After suffering through a five-game losing streak, the Massachusetts field hockey team responded with a comeback victory against Lock Haven on Saturday.
The Lady Eagles (7-8, 0-1 Atlantic-10) hosted the Minutewomen (3-9, 1-0 A-10) in both teams’ first in-conference game in 2011. In a back-and-forth affair, UMass was eventually able to pull out a victory, winning, 2-1.
Lock Haven took an early lead as it scored on its second shot on goal. Midfielder Nicole Weaknecht assisted Kristi Shepps in the eighth minute off a cross to put the Lady Eagles ahead early. The Minutewomen let a few chances slip away during that span, as midfielder Nicole Cordero hit the post on two occasions in the first half.
The Minutewomen didn’t trail for much longer, however, coming out after halftime looking like a completely different team.
“Lock Haven played well in the first half,” said UMass coach Carla Tagliente. “But our team showed tenacity by turning it into a different game in the second half”
The Minutewomen’s stellar performance in the second half stemmed from the suffocating defensive pressure they put on LHU. They managed to stagnate the Lady Eagles by holding them to only two shots, one of which was saved by goalkeeper Alesha Widdall.
The UMass offense started to take form and flex its muscles from that point on. A little over a minute after Tagliente substituted Kara Charochak for Cordero, she tipped a ball into the back of the cage off a left cross from midfielder Alexa Sikalis. That goal tied the game at one score each.
“I’m glad we scored the first goal,” said Tagliente. “It gave us momentum and confidence for the rest of the game.”
Continuing their persistence, the Minutewomen cracked the tie in the 61st minute. Kate Heineman scored on a tough angle off a penalty corner that catapulted UMass into a 2-1 victory, as the Lady Eagles were unable to retaliate.
UMass drops 6th straight to ranked teams
Despite the victory on Saturday, the Minutewomen were unable to punctuate their weekend with two wins as they fell to No. 16 Albany in a double-overtime game that was decided by penalty strokes.
Regulation ended in a 0-0 stalemate as neither team could find a way to score. The Great Danes (10-5, 1-1 Northeast) had more opportunities than the Minutewomen in the game, as they outshot UMass on goal, 12-5, in regulation. But A-10 conference Player of the Week Widdall anchored her defense by tying a career-high of 12 saves.
“I loved our team’s resiliency throughout the game,” said Tagliente. “Alesha [Widdall] played exceptionally well in goal today.”
The senior All-American posted three of her 12 saves in extra time but was unable to finish the game with a clean slate as she let two of three penalty strokes get by. Corrine McConville and Daphne Voormolen scored for the Great Danes and Albany sealed the win by denying UMass on all four of its penalty strokes.
“I couldn’t ask more of my team,” said Tagliente. “They played very well and kept up with a competitive Albany team.”
Sunday was UMass’ third overtime game of the season as well as their third overtime loss, which includes a 2-1 defeat at the hands of No. 18 Northeastern on Sept. 16.
“It’s always disappointing to not come out on top of a game like that,” said Tagliente.
In dropping the match to Albany, UMass has yet to snap its streak of losses against ranked opponents this year. With six losses coming at the expense of Top 25 teams, this game marks the third time in which they have been unable to put a goal on the scoreboard.
The Minutewomen will look to recover from Sunday’s loss as they host Saint Joseph’s this Thursday in their second A-10 game this season.
De’Shawn Townsend can be reached at [email protected].
