The No. 25 Massachusetts women’s lacrosse team honored its seniors on Saturday afternoon in a dominant 26-4 victory over George Mason. The Minutewomen’s (13-3, 10-0 Atlantic 10) senior class put up 16 goals against the Patriots (7-10, 2-8 A-10).
UMass celebrated 10 seniors – Kassidy Morris, Jordan Dean, Delaney Rodriguez-Shaw, Lauren Tolve, Rachel Shu, Paris Melberg, Katherine Cuozzo, Tessa Shields, Lauren Carey and Catrina Tobin.
“This senior group is someone that we wanted to honor and play well for, and you can just tell that everyone on the team felt that energy and felt that motivation to play well for [the seniors] and each other,” head coach Jana Drummond said.
Morris led the team with five goals and three assists. The attacker earned a first half hat trick and broke the UMass single-season program record for goals on a free position shot with just over five minutes to go in the second quarter. Morris now holds the record with 70 goals in a single season.
“I’m very fortunate to be a part of this program,” Morris said. “I loved it. I’m so thankful and I couldn’t have done it without my teammates, they’re everything. This team has just been great every year but the chemistry we have on the field is just outstanding this year.”
Melberg scored her first two goals of the season against George Mason. Shields ran up the left side of the field with the ball and passed to Melberg, who was just outside of the arc along the extended goal line. The Laguna Niguel, California native quickly turned and sent the ball past Patriots goaltender Regan Bestick’s right shoulder and into the back of the net. Cheers erupted from the crowd and bench, and players on the field rallied around and lifted Melberg into the air in celebration.
“It was awesome because [Melberg] works so hard behind the scenes, and I know she doesn’t get as much playing time in those games like her peers and some other seniors and teammates,” Drummond said. “For her to just come out here, stay calm, she trusted her process, she trusted everything in that, and I think to just see that and come to fruition was electric on the sideline and really awesome for her to come out here and do that.”
Rodriguez-Shaw scored two quick goals in the first quarter. Dean controlled the draw and passed to Rodriguez-Shaw, who ran the ball up the field. After beating two defenders, the attacker cut toward the center of the arc before firing a shot into the goal. Just 40 seconds later, the Longmeadow, Massachusetts native found the back of the net for a second time after faking a short pass to Morris and driving up the right lane to the goal.
“Just to see that confidence as we started to sub and different people came in here, they were still playing so at ease and working really hard, hustling for all of that,” Drummond said of the seniors’ leadership. “That trickles down from the seniors of just that confidence, but also the love they have for each other to want to show up and play for one another.”
Shields finished with seven points from four goals and three helpers. Tolve’s single goal just under 10 minutes to go in the second quarter gave the Minutewomen a 10-goal lead, triggering the running clock. Dean led the team with 18 draw controls.
“This place is like my home away from home,” Morris said. “It’s everything here and it’s so nice to have 38 people on this team that I can call my family, and I’m just so fortunate. Next week, we have our conference championships and it’s our last time we can play in the A-10, so I’m hoping to finish that off with a bang. I’m so thankful.”
Devin Lippman can be reached at [email protected] and followed on X @devinlippman.
