The Massachusetts women’s lacrosse team put on another impressive offensive performance, this time against La Salle, winning 22-10 Sunday at Garber Field.
UMass (9-3, 4-0 A-10) keeps its multi-year Atlantic 10 win streak alive, as La Salle (4-8, 0-4 A-10) couldn’t keep up with the Minutewomen’s diverse 12-person scoring unit.
Second in team scoring on the season, Holly Turner found herself scoring only one goal on Sunday, an uncharacteristic stat, as Turner averages 2.33 goals per game. Due to Turner’s high reputation, the Explorers locked down on the senior attack, double-teaming her for the majority of the game.
“If people are trying to shut me down, I try to look more to pass,” Turner said. “If a double [team] is coming — which it was coming a lot today — there’s [going to be] someone open, so I like to give it off and get more assists sometimes.”
Turner, in return for not scoring, contributed to the offense by posting five assists.
“If someone slides, which they were fast sliding today, I try to get it to the open person who’s cutting,” she said. “Whoever the slide came from, I try to look for [that person] in the middle.”
UMass coach Angela McMahon was pleased with Turners performance, albeit a different one.
“It was those quick slides and doubles that were going after her,” McMahon said. “[We knew] that we would have somebody open on the back side, so her role just changed a little bit there.”
Her six points against La Salle helped retain her spot as leading point-getter, 55 on the season, for the Minutewomen.
Draw controls went back-and-forth between the Minutewomen and the Explorers, as both teams wound up recording 17 each. UMass, using a committee of players for the draw, saw as many as seven different players take draws, led by Abby Walker and Caitlyn Petro, with four each. Kiley Anderson, the team’s best draw control specialist with three controls, got to watch some of the other players get their turn in the circle.
“[Walker and Petro] did great,” said Anderson. “Honestly, I think going into these A-10 games, really [well] scouted on the draw, so a lot of people know what I’m up to. It’s really great when teammates like Abby and [Petro] really step up. I think [Petro] did a phenomenal job; Abby did great on the circle. It was really a team effort today, and that’s great. I love to see that.”
Both Walker and Petro, who are no strangers to draw circle, were able to show off their skills as their leader took more of a backseat Sunday. Anderson is scouted heavily by other A-10 teams due to her intimidating height and excellent skill. While her height is beneficial to her position, McMahon touched upon a slight disadvantage when it comes to vertical length.
“By nature, just being 6-foot-3, and taller than [most players], she relatively frequently gets calls made against her that aren’t really fouls, in my opinion,” McMahon said. “Sometimes when somebody’s that much taller than another [player], it kind of looks like it is [a foul]. I think she did a great job of starting us off strong, and they made some adjustments … people scout her and that is hard to combat at some times.”
UMass has now won 58 straight A-10 conference games, and 12 straight home games.
The Minutewomen will be back in action against George Mason on Friday at 6 p.m. from Fairfax, Virginia.
Ryan Beaton can be reached at [email protected], and followed on Twitter @ry_beaton.
