After a slow start to the season, redshirt junior Kassidy Morris regained her offensive prowess, scoring 12 goals in the past two games. The attacker scored five goals in the Massachusetts women’s lacrosse team’s 18-8 victory over Rhode Island on Wednesday afternoon.
“Just getting the shot placement was important for [Morris],” head coach Jana Drummond said. “She always has a shot, so now she’s taking the extra second and placing [the ball] around the goalie and being diligent with that, so I think that’s where it’s been really helpful for her. She’s just building that confidence up, [telling herself] ‘your shots are there, just find the back of the net.’”
Morris lit the offensive spark for the Minutewomen (4-3, 2-0 Atlantic 10) against the Rams, scoring a hat trick in the first six and a half minutes in the game.
Looking to answer Brinley Myers’ first goal for URI, UMass passed the ball around the outside, searching for an open opportunity. Morris passed the ball to sophomore Ava Connaughton from the right corner of the 12-meter fan before cutting toward the goal. With no defender nearby, the redshirt junior popped up toward the middle of the arc to receive the pass from sophomore Lil Hancock before instantly turning around to shoot. Morris found open space in the top center of the net, sending the ball over goaltender Casey Phelps’ helmet just 30 seconds after Myers scored.
The Ontario native netted the first goal of the game after a successful back check to Rams (4-3, 0-1 A-10) defender Mia Sheldon on the transition. Connaughton caught the loose ball midair and passed the ball back to Morris, who had an open run at the goal. Morris ran toward the crease and shot the ball to the top right side of the goal, just above Phelps’ left shoulder.
The attacker struck again 15 seconds later on a long range shot just a couple steps in from the eight-meter arc. Delaney Rodriguez-Shaw won the draw control and ran the ball across the restraining line before passing to Hancock. The sophomore looked for an open lane before passing to Morris standing at the right corner of the arc. After a quick two-step, Morris whipped an overhand shot right inside the left goal post.
“She’s just a light, and I always tell her she’s a ray of sunshine and just lights everyone up because she’s always smiling,” Drummond said. “She has the most out of pocket things to say and it just keeps people feeling light and she just has so much fun on and off the field. She just loves the game of lacrosse and you can see it through her play.”
Setting the pick for senior Lauren Tolve, Morris ran parallel with the midfielder down the right side of the arc. Tolve sent a short pass inside to Morris past Zoe Lockwood. Morris caught the ball with her stick straight up in the air, shooting the ball immediately past Phelps, hitting just inside the left post for the second time on Wednesday.
Morris netted her fifth and final goal on a free position shot with just under five minutes left in the first half. Running up the right side of the arc, the whistle blew for a shooting space violation as Morris tried to pass through three defenders. Starting from the right hanging hash, the redshirt junior ran towards the goal, made a spin dodge into the middle of the arc and shot the ball into the bottom right corner of the net.
Morris currently leads the Minutewomen in points and goals with 32 and 26, respectively. Last season, the attacker finished with 63 goals and 16 assists for 79 points.
Morris and the Minutewomen will now take on Duquesne on Saturday, March 15 at Garber Field. Game time is set for 12 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+.
Devin Lippman can be reached at [email protected] and followed on X @devinlippman.
