The No. 14 Massachusetts field hockey team earned its sixth shutout of the season in a 5-0 trouncing against the Longwood Lancers on Friday afternoon. The Minutewomen (11-2, 4-1 Mid-American) picked up a crucial win to stay tied atop the conference heading into the holiday weekend, with freshman standout Emily Barrett leading the charge.
UMass’ offensive barrage brought a win back to Amherst after its six-game home winning streak was snapped by the UConn Huskies the previous weekend. The Minutewomen spent most of the game controlling play in the offensive zone, piling up 27 shots against Longwood (3-9, 1-4 MAC) goaltender Sophie Mooldijk.
Barrett, a first-year forward leading the Minutewomen in scoring, ended a seven-game goal drought with a dominant two-goal performance, with both scores coming less than five minutes apart in the third quarter.
“Strikers from time to time go through a little bit of a drought, and it can be more and more frustrating as the games go on,” head coach Barb Weinberg said.
Both of Barrett’s goals found the back of the net in exciting fashion. A turn-and-shoot highlight-reel rip from the top of the shooting circle painted the bottom corner of the goal and put UMass up 4-0 late in the third.
“I’m really glad she could open up the scoring today, she had two beautiful goals,” Weinberg said. “When she got into the rhythm and was able to have a few shots on goal, she started connecting really well.”
In her first year with the Minutewomen, Barrett has proven to be a pillar on the offensive side of the ball. Tallying her sixth and seventh goals of the season in this outing and climbing to 17 points, Barrett cemented herself as a difference-maker among an already talented and veteran UMass lineup, continuing to showcase her abilities as the season stretches on.
“She’s just such a natural goal scorer, and her qualities as a leader already, as a first-year on this team, I think we’re going to see her grow and grow,” Weinberg said.
UMass’ defense continued to shine on both sides of the field on Friday. The Minutewomen allowed just four shots and just two on net through all four quarters.
“A really experienced backfield, talented players, we play really good individual defense,” Weinberg said.
Paired with senior goaltender Myrte van Herwijnen, UMass earned its sixth shutout of the season, leading the MAC and moving up to No. 2 in the nation in the category. The performance also marked the 21st shutout of van Herwijnen’s career.
The defense showed its versatility on the offensive end as well, with three of the team’s five goals coming from backline players. Junior defender Megan Carpenter earned her first career goal on a penalty corner early in the second quarter.
“[Carpenter’s] one of our corner injectors, so if she gets herself into the right spots for the rebounds, she’ll put some in the back of the net,” Weinberg said.
The Minutewomen showcased their set-piece prowess, scoring on three of their 14 penalty corner attempts on Friday — a crucial part of their offensive game and a marked improvement from their previous outing against UConn. In the 2-1 loss to the Huskies, UMass capitalized on none of its penalty corner opportunities, ultimately leading to a loss.
The MAC remains wide open, with three teams tied for first after they all suffered losses last week. Friday’s matchup offered the Minutewomen a chance to recover and maintain their spot at the top. UMass remain tied for first this week with Miami (OH) and Appalachian State, all sitting at four conference wins, while James Madison dropped to second after another loss.
The Minutewomen face a crucial weekend ahead, slated to take on both JMU and App State — two games with serious postseason implications.
“It’s a big weekend next weekend,” Weinberg said. “They’re both really solid teams this year, and they’ve had a lot of great results. This week we’re going to have to focus on continuing our individual defense. JMU plays forward really quickly, and we’re going to work on our transition play.”
UMass hits the road next weekend to face JMU in Harrisonburg, Va., on Friday, Oct. 17, at 2 p.m., before traveling to Boone, N.C., to face App State at noon on Sunday, Oct. 19. Both matchups will be available to watch live on ESPN+.
Luke Jones can be reached at [email protected].
