THE BASICS:
 
RESULT: Hartford 2, UMass Lowell 0
RECORDS: Hartford (10-4-1, 4-1-1 AE); UMass Lowell (4-8-2, 2-4-0 AE)
LOCATION: Al-Marzook Field at Alumni Stadium (West Hartford, Conn.)

THE LEAD:
 
The University of Hartford women's soccer team claimed three points in America East action on Thursday, taking down UMass Lowell by a 2-0 final on Senior Night on Al-Marzook Field at Alumni Stadium. Senior midfielder Tori Tripp put Hartford in control early, delivering the eventual game-winner in the second minute, before an own goal by the River Hawks provided a 2-0 cushion for the Hawks heading into the final 26 minutes.

The Hawks, who dominated the match in nearly every facet, improved to 4-1-1 in the America East. With 13 points, they took sole possession of first place in the league standings following New Hampshire's loss at UAlbany tonight.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Hartford quickly took a one-goal lead over the River Hawks, capitalizing on its first shot attempt of the match. A give-and-go between sophomore Julia Carr and Tripp 111 seconds after opening kickoff resulted in the Hawks' first score, as Tripp took a feed inside of the scoring box and finished with a high strike from 10 yards out.
• Momentum continued to swing in favor of Hartford after the goalA miscue by the River Hawks' defense midway through the second half led to Hartford's second goal of the match. Freshman Kaila Lozada sent a cross into the box, but in an attempt to redirect the ball, UMass Lowell defender Alex Guzman kicked it into her own goal to push the lead to 2-0.

 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• UMass Lowell's first-half opportunities were nonexistent, as the Hawks held a commanding 6-0 advantage in shots during that stretch.
• The Hawks went on to hold the River Hawks without a shot attempt until the final moments of the game. With 10 seconds remaining, Katelyn Vieira sent a low strike towards the net, but was unable to cut the Hawks' lead in half after missing just wide.
• Hartford goalkeeper Jessica Jurg earned her sixth shutout win of the season quietly, as she was not called into action thanks to the Hawks' stifling defense.
• Hartford, which held an 11-1 advantage in shots, attempted a season-high 10 corner kicks to UMass Lowell's two.
• Despite conceding two goals, Julia Schneider did have an impressive game in goal for the River Hawks. She made seven saves to prevent the Hawks from doing any more damage in the match.

NEWS & NOTES:

• Hartford has been on a roll as of late, going unbeaten in six of its last seven games with a 5-1-1 mark.
• Eight seniors – Sydney Aldrich, Katie Connolly, Aaliyah Ingram, Jurg, Caroline Massey, Caitlin Smallfield, Tripp and Nicola Winogradoff – played their final regular-season home game at Al-Marzook Field. During their four years, the group of seniors compiled 42 wins while winning America East Regular-Season championships in back-to-back years (2014, 2015).
• Hartford has compiled double-digit win totals in each of its last six seasons under head coach John Natale. The victory improved his coaching record to 113-90-39 with the Hawks.
• The Hawks improve to 3-1 all-time against the River Hawks with Thursday's win.
• Between the posts, Jurg picked up her 39th career win and 29th shutout, ranking third and second in the Hawks' Division I record books, respectively.
• At home in the 2016 regular-season, Hartford went unbeaten in all but one contest, going 5-1-1.
• Tripp's game-winner pushed her team-leading goal total to five. The midfielder is also Hartford's leader in points with 15.

UP NEXT:
Following a bye this weekend, the Hawks close out the 2016 regular season with two road tilts, beginning with a trip to Vermont on Thursday, Oct. 19. Kickoff from Virtue Field is set for 7 p.m.