The Massachusetts women’s lacrosse team (1-4) will host New Hampshire (3-4) Saturday at 1 p.m., with hopes of ending a four game losing streak.
It has been an uphill battle for a Massachusetts team that hasn’t won a game since opening day at Holy Cross (9-6), February 28. Plagued by close losses, one coming in overtime against Harvard (9-8) and one coming at the hands of Hofstra (10-8), UMass will look to stop the bleeding against a UNH team that struggled to a 5-11 record in 2003. Last season, UNH finished second in the America East (4-1), but managed only one victory outside the conference.
“We are entering Saturday’s game having lost four straight, but we had a good chance of winning the Albany game that was canceled,” coach Carrie Bolduc said.
The Albany game that was slated for March 17 in New York was postponed until April due to heavy snow.
The Minutewomen are coming off Saturday’s 12-11 loss to ninth-ranked Syracuse, a game that was decided in the final five seconds by an unassisted goal from Leigh-Ann Zimmer of SU.
After falling behind 4-0 to start the game, UMass managed to pull within three at the break, (7-4). The Maroon and White charged out of the gate to start the second half, scoring six unanswered goals. With the score standing at 10-7 with 9:45 left, Zimmer went on a tear, scoring three goals to pull within seven points of the All-time Syracuse scoring record. UMass surrendered five of the game’s last six goals, but outscored the Orangewomen 7-4 in the second half.
Three second-half goals by tri-captain Tracy Drown helped UMass come to within two goals of beating the SU for the first time in program history. Senior attacker Hope Zelinger and junior captain Maura McGarrity helped the cause for Massachusetts, combining for all goals in the first half.
After being sidelined with a high-ankle sprain during a meeting with Hofstra on March 9, McGarrity hadn’t practiced until the day before she suited up against Syracuse.
For the Minutewomen, the game was a tale of two halves. SU managed to outshoot UMass 19-9 and retain possession on 10 of 12 draws during the first frame, before UMass turned things around to win 10-of-13 draw controls after the break. Unfortunately for UMass, a defensive lapse in the final 36 seconds allowed Syracuse to score two goals on consecutive faceoffs.
In her second start of the season, goalie Joey Rubin tallied 11 saves for the Maroon and White.
“If we go out and play against UNH the way we played against Syracuse in the second half, we should be fine,” Bolduc said. “So far we’ve been successful in different aspects of the game, but we’re yet to bring it all together at the same time.”
UNH will be led by sophomore Mel Bourque, last week’s America East Defensive Player of the Week. Bourque caused five turnovers and scooped up one ground ball in a March 20, 15-2 Wildcat victory over Sacred Heart.
