As the weather changed on Saturday, so did the Massachusetts women’s lacrosse team’s offensive firepower as it shattered Duquesne in a wire-to-wire 19-7 victory at Garber Field. UMass (5-3, 3-0 Atlantic 10) has heated up and collected three straight wins in the last seven days.
The Minutewomen opened the doors with malicious intent, scoring six goals in the first four minutes of action. UMass finished the half with a 13-3 lead over the Dukes (5-3, 2-1 A-10), including some incredible ball movement by the attacking squads.
Duquesne had a small response in the second half, scoring four goals and only conceding six, but it wasn’t enough. The Minutewomen stormed out of Garber Field with goal celebrations and a victory to go along with it.
UMass dominated all around the field, as it outshot the Dukes 46 to 18. The Minutewomen also won 25 out of 29 draw controls, with Jordan Dean having 23 of them, to go along with two goals.
“This was a full team win … the overall energy and focus level was on us,” head coach Jana Drummond said. “Going out there and competing, especially on spring break, was great to see. The energy was high, and the discipline was there, [and the] excitement of how they’re playing as one.”
Kassidy Morris and Ava Connaughton were the double-headed serpent that Duquesne feared, as they combined for eight goals and three assists. Morris was the engine on offense, maneuvering her way through defense and scoring from tight angles. She now leads the A-10 in goals per game (3.75). Both scored their fourth goal with jaw-dropping behind-the-back shots.
“They are so important, they have great energy,” Drummond said of the duo. “They draw so much attention, and they’re so versatile that you can’t play them one-on-one. [Morris] is looking at feeds in [the Duquesne goal zone], and [Connaughton] is very creative down at the crease. Their ability to read each other shows how connected they are on and off the field.”
Tessa Shields was the X factor for UMass, scoring two goals and providing four assists within the first three quarters of action.
Catrina Tobin had some big moments in goal, saving multiple penalty shots and clearing the ball out just before the Dukes’ offense collapsed. The redshirt junior recorded three saves and gave her teammates many transition attacking opportunities.
UMass has now won its last three games by a combined 28 goals, now giving it the highest goals per game margin in the A-10 at 15.75. It also holds the highest assists per game, with 7.5.
Lauren Tolve had one of the best games of her collegiate career on Saturday, finishing with a career-high three goals on five shots.
With three wins in a row, the Minutewomen have improved significantly from the start of the season after losing by a combined 19 goals against Boston College and Dartmouth.
“For us, the game plan is always getting better from the last game,” Drummond said. “The focus for us is always ‘us vs us’ every time. The more we can focus on that while playing fast-paced is always the best opportunity for us.”
UMass looks to expand its fiery win streak to four as all eyes move to George Washington. The game will be held at GW Lacrosse Field on Saturday, March 22, at noon on ESPN+.
Adam Kysiak can be contacted at [email protected] and @adampkysiak on X/Twitter.
