University of Massachusets Athletics
Women's Lacrosse Set to Defend Atlantic 10 Championship Title
May 01, 2001 | Women's Lacrosse
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Defending Champion UMass to Take on Duquesne in Semifinal Game of Verizon Atlantic 10 Championship
The No. 3 seed University of Massachusetts women's lacrosse team begins defense of its Atlantic 10 Championship title Friday, May 4, afternoon at 2:30 p.m. against No. 2 seed Duquesne University (13-4, 4-1 Atlantic 10). The winner of this contest will take on the winner of top seeded Temple versus No. 4 seed St. Joseph's at 12:00 p.m. Saturday in the championship game. The game between the Minutewomen,who are 2-1 all-time in the A-10 Championship, and the Dukes will mark the first ever post-season meeting between the two teams.
Championship Schedule
Friday, May 4 12:00 p.m. #1 Temple vs. #4 St. Joseph's 2:30 p.m. #2 Duquesne vs. #3 UMassSaturday, May 5 12:00 p.m. Championship Game Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2
UMass In The A-10 Championship
The Minutewoman have advanced to the A-10 Championship in each of its three years of existence. They join Temple and Duquesne as the only three teams who have competed in the tournament each year since the A-10 began sponsoring the sport in 1999. Here is a look at how UMass has fared at the Championship.
2000 - Amherst, Mass. Finals UMass 3, Temple 2 (OT) Semifinals UMass 10, Virginia Tech 91999 - Philadelphia, Pa. Semifinals Virginia Tech 12, UMass 11
Minutewomen In The A-10 Championship
In UMass' three games in the A-10 Championship, senior Rachel Ingraffea (Ithaca, N.Y.) has netted four goals to lead the Minutewomen. Jen Nardi (Valley Cottage, N.Y.) is the only current UMass player to have earned All-Tournament honors, earning a spot on last year's team. She has 53 saves in three career A-10 Championship starts.
UMass vs. The Championship Field
Temple holds a commanding 3-17-1 advantage over UMass since the series began in 1980. The last win for the Minutewomen over the Owls was in the Championship game of the 2000 A-10 Tournament. UMass holds a 2-1 series advantage over the Dukes of Duquesne, winning 9-5 in 1999 and 11-1 in 2000. The only blemish came this season, a 12-9 loss in Amherst. The Minutewomen are 7-1 against the Hawks, including a 14-8 win at St. Joseph's earlier this season.
Head Coach Phil Barnes
Phil Barnes (Assumption, 1995) is in his second season as the head coach of the UMass women's lacrosse program. Last year, the Taunton, Mass. native led the Minutewomen to a final record of 10-7, a share of the Atlantic 10 regular season crown and capped off the year with the A-10 Championship. Prior to taking over the top spot at UMass, Barnes served as an assistant at the school under Francesca McClellan for two years. Barnes also held the head coaching position at Holy Cross for two years and was named Patriot League Coach of the Year in 1996. Barnes has a career record of 16-16 at UMass.
On A Roll
The Minutewomen enter this year's championship as winners of four of their last five and five of their last eight. In its last five games, UMass has outscored its opponents 65-43, holding all but one opponent under the 10-goal mark. The only loss over that five game span came at No. 7 North Carolina, 20-5.
The 10 Spot
With a 12-goal effort against Connecticut on Wednesday, April 25, the Massachusetts women's lacrosse team improved to a perfect 6-0 on the season when reaching the 10-goal plateau. The Minutewomen are 0-9 in games this season in which they do not score at least 10 goals. Last year, UMass was 7-0 when it scored at least 10 goals and 3-7 when it did not.
Seniors Aiming To Go Out On Top
Senior standouts Denise Brey (Tabernacle, N.J.), Kara DePaula (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.), Rachel Ingraffea, Fay Naber and Jen Nardi have been a part of four UMass teams that have combined to finish 34-28 heading into the contest against Duquesne. During that span, the senior class also helped the Minutewomen to their first-ever Atlantic 10 Championship and a share of the A-10 regular season title in 2000.
