The Massachusetts field hockey team was victorious against Lafayette on Sunday, winning 1-0 after 60 minutes of back-and-forth play. This was the fourth-ever matchup between the Minutewomen (11-3, 4-0 Atlantic 10) and the Leopards (8-5, 3-1 Patriot League), with UMass now holding a 4-0 record in the all-time series.
“It was a really, really tough game and I’m really proud of our team for being able to come out with that [win],” head coach Barb Weinberg said. “It wasn’t an easy win and I think it shows some grittiness that we probably didn’t have on Friday and needed to get back for this win today.”
In the first game of the Minutewomen’s weekend in Pennsylvania, UMass captured a goal with under 30 seconds left to defeat conference foe La Salle. On Sunday, the game went down to the wire again for the Minutewomen, and they scored late against Lafayette to take their second win of the road trip.
It took seven unanswered penalty corners for UMass to find the back of the net, but once the goal was in, the Minutewomen were golden. 39 seconds into the final quarter, a penalty call against the Leopards drawn by Hannah De Gast led to a penalty corner for UMass.
De Gast inserted the ball to Claire Danahy at the top of the circle, who stopped it calmly and set the ball up for a swinging shot from Neva Eisenga. The sophomore’s shot tore through the center of the circle and past Lafayette goalie Raffi Fragomeni, putting the Minutewomen up 1-0 with under 15 minutes left.
“We like to make things really exciting until the end,” Weinberg said. “I think Lafayette was running [its] defensive penalty corners really well and they were reading everything that we were doing, so [for Eisenga] to step up there and do her job in a critical moment was very well done. We needed that.”
With the game’s only goal not being scored until the fourth, both teams had multiple chances to score early. The Leopards had first possession of the ball, putting pressure on UMass and obtaining a penalty corner just over two minutes into the game. Led by goalkeeper Myrte Van Herwijnen, the Minutewomen defense shut down Lafayette’s early scoring attempts and sent the ball down the field, which set up two penalty corners of their own.
The two teams traded shots for the entirety of the first half, and both entered halftime scoreless. UMass and the Leopards’ first half offenses were identical, with each having four shots on goal and three penalty corners.
The Minutewomen have continually succeeded in drawing fouls, but often fall short with penalty corner execution. 127 corners have been called in favor of UMass in 2024 compared to just 84 for opposing teams.
“We need to take a good look at our connections from our midfield to our strike line and the decisions that we are making in our attacking circle,” Weinberg said regarding her team’s corner abilities. “As the season goes on, penalty corners are scouted so you gotta get creative there or find other ways to score.”
In the 53rd minute, a yellow card was called on Dempsey Campbell, giving Lafayette an opportunity while up a player. Fragomeni was pulled from the goal and Laine Delmotte joined the Leopards as they moved the ball up the field, utilizing give-and-go’s to get as close to the goal as possible for a last-minute scoring attempt.
Shortly after Campbell’s yellow card, a green card given to Kristy Leonard left the Minutewomen down two players with under five minutes left. UMass stayed strong on defense though, cementing its win.
“For our defense to really drop out and work really hard for those five minutes that we were down two players was phenomenal,” Weinberg said.
Van Herwijnen faced five shots while in goal for the Minutewomen. Fragomeni saw nine shots, saving three and allowing one in.
“I’m really proud of the team overall. Lafayette is a really good team and we knew that this win and every win going forward is essential,” Weinberg said. “Proud of this team for being able to pull it out at the end.”
UMass is back at Gladchuk Field on Friday, Oct. 18, where the team will face Lock Haven at 3 p.m.
Lucy Postera can be reached at [email protected] and followed on X @lucypostera.
