#16 UMass Opens NCAA Tournament Play Against #5 Syracuse

Nov. 7, 2012

2012 NCAA Tournament Opening Rounds (hosted at Penn State; University Park, Pa.)
First Round Game 1: #17 Albany vs. #3 Penn State	Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012 \| 11:00 a.m.
First Round Game 2: #16 UMass vs. #5 Syracuse	Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012 \| 2:00 p.m.
Location	PSU Field Hockey Complex (750) \| University Park, Pa.
Live Statistics	GameTracker
Game Notes	Massachusetts
Series History	Syracuse leads, 15-7-1
Record Books	Syracuse \| UMass
Social Media	@UMassFH   \| @UMassAthletics   \| Sam The Minuteman

AMHERST, Mass. - The #16 UMass field hockey team (15-8 overall) will battle #5 Syracuse (17-2) during the first round of the 2012 NCAA Tournament on Saturday, Nov. 10. The Minutewomen and Orange will travel to Penn State - the host institution - for the 2 p.m. game. UMass and Syracuse have already met once this season, with the Minutewomen dropping the #1 Orange at Garber Field, 2-1 on Thursday, Oct. 11.

Quick Hits
UMass is...

15-6 in day games.

14-1 when recording at least one goal in the last 20 minutes of a contest.

11-3 when scoring first.

10-1 when scoring at least three goals.

10-0 in its previous 10 contests.

10-2 when leading at halftime.

Scouting Syracuse

UMass will face No. 5 Syracuse (17-2 overall) for the second time on the 2012 season during NCAA Tournament First Round competition at Penn State in University Park, Pa., on Saturday, Nov. 10. Previously, the Minutewomen defeated No. 1 Syracuse, 2-1 on Thursday, Oct. 11 to hand the Orange their first loss of the season.

During competition in the first meeting, the Orange struck first with a goal from Alyssa Manley; however, the Minutewomen responded with a pair of goals in the second half to come away from Garber Field victorious. Freshman midfielder Noralie Weusthuis notched the first on a deflection following a 25-yard pass into the circle by sophomore defender Lauren Allymohamed in the 57th minute. Senior defender Thando Zono followed with the eventual game-winner in the 63rd minute, using a pass from freshman midfielder Allie Sabia to set up the play before blasting a shot into the left side of the cage. The Minutewomen led the contest in shots, 15-9 and shots on goal, 8-6 while Syracuse tallied a 6-4 advantage in penalty corners. The victory marked the first such for a women's athletics team in recorded UMass athletics history.

On the season, the Orange are outscoring the opposition, 4.00-1.05 on average in each contest with a 76-20 advantage in goals scored. Syracuse also holds a strong lead in total shots, 390-148 and penalty corners, 152-75. Kelsey Millman paces the offense with 30 points on 12 goals and six assists. Gillian Pinder follows with 26 points on nine goals and eight assists while Lauren Brooks and Jordan Page both own 24 points on the season. Ten Orange student-athletes have recorded double-digit points totals on the season as part of a 210-58 lead in the category over the Orange's foes.

Leann Stiver serves as the lead goalkeeper for the Orange, with 19 starts in as many games. Stiver owns 1,252 minutes of action with only 18 goals allowed for a 1.01 goals-against average. Stiver has also turned aside 54 shots for a .750 save percentage with collecting eight shutouts.

In their most recent contest, Syracuse fell to No. 5 Connecticut during the Big East Tournament Championship, 4-3. The Orange held a 3-1 advantage during the second half; however, two goals from Chloe Hunnable and another from Katherine Baker over the final 25 minutes of play sent the Huskies away from Louisville's Trager Stadium with the title. The loss marks the only other defeat Syracuse has been handed on the season.

UMass Wins A-10 Tournament

Facing the No. 1 seed and No. 16 nationally ranked Richmond Spiders, the Minutewomen field hockey team secured the program's 13th Atlantic 10 Tournament Title with a 5-0 drubbing of the Spiders at Garber Field on Saturday afternoon. Facing the team it last lost to; doing so, 1-0 on the road to open A-10 play, UMass dominated Richmond throughout the contest behind the strength of three goals from Thando Zono. The senior defender was awarded the A-10 Tournament Most Outstanding Player Award following the conclusion of the game as Zono notched 11 points on five goals and an assist on the weekend.