Freshman Stepping Up
The Minutewomen have gotten goal-scoring production out of this year's freshman class. The first-year players have combined for 33 goals and 23 assists through 15 games. Leading the way are Angela McMahon, with 12 goals and five assists and Miriam Godfrey (Lexington, Mass.) with nine goals and two assists. Hope Zelinger (Ellicott City, Md.) (3-5--8), Jill Blauvelt (Suffern, N.Y.) (4-1--5), Nicole Chominski (4-0--4) and Andrea Valachovic (Framingham, Mass.) (1-0-1) have also scored for the Minutewomen.
Ingraffea - A Model of Consistency For UMass
Senior Rachel Ingraffea has been the top offensive threat for the Minutewomen this season. She leads the team in both goals (35) and points (36). The fourth-year midfielder has scored a goal in 11 of 13 games this year, including eight hat tricks. With those 35 goals, she eclipsed her own personal single-season mark that was set last season, when she scored 19 goals. For her career, Ingraffea now has posted 75 goals and 84 points.
Minutewomen Among A-10 Leaders
In the latest A-10 rankings, through April 29, Rachel Ingraffea ranks ninth in overall scoring and third in Atlantic 10 scoring with 34 and 18 points, respectively. Fay Naber is also ranked, tied for 11th overall with 33 points, and tied for ninth in the A-10 with 14 points. Jen Nardi's overall 8.88 goals against average is third best in the conference, as is her .549 save percentage. In Atlantic 10 action this season Nardi posed a 8.00 GAA and .562 save percentage, good for second and third, respectively.
Minutewomen Among The Nations Best
In the April 29 NCAA rankings, Fay Naber ranked 14th nationally with 2.47 draw controls while Rachel Ingraffea ranked 20th with 2.27. As a team, UMass was 12th with 11.93 caused turnovers per game.
Game Winners
Three Minutewomen have recorded game winners this season with Jada Emery leading the way with three (Albany, La Salle & UConn). Rachel Ingraffea has two (St. Joseph's & St. Bonaventure) and Angela McMahon has one (Vermont).
2001 Player Bios
#10 Denise Brey Sr., Midfield
An All-Atlantic 10 and All-America Candidate ... one of the top defenders in the Atlantic 10 Conference ... a starter in all 15 contests for UMass this season ... tied for fourth on the team with 13 draw controls ... scored her first goal of the season on a free position shot against St. Bonaventure ... posted an assist in the win over Albany.
#25 Kara DePaula Sr., Attack
Emerged as a capable offensive threat for the Minutewomen ... tallied a career-high 21 points on seven goals and 14 assists ... finished second on the team in assists behind Fay Naber and ranked tied for fourth on the team in points ... broke out for a career-high five-point game against La Salle, recording four goals and one assist ... scored one goal and assisted on three others in the win over Albany ... scored her first goal of the season in the loss to Syracuse ... recorded four assists in the win over Vermont ... notched a goal and an assist against St. Bonaventure ... tallied two assists in the season opening loss to Harvard and against UConn ... notched an assist in the loss to New Hampshire.
#7 Rachel Ingraffea Sr., Midfield
An All-Atlantic 10 and All-America Candidate ... Started all 15 games for UMass ... finished first on the team in scoring with 36 points and led the team with 35 goals ... enjoyed an outstanding season offensively, netting eight hat tricks ... led the team in shots with 84 ... also finished first in groundballs (39) and was second in draw controls (34) behind Fay Naber ... netted five goals in the win over La Salle ... found the back of the net four times in the win over Albany ... scored three goals against New Hampshire, Syracuse, St. Joseph's, Temple, Duquesne and St. Bonaventure ... scored two goals in losses to Penn State and Hofstra and the wins over Vermont and Connecticut.
