A new week, a new university spotlight. And this week .. Girlpower! We are talking about the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UMass Lowell) where Eleonore Boekhorst is active as hockey goalkeeper!
In the fall of 2020, Eleonore exchanged the Netherlands for a life as a student-athlete in the USA. She now plays hockey and studies Liberal Arts at UMass Lowell. Before she left for the States, she already achieved many successes in the Netherlands. She was part of the national Dutch team several times, became 1st with her team in the Super A competitions and at the national championships indoor U18! And did you know that in addition to field hockey, Eleonore loves rowing? She also speaks 3 languages and plays the violin and guitar. A champ in many ways!
When Eleonore signed with UMass last year, we asked her why she chose this university, to which she gave the following answer:
‘I chose UMass Lowell because the field hockey team and coaches really made me feel welcome. In addition, I can major in liberal arts which is my desired study!’
Eleonore Boekhorst – Student-Athlete
Want to know more about the University of Eleonore? Keep reading!
Campus
UMass Lowell is a public university, founded in 1894. Every year, slightly less than 20,000 students start their studies at the university. The campus is located in (suprise, suprise) Lowell, Massachusetts. Lowell is a city with just over 100,000 inhabitants and is located quit north in the USA. That is why it can sometimes get chilly during winters. In the recent weeks, it was a bit more than chilly in Lowell. See the photo that UMass posted on Instagram last week below. Rain or shine, Eleonore in action! You go girl!
Lowell is about 50 kilometers from the big city of Boston! You can see a part of Boston (during summer 😉 in the picture below, we all want to spend a day walking around there right?
But there is also plenty of beautiful things to be found on campus. Fortunately, because with such a busy schedule as that of a student-athlete, a day out in the big city is not a weekly activity. The campus of UMass Lowell consists of three parts: north, east and south.
Various beautiful school buildings, study rooms, student dorms and restaurants can be found on campus. But the best facilities are those for the student-athletes! The group of student-athletes at UMass Lowell are called the River Hawks and the school wants the best facilities for them.
One of those great facilities is Lelacheur Park, which is the home base for the baseball team. There is seating for almost 5000 people in the stadium! Cool right?
Another beautiful stadium is the Costello Athletic Center, which hosts basketball games. During the matches, the cheerleaders provide extra encouragement! Go Riverhawks!
Tsongas Center, the university’s largest stadium. Both basketball and ice hockey matches are held here. There is seating for 7000 spectators! Ice Hockey is a big sport in College and at UMass. See the photo of Tsongas Center below, how amazing!
There are many more beautiful things to be found on campus. Curious about more? Check out the virtual tour!
Athletics
The River Hawks is what UMass Lowell’s student-athletes are called. There are a total of 14 teams, of which 7 are men’s and 7 are women’s sports. Until 2013, the teams competed in Division II within the 10 Conference, but after many successes, all teams now play Division I and participate in the America East Conference. The only exception is the Ice Hockey team, they participate in the ‘Hockey East’ conference. Unlike many other American university, UMass Lowell doesn’t have an American Football Team since 2003.
The university colors are red, white and blue: that should be familiar to you, Eleonore! The university’s mascot is Rowdy the River Hawk. As in every spotlight, we would like to show you the famous mascot. You spot Rowdy in the picture on the right!
UMass Lowell has its own fight song, the ‘River Hawk Pride’. It is the first official fight song in the history of the school. We have put down a piece of lyrics below, so all of you with your heart out now!
UMass Lowell we will always be,
a team of strength in unity.
With River Hawk pride, we stand side by side;
Fight for victory.
Wings unfurled and talons curled,
swoop and strike then we score!
Blue set sail. In flight we won’t fail.
Let’s go UMass Lowell and soar!
Since 1979, the University has won a total of 7 NCAA Championships. And the most recent national champs? The field hockey ladies in 2010! The field hockey team also won the title in 2005. Furthermore, the Ice Hockey team managed to win the title 3 times, and the male basketball and cross-country team also managed to take the trophy home. Who’s next, Eleonore ?!
Want to see more from the River Hawks? Check out their athletic website!
Academics
Eleonore is studying Liberal Arts at UMass Lowell, but there are many other studies to choose from at university! More than 120 majors in total, about 40 master programs and even 30 doctoral degrees. Curious about what the major you want to follow looks like at UMass Lowell? Here you will find more information about all courses!
You should have learned more about UMass Lowell by now. But we have listed a number of fast facts here. Because did you know that…
- There are 2394 freshmen starting at UMass Lowell every year?
- 1232 is the mean SAT score of all freshmen?
- Freshmen’s average GPA is 3.6?
- The average GPA of student-athletes is 3.19?
A beautiful university, all the way in Lowell. Would you like to go on an adventure just like Eleonore? Or do you have another question about scholarships or the life of a student athlete? Reach out! We will help you.