Zono recorded a pair of goals in the first half before adding a third in the final stanza - using penalty corners to directly or indirectly record each. Zono opened scoring in the 10th minute with a rebound shot following her initial penalty corner attempt before adding her second of the day on a traditional penalty corner play at the 32:53 mark.

After Kate Heineman and Kim Young added a goal each to turn the contest into a rout, Zono notched the final mark of the contest in the 64th minute following an insert by Heineman and stop by Callie Sweigart.

Heineman tallied four points on the contest, with a pair of assists to go with her second goal of the season. Sweigart added a trio of assists while Young and Hannah Prince each had one helper.

Following conclusion of play, UMass had five players named to the A-10 All-Tournament Team in Zono, freshman goalkeeper Sam Carlino, sophomore defender Lauren Allymohamed, senior forward Nicole Cordero and freshman midfielder Noralie Weusthuis.

UMass Unbeaten In Last Ten Games

UMass secured a berth with a 2-1 OT victory over Rider in the NCAA Tournament Play-In Game to run its winning streak to 10 consecutive games entering the NCAA Tournament First Round contest with No. 5 Syracuse. To secure the previous 10 decisions, UMass mixed stout defensive performances with the highlight-reel offensive shows-of-force typical under Carla Tagliente-led attacking units. The Minutewomen have outscored their opposition, 40-9 during the winning streak, averaging 4.00 goals scored to only 0.90 allowed per contest. The streak of victories includes two wins over Temple and one each against #1 Syracuse, #16 Richmond, Saint Louis, VCU, La Salle, Saint Joseph's, Lock Haven and Rider.

Minutewomen Tally 12 A-10 Laurels

When the Atlantic 10 Conference issued its yearly laurels following the conclusion of the regular season, seven members of the UMass field hockey program combined to bring home a dozen awards, the most among any A-10 affiliate. Sophomore defender Lauren Allymohamed led the group with the A-10 Defensive Player of the Year honor - the fourth consecutive year UMass has earned the award - while head coach Carla Tagliente was named the conference's Coach of the Year.

Allymohamed - a starter on the backline in each of UMass' 20 games this season - also secured Atlantic 10 All-Conference First Team along with a trio of squad mates, including senior forward Nicole Cordero, senior midfielder Kim Young and senior defender Thando Zono. In addition to the four first team honorees, a pair of freshman were named to the A-10 All-Conference Second Team and All-Rookie Team in goalkeeper Sam Carlino and midfielder Noralie Weusthuis. On the academic side, Young and Zono were tabbed as part of the 11-student Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference squad. The laurel is the second such for Young while it marks the first time Zono was recognized for her academic success at the University of Massachusetts.

Weusthuis Brings In A-10 Honor

After a three-goal weekend that included the game-winner against Lock Haven, freshman midfielder Noralie Weusthuis was named the Atlantic 10 Conference Rookie of the Week on Monday, Oct. 29. The laurel is the first such issued to Weusthuis by the A-10.

The freshman from Hengelo, The Netherlands, produced one goal against Temple in UMass' 4-1 win before adding a pair of unassisted tallies against the Lady Eagles. For the season, Weusthuis ranks fourth on the squad with 14 points on six goals and two assists and is tops among all A-10 freshman in points during conference play, with nine on four goals and one helper.

UMass Rolls La Salle, Saint Joseph's

With a pair of victories on the road at La Salle and Saint Joseph's, the UMass field hockey squad continued its recent run of success, moving its winning streak to five in the process.

Against La Salle, senior forward Nicole Cordero provided two goals while senior forward Kate Heineman and freshman midfielder Noralie Weusthuis added a tally. Heineman netted her first goal of the season - and the eventual game-winner - in the 30th minute to push UMass ahead, 1-0. The senior from Ellicott, Md., sent home a loose ball after Weusthuis fired an on-target attempt at La Salle goalkeeper Lisa Shaffer.