#21 Fay Naber Sr., Attack
An All-Atlantic 10 and All-America Candidate ... played in all 15 games, making 14 starts ... finished second on the team in points (33) behind Rachel Ingraffea ... the team leader in assists with 16 ... closed the regular season as the top draw controller on the roster ... also ranked second on the team in shots with 49 ... notched a season high five points in the win over UConn on three goals and two assists ... enjoyed a four-point effort against La Salle, tallying three times and adding one assist ... scored four points, on a goal and three assists, in the Atlantic 10 opener against St. Joseph's, as well as in the win over Albany ... opened the season with a two goal, one assist performance against Harvard and matched that feat against Duquesne ... scored a goal in the losses to Penn State and Temple, and the win over St. Bonaventure ... recorded two goals in the loss to North Carolina ... chipped in with two assists against Syracuse ... notched one assist against Dartmouth.
#2 Jen Nardi Sr., Goal
An All-Atlantic 10 and All-America Candidate ... will leave UMass as one of the top goalies in NCAA history ... saw action between the pipes in 11 games, making 10 starts ... Compiled a 5-4 record for the Minutewomen ... finished the regular season with a 8.86 goals against average and a .549 save percentage ... had a 3-1 mark in conference play with a .562 save percentage and 8.00 GAA ... stopped a season-high 13 shots in the win over UConn ... made 12 saves in the wins over both St. Joseph's and La Salle, as well as the loss to North Carolina ... denied 10 shots in the loss to Dartmouth ... made nine saves against Duquesne ... turned away eight shots in win over St. Bonaventure ... stopped seven shots in her first start of the season against Hofstra ... needed to make only six stops in a win over Albany ... made three saves in relief of Cyndi Doyle in win over Vermont.
#14 Bridget Byrne So., Defense
Developed into a steady defender for the Minutewomen ... played in all 15 games at defense, starting every contest ... finished the season tied for fourth on the team with 18 caused turnovers ... scooped up 13 groundballs ... scored her only goal of the season against Albany.
#1 Cyndi Doyle So., Goal
Emerged as a capable netminder who challenged for playing time with Jen Nardi ... played in nine games, making six starts in goal ... closed out the regular season with a 10.33 goals against average and a .526 save percentage ... denied a career-high 17 shots against New Hampshire ... stopped 10 shots against Harvard in the season opener and in the losing cause against Penn State ... made nine shots against Temple ... stopped four shots in relief of Nardi against La Salle ... turned back two shots to earn her first win of the year against Vermont ... made four saves in relief of Nardi against Dartmouth ... turned away two shots against North Carolina.
#19 Jada Emery So., Midfield
An integral part of the midfield, playing in 14 of 15 games ... stepped up as a major offensive contributor for the Minutewomen ... finished third on the team in points (24) and second on the team in goals (22) ... caused the second most turnovers of anyone on the squad (21) ... ranked third on the team in both shots and groundballs ... broke out for a five-point game (three goals, two assists) in a win over Vermont ... delivered back-to-back four-goal games in the wins over Albany and La Salle ... added a hat trick in Atlantic 10 opener against St. Joseph's and in the win over Connecticut ... netted two goals against North Carolina ... scored a goal in contests against New Hampshire, Temple and Hofstra.
# 30 Lori Kain So., Midfield
A defensive stalwart in the midfield, started in all 15 games ... also emerged as an offensive threat as the season progressed ... closed the season with five goals ... scooped up 11 groundballs ... scored her first goal of the season, also the first of her career, against Duquesne ... scored two goals in the win over Albany ... recorded a single goal in the wins over La Salle and UConn.
#14 Kelli Kurtz So., Midfield
A solid two-way player with the ability to defend and score ... saw action in all 15 games for UMass, starting every game ... scored 10 points on the season with eight goals and two assists ... finished tied for third on the team with 19 caused turnovers ... also picked up 14 groundballs ... notched back-to-back two goal games against Duquesne and St. Bonaventure ... netted a goal and an assist in win over St. Joseph's ... scored a single goal against Vermont, Dartmouth and Syracuse ... assisted on one goal against Temple.
