The Massachusetts women’s lacrosse team dominated La Salle on Saturday, cruising to a commanding 23-11 victory and securing yet another Atlantic 10 win. UMass (8-3, 6-0 A-10) wasted no time asserting its dominance over the Explorers (1-10, 0-5 A-10), setting the tone early behind an unstoppable performance from Delaney Rodriguez-Shaw.
The senior attacker was electric from the start, finishing the day tying her career high with seven points off four goals and three assists. In an action-packed opening stretch, Rodriguez-Shaw netted a hat trick in the game’s first 80 seconds, igniting an offensive onslaught that La Salle had no answer for.
“[Rodriguez-Shaw] is such a threat down on the offensive end,” head coach Jana Drummond said. “Being able to be disciplined on where she was shooting and to go 3-for-3 on those shots is awesome.”
The Minutewomen’s offensive efficiency was apparent from the opening whistle. UMass draw control specialist Jordan Dean set the tempo, securing possession and immediately pushing the ball forward. Dean connected with Ava Connaughton on the left side before she spotted Rodriguez-Shaw flashing open on the right wing. Without hesitation, Rodriguez-Shaw made her move, cutting towards goal and rifling a shot past Explorer goalie Brooke Shields before she could react.
The next two goals, securing the hat trick, followed a similar script: Dean winning the draw, a hasty drive down the field and an eventual connection with Rodriguez-Shaw on the inside.
“Everyone was in the right spot,” Drummond said. “Jordan [Dean] was winning those draws [and] we were pushing and pushing the pace, which allowed for different opportunities to open up for [Rodriguez-Shaw] to see those shots.”
Just over eight minutes into the first quarter, Connaughton found Rodriguez-Shaw on the outside once again, setting up another scoring opportunity. Charging up the right side of the 8-meter arc, Rodriguez-Shaw weaved through traffic but found no clear passing options. With little room to maneuver, she fired a shot almost parallel to the goalposts, catapulting the ball into the top left corner of the net. The goal marked her fourth and final of the game.
After her dominant first quarter, Rodriguez-Shaw shifted into more of a playmaking role. She linked up with Kassidy Morris twice and Tessa Shields later in the match to finish with three assists.
“[The game] was really a testament to our offense playing as one, really moving fast up and down the field, pushing those looks when we had it and being patient to finish the shots when we had the opportunity to,” Drummond said.
Rodriguez-Shaw has been one of the Minutewomen’s most reliable weapons all season, recording at least three points in 10 of their 11 games. The Duquesne transfer has immediately settled in in her home state, and Saturday marked a high point for her in a UMass uniform.
Supporting the senior on the attack has been Shields and Morris, who both had impressive showings against La Salle as well. Shields netted four goals against the Explorers, picked up a draw control and secured three ground balls. Morris was even more impressive, tallying five goals and a pair of assists to tie Rodriguez-Shaw with seven points.
“[The team] slides early to Rodriguez-Shaw, which then opens up [Shields] which then opens up [Morris], so [with] the way they were able to move the ball so quickly, they were able to find success there,” Drummond said. “Those three specifically are such great friends off the field and you can definitely see that on the field, too.”
With 11 Minutewomen picking up goals against La Salle, UMass looks to continue its unrelenting attack against A-10 rival Richmond next Saturday, April 5 at Garber Field. That game starts at 11 a.m. on ESPN+.
Kate Endres can be reached at [email protected] and followed on X @Kate_e_endres.
