In 2005, UMass Lowell head coach Shannon Hlebichuk led the River Hawks to a Division II national championship, the first of two during her tenure.
Led by four senior starters in Hlebichuk's first-ever recruiting class, the River Hawks stunned 11-time champion Bloomsburg, 2-1, in double overtime for the 2005 national title. They finished with a 20-3 overall record that season, including a 16-game win streak from September 10 through October 29, as well as a 15-1 mark in NE-10 play.
The 2005 field hockey squad became the first River Hawk program to be named to the NE-10 Hall of Fame, while three individuals have been inducted with previous classes, including Patrick Morasse in 2012, Elad Inbar in 2010 and Jillian Croft Paige in 2008.