#36 Leslie Pollock So., Attack
Built off a nice freshman season and enjoyed an even better sophomore campaign ... crafty player who can score and set up goals ... played in 14 games, making 10 starts ... ranked tied for fourth on the team in scoring with 21 points on 12 goals and nine assists ... finished second on the team in groundballs with 38 ... recorded a career-high six points on four goals and two assists in the win over Albany ... posted a four-point game against UConn with two goals and two assists ... scored three points on a goal and two assists against Duquesne ... followed that performance with a goal and an assist against St. Bonaventure ... netted a goal in the losses to Temple, Syracuse and New Hampshire ... also scored once in win over St. Joseph's ... assisted on one goal in the win over La Salle.
#13 Lydia Robinson So., Midfield
Was in the midst of a stellar second season with UMass before being forced out of the lineup with an injury ... saw action in six games, with four starts ... scored seven goals and added one assist for eight points ... recorded a hat trick against Harvard and Hofstra ... scored a goal against New Hampshire.
#18 Jill Blauvelt Fr., Midfield
A key reserve for the Minutewomen, played in 14 games with three starts ... scored four goals and one assist for five points ... scooped up 16 groundballs ... netted her first two collegiate goals in the win over Vermont ... posted a goal against La Salle ... assisted on a goal in the win over Albany.
#11 Nicole Chominski Fr., Midfield
Saw action in seven games, all as a reserve ... finished the season with four goals ... scooped up five groundballs and added two draw controls ... tallied her first career goal against Penn State ... scored twice in Atlantic 10 opener against St. Joseph's ... found the back of the cage once in the win over Albany.
#26 Miriam Godfrey Fr., Midfield
Played in 13 games for the Minutewomen with nine starts ... ranked second among freshman with 11 points on nine goals and two assists ... finished first on the team with 23 caused turnovers ... also picked up 25 groundballs ... tallied a hat trick in the win over Vermont ... netted two goals against Dartmouth ... scored one goal and assisted on another in the win over Albany ... recorded a single goal in the wins over St. Joseph's and La Salle ... scored her first collegiate goal in the season opener against Harvard ... posted an assist against North Carolina.
#23 Angela McMahon Fr., Attack
One of the top offensive threats for the Minutewomen, played in 14 games this year with eight starts ... the top freshman scorer, she scored 12 goals and added five assists for 17 points ... scooped up 26 groundballs on the season ... fourth on the team in shots ... emerged with a five goal outing in the win over Vermont ... assisted on two goals against Duquesne ... recorded two goals and added an assist in win over St. Joseph's ... scored first career goal in season opener against Harvard ... also netted a single goal and chipped in with an assist against Syracuse and North Carolina ... posted a single goal against Temple and St. Bonaventure.
#17 Thea Merkle Fr., Attack
Has not seen any game action for the Minutewomen.
#28 Brianna Murphy Fr., Defense
Saw action in two games, both as a reserve ... caused one turnover.
#4 Liz Papp Fr., Defense
Played in three games, all as a reserve ... had one groundball.
#12 Kristin St. Hilaire Fr., Midfield
Did not see any action as she recovered from a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
#9 Andrea Valachovic Fr., Midfield
Saw action in 14 games, making 13 starts ... a steady contributor to the UMass lineup ... scooped up 17 groundballs ... caused 19 turnovers and claimed 13 draw controls ... scored her first collegiate goal in the win over Vermont.
#5 Hope Zelinger Fr., Attack
Played in 12 games for the Minutewomen, making six starts ... scored eight points on three goals and five assists ... scooped up 17 groundballs and caused 11 turnovers ... recorded two points, including her first collegiate goal, in the opener against Harvard ... scored a single goal against Syracuse and Vermont ... notched an assist against Penn State, Albany, Connecticut and St. Bonaventure.
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