LOWELL — UMass Lowell first-year women’s basketball head coach Jon Plefka revealed his program’s 2025-26 schedule beginning at home against Saint Anselm on Nov. 3 at the Kennedy Family Athletic Complex.
“I’m incredibly excited to kick off this new chapter of UMass Lowell women’s basketball,” said Plefka. “There’s a lot of energy and anticipation around what we can build together. The players have been working extremely hard this summer, buying into our culture and really embracing the vision we have for the program. We still have a ton of work left to do, but I’m looking forward to seeing how it will all translate when we hit the floor for real.”
The River Hawks then set out on their longest road trip. They will visit Boston College on Nov. 9 and CCSU on Nov. 15, followed by in-state matchups at Massachusetts (Nov. 18) and Boston University (Nov. 22) to close out the four-game swing. The squad will then host Northeastern (Nov. 25) and Maine Fort Kent (Nov. 30), wrapping up the first month of action.
Toronto native Nia Chima gets ready to shoot a foul shot last winter for the UMass Lowell women’s basketball team. (UML Athletics photo)
December begins with another long road trip, as the River Hawks will head to New York to visit Iona on Dec. 3 before playing at New Haven on Dec. 6. The team then heads to Chicago to face DePaul for the first time in program history on Dec. 11. Looking to end non-conference play on a high note, the team faces more home tests against LIU (Dec. 14) and St. Joe’s Brooklyn (Dec. 29). They also face a road challenge against Holy Cross (Dec. 21) before the start of America East action.
“Our focus will always be taking it one game at a time, regardless of who we are playing,” said Plefka. “In our non-conference schedule, we will face opponents that will challenge us in many different ways. It’s all about testing ourselves early, identifying where we need to grow, and learning how to compete in tough situations, especially on the road.”
The River Hawks will host the Maine Black Bears on Jan. 1 to open league play. After a trip to UAlbany on Jan. 3, the team takes on back-to-back home games against Bryant (Jan. 8) and Binghamton (Jan. 10). The next week sees the team head to NJIT (Jan. 15). The team returns to action on Jan. 22 at defending America East champion Vermont before games at the Kennedy Family Athletic Center against UMBC (Jan. 24) and New Hampshire (Jan. 29). The River Hawks then start the second half of conference play at Maine (Jan. 31).
February begins with another short home stretch for the squad, welcoming NJIT (Feb. 5) and UAlbany (Feb. 7). They River Hawks will then visit Bryant (Feb.12), New Hampshire (Feb.19) and Binghamton (Feb. 21) before a final home game against Vermont on Feb. 26. The River Hawks head to UMBC on Feb. 28 before beginning the AE playoffs.
Season tickets are available with packages starting at $50. The schedule is subject to change. Updates can be found at www.goriverhawks.com.