Going out on the road can be a hassle for teams. But it can also be a really fun experience too.
Angela McMahon, coach of the No. 10 Massachusetts women’s lacrosse team, said the team is looking forward to its first away game in almost a month, when it travels to the nation’s capital on Friday to take on George Washington at 4 p.m.
“It’s actually really exciting and the girls have a great time on the road,” she said. “To just be able to sort of relax, hang out in the hotel, spend time together, not that they don’t spend time together as it is, but without a lot of distractions and just being with a really solely focus on the game for a solid day and a half or so.”
After facing the Colonials (5-6, 1-1 Atlantic 10), the Minutewomen (11-1, 2-0 A-10) will return home on Sunday to host George Mason (7-4, 1-1 A-10) at 1 p.m.
“It’s going to be a long weekend because of the traveling, and then coming right back for a home game Sunday, but I think we’ll be fine,” senior attacker Katie Ferris said.
George Washington comes into Friday’s matchup having snapped a three-game losing streak with an 18-10 victory over St. Bonaventure last Sunday.
The team ranks third in the conference in goals scored per game (12.36) and is led by Jamie Bumgardner, who leads the conference and ranks 10th in the nation in points per game (4.73).
McMahon said Bumgardner is someone UMass is going to have to watch out for.
“She’s really had a good season and has stepped up huge for them,” she said. “So, we’re going to have to really try to limit her a bit.”
The Patriots enter the weekend coming off a tough 21-13 loss to Duquesne last Sunday. They will face Richmond on Friday before traveling to Amherst to take on the Minutewomen.
George Mason is led offensively by Rachel Obregon who is fourth in the conference in goals per game (2.55).
While UMass has played the Colonials every year in conference play since 2002, the Patriots are a new face in the A-10 who bring an element of the unknown to the matchup.
“Facing an opponent that you’ve never played before, you go in not knowing anything,” Ferris said. “So, you can’t go in and assume you’re going to win and you can’t go in and assume you’re going to lose because you really don’t know what’s going to be thrown at you, so you have to be ready for anything.”
Sunday’s game will also be the Minutewomen’s Senior Day game. The team will honor its seven seniors with a ceremony after the game.
Coach McMahon, who came to UMass three years ago, said this ceremony is particularly special, as this group was the first class that she got to see grow from young and immature freshmen into seniors ready to go out into the world.
“It’s really exciting, honestly, because I’ve had the opportunity to see them grow and mature, not only as players, but as people.”
As one of the team’s seniors, Ferris said she is looking forward to being honored on Sunday.
“I can’t believe four years has gone by this quick. You know, it feels like I just played my first game yesterday,” she said. “But we’re all definitely looking forward to it, I know I am. It’s been an awesome four years here.”
Jesse Mayfield-Sheehan can be reached at [email protected] and can be followed on Twitter at @jgms88.
