MANCHESTER, N.H. - The Saint Anselm women's soccer team took their first conference loss this evening, as they fell to the University of Massachusetts-Lowell River Hawks by a score of 3-0.  The Hawks are now 3-2-1 (3-1, NE-10), while the River Hawks improve to 4-2 (4-1, NE-10).

Saint Anselm junior Jennifer Pearl (Stoughton, Mass.) gave the Hawks their first big chance, as she laced a hard shot towards the goal at 6:50 in the first half, but she just missed her target, as it hit the crossbar and ricocheted out of bounds.  It was the River Hawks who opened up the scoring at 15:20 in the first half, when senior Kelly Soper (Auburn, Mass.) rescued the ball from the Saint Anselm defense and nudged it to junior Ella Merullo (Wakefield, Mass.), who sent a crossing pass to freshman Taylor Hartmann (Feeding Hills, Mass.), who tapped it in to warrant a score of 1-0 in favor of the River Hawks.  Merullo went on to score two more goals for the River Hawks, giving her five points on the day.

At 22:41, the Hawks' Erika Sartor (Andover, Mass.), looking to tie the score at one, took a hard shot on target, but it was saved by River Hawk goalkeeper Jamie Gillis (N. Bellerica, Mass.).  This was the only shot on goal for the Hawks in the game, who would not get past the River Hawks' backline to take their next shot for another hour.  UMass.-Lowell outshot the Hawks 23-5, including a 16-2 second half.  However, the River Hawks also recorded six fouls in the game, while Saint Anselm only had one.

Saint Anselm goalkeeper Jacqueline Cooney (Braintree, Mass.) had seven saves in the game, while her River Hawk counterpart Gillis had just one.  The Hawks return to action this Saturday, September 19^th as they host the Le Moyne College Dolphins at Melucci Field for their first home game in two weeks.  The Northeast-10 contest is slated to begin at noon.