On Saturday, the Massachusetts women’s lacrosse team traveled to North Carolina for an in-conference battle with the Davidson Wildcats, winning 17-7.
The Minutewomen (10-3, 8-0 Atlantic 10) wasted little time striking first, as sophomore Ava Connaughton whipped her first of four goals into the back of the net on a point-blank shot. Davidson’s (10-4, 6-2 A-10) Josie Lambert equalized three minutes later.
With the game tied, UMass went on its first of two major runs. The Minutewomen duo of Lauren Tolve and Tessa Shields linked up for five unanswered UMass goals, with Shields earning a first quarter hat-trick.
At the start of the second quarter, the Wildcats began to generate some momentum of their own. Lambert responded for Davidson with her second of the game, and her teammate Jenna Skibbe followed the goal up with another tally on an assist from Lambert.
The Wildcats and Minutewomen leveled out for the majority of the second quarter, as UMass’ Dylan Lyons and Davidson’s Allie Hartnett traded goals, resulting in a 7-4 score.
While it seemed the game would head into halftime with a manageable three-goal deficit for the Wildcats, Davidson’s defense unraveled with just inside one minute to go.
The first of a pair of Minutewomen goals came on an uncontested Connaughton shot in front of the net. Kassidy Morris complimented Connaughton’s strike with one of her own 22 seconds later, charging to the top of the crease before firing a shot past Davidson’s goalkeeper Kayla Joyce. The goal gave the Minutewomen a 9-4 lead heading into the second half.
UMass didn’t take its foot off the gas pedal, as Connaughton and Morris’ goals marked the start of the teams’ second major run of the game. This time, the Minutewomen rode nine unanswered runs that blew the game open.
Connaughton started the half by completing her hat trick, and Norah Prizzi followed that up with her first of the game. Tolve represented the final act of the quarter, earning a hat-trick for herself and a third for the team on Saturday.
Up 12-4 heading into the final quarter of play, the Minutewomen didn’t slow down offensively. Connaughton struck just 11 seconds after the fourth quarter for her fourth goal of the game.
Shields also earned her fourth goal of the game, scoring in between two Morris goals. The two goals scored by Morris meant a fourth hat-trick for the Minutewomen and a 16-4 lead.
A trio of Davidson goal scorers, most notably Lambert with her third, brought the game back to 16-7 as time wound down. With 11 seconds left, the Minutewomen found one more cause for celebration when Morris quickly fired a ball into the back of the net while absorbing a big hit.
The Minutewomen celebrated and jogged off the field as the game clock expired, embracing each other and their ninth consecutive win in conference play. UMass also currently is riding an eight-game winning streak overall and has scored double-digit goals in its last 11 games, a streak that dates back to Feb. 22.
The Minutewomen will look to carry their conference dominance to New York, where they will travel for a date with the St. Bonaventure. The Bonnies (9-6, 5-3 A-10) are the fourth ranked team in the A-10 women’s lacrosse standings. The matchup will take place Sat., April 19 at noon. The matchup can be streamed on ESPN+.
Matt Kotfila can be reached at [email protected] and followed on X at @mattkotfila.
