On a brisk northeastern afternoon, the Massachusetts women’s lacrosse team opened its 2025 season with a 10-12 loss to Dartmouth College. The Minutewomen (0-1) hosted the Big Green (1-0) at Garber Field on Saturday, marking their 12th defeat in 18 meetings against Dartmouth.
“We need to play better,” head coach Jana Drummond said. “There’s really not much to it.”
The Big Green came out strong, scoring three consecutive goals to start the first quarter and immediately putting UMass on the defensive. With eight turnovers in the first quarter alone, the Minutewomen struggled to find their footing, giving Dartmouth multiple opportunities to convert.
After eight minutes of play, UMass finally broke through when Kassidy Morris charged up the right side of the field toward the Big Green’s net. Morris connected with Delaney Rodriguez-Shaw just outside the 12-meter mark, where Rodriguez-Shaw fired a shot straight on goal, taking a stick to the face in the process. The goal put the Minutewomen on the board, as Rodriguez-Shaw notched four total goals against Dartmouth’s defense.
While the goal gave UMass a spark, turnovers continued to hinder its chances. The Minutewomen finished the match with 18 turnovers, 13 of which came in the first half, stalling any offensive momentum they tried to build. Missed passes and forced plays allowed the Big Green to maintain control for much of the match.
“We [needed] to take care of the ball,” Drummond said. “I mean 18 turnovers is a lot, really valuing the possession but also staying calm in those pressure-moments is key.”
With a timeout less than five minutes into the third quarter, the momentum started to swing in UMass’ favor. Trailing 10-4, the Minutewomen forced a crucial turnover, sparking an aggressive offensive push. Tessa Shields received the ball on the left side and quickly lobbed it to Ava Connaughton, who was positioned nearly parallel to the left post. Connaughton took the ball over her head and behind her back, netting a goal.
Dartmouth countered quickly with a pass from Annie Small to position Boo Dewitt right in front of Catrina Tobin’s net, upping the Big Green’s total to 11. However, UMass responded with a burst of offense.
Morris, breaking up the right side of the field, found a gap and an angle and shot a rocket into the right side of the net. Following the goal, the Minutewomen unleashed a five-goal scoring spree spanning across the third and fourth quarters.
With a lob pass over the back of the goal, Connaughton found Rodriguez-Shaw wide open on the right side of the 12-meter. Rodriguez-Shaw fired a quick shot into the top of the net, narrowing the deficit to just one goal.
“You could see the [team] believe in themselves a little bit more and you could tell they were thinking, ‘Okay, here we go, let’s do it,’” Drummond said. “Unfortunately, it was a small stint.”
Though UMass launched several threatening shots in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, Dartmouth’s defense, led by goalkeeper Gisele Todd, thwarted the Minutewomen’s last-ditch efforts.
A goal from the Big Green’s Catherine Erb in the final minutes of the game sealed the deal, and UMass took its first loss of the season.
“Finding connections … and getting everyone on the same page has been a great emphasis for us,” Drummond said. “We have some new faces, so really building that confidence, [keeping] everyone on the same page [and] rising to the occasion is going to be important in the future.”
The Minutewomen head to Chestnut Hill to face Boston College this Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 4 p.m.
Kate Endres can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter at @Kate_e_endres.
