right hand corner of the net.
• O'Donnell netted her first career brace minutes later when she corralled a cross from Lauren DeGroot at the top of the 18-yard box. O'Donnell took a touch to her right and rifled a shot from the top of the box and despite a touch from Burgess (six saves) the shot ricocheted off the post and in for a 2-0 advantage in the 11th minute.
• Vermont continued their pressure throughout the rest of the first half and were able to carry a 2-0 lead into the halftime break.
• Vermont started off the second half with immense pressure scoring three goals in the first 28 minutes of the second half.
• In the 51st minute Kate Bossert was able to save a pass that extended to the endline and sent it back to O'Donnell who was able to send a perfect cross into the box where Karen Wallace was waiting. Wallace able to make a sliding finish, connecting perfectly on O'Donnell's cross to put Vermont up 3-0.
• Moments later, in the 63rd minute, Bridget Kennedy sent a corner into the box, and after the ball bounced around for a moment Fiona Doherty was able to connect and fire a shot into the center of the net for her first goal of the season, and a 4-0 lead.
• Nine minutes later the Catamounts expanded their lead with a perfect free kick from Bailey Ayer. Ayer sent a rocket of a shot from almost 30 yards out in the 72nd minute to put UVM up 5-0. 
• UVM continued their up-tempo pressure and off a Maddy Cronin free kick in the 85th minute UMass Lowell defender Franzisca Sinclair buried an own goal that put Vermont up 6-0.
• UMass Lowell was able to get a consolation goal in the 87th minute when Calliste Brookshire took a free kick from the top right side of the 18-yard box. She put a perfect ball into Julia Edholm who was able to connect for the score and give the game its final score of 6-1 in favor of UVM.

 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Vermont outshot UMass Lowell 16-15 with an 11-7 shots on goal advantage.
• O'Donnell scored her first career brace on her way to a career-high of five total points in a game with two goals and an assist.
• Wallace scored her first goal of the 2023 season and the ninth of her career.
• Doherty scored her first goal of the 2023 campaign.
• Ayer scored her second goal of the season on the 72nd minute freekick.
• Erin Murphy played all 90 minutes finishing with six saves for Vermont.
• The six goals scored by UVM was the most they have scored in a game since 2009.

 
UP NEXT
Following Sunday's matchup with the River Hawks, Vermont will have a week off before heading on the road to take on America East foe UMBC on Sunday, October 8. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.