When facing the Hawks two days later, five UMass field hockey seniors led the Minutewomen to a 5-1 victory at Saint Joseph's Ellen Ryan Field on Sunday afternoon. Senior defenders Callie Sweigart and Thando Zono and classmates Cordero, Heineman and Kim Young directed the UMass offense while combining for three goals and five assists on the day. Freshman midfielder Allie Sabia and redshirt-sophomore midfielder Marisa Dunn added their first collegiate tallies during competition against the Hawks.

Trio Honored Following Wins

After the UMass field hockey team tallied a pair of wins on the road at La Salle and Saint Joseph's three Minutewomen were singled out to recognize the recent success of the squad. Senior forward Nicole Cordero totaled Atlantic 10 Player of the Week while freshman goalkeeper Sam Carlino received the rookie laurel from the conference and senior defender Thando Zono was named co-UMass Athlete of the Week on Monday.

Cordero has supplied the Minutewomen with an offensive spark throughout the season and has heightened her play since conference competition began. After three goals and an assist over two games during the previous weekend, Cordero now owns 13 points on six tallies and one helper through five conference games. On the season overall, Cordero leads UMass with 12 goals and an assist for 25 points, the fourth-highest total in the Atlantic 10.

Carlino netted her first weekly honor with a strong showing against the Explorers and Hawks, only allowing two goals in 140 minutes of play while recording nine saves. Carlino has achieved similar dominance to Cordero's when facing A-10 opposition, owning a 0.63 goals against average and .870 save percentage while only allowing three goals in more than 330 minutes in net against A-10 foes. Zono was tabbed the co-UMass Athlete of the Week with swimming and diving's Katie Arnott after Zono helped to lead the Minutewomen through another successful A-10 weekend. Zono spearheaded the offensive charge against Saint Joseph's, recording a goal and two assists to improve the senior defender's season points total to 18 on seven goals and four assists.

Young Reaches The 60-Point Plateau

During UMass' 5-2 Atlantic 10 Tournament Semifinal victory over Temple, senior midfielder Kim Young reached the 60-point plateau for her tenure with the Minutewomen. Young has remained one of the most consistent players for UMass since her arrival in Amherst in 2009, recording at least three goals in each season. Young has a pair of 13-point seasons (2009 & 2011) and owns 24 goals and 21 assists in 81 career games.

This year, Young has turned in her best single-season performance at UMass, owning first on the squad with 32 points on 13 goals and six assists. For her overall success on the field and in the classroom, Young has been awarded numerous honors, including First Team A-10 All-Conference (2011-12), A-10 All-Conference Rookie Team (2009) and NFHCA National Academic Squad (2011) and Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference (2011-12).

Zono, Allymohamed Notch Weekly Awards

With three wins in as many games, senior defender Thando Zono and sophomore defender Lauren Allymohamed were honored for their parts in helping secure each win. Zono tallied Atlantic 10 Co-Athlete of the Week and Allymohamed earned UMass Athlete of the Week after the duo combined for two goals and a pair of assists.

Zono earned the game-winning goal against No. 1 Syracuse before adding her second goal of the weekend against Saint Louis. Allymohamed assisted on the game-winner against the Orange before providing another helper against VCU.

UMass Totals Perfect Three-Game Week

After downing No. 1 Syracuse, 2-1 the Minutewomen continued a strong showing at home with wins over Saint Louis, 6-2 and VCU, 3-0 to complete a perfect week. The victories improved UMass to 8-8 overall and 2-1 in Atlantic 10 play.

Against Saint Louis, senior Nicole Cordero paced the offense with her first collegiate hat trick while Thando Zono, Lindsay Bowman and Molly MacDonnell added a mark each. The Minutewomen controlled play from the onset, finishing with a 30-2 advantage in shots while scoring the first four goals.

When UMass faced VCU two days later, the squad produced its first shutout of the season, 3-0 behind strong play from the defense and three saves in the cage by freshman goalkeeper Sam Carlino. Senior midfielder Kim Young scored the eventual game-winner on an assist from Nicole Cordero. Callie Sweigart and Alyssa Ineson added insurance goals for UMass, with Ineson's marking the first of her collegiate career.

Minutewomen Upend No. 1 Syracuse, 2-1

In its final non-conference game, and the most difficult test of the year to-date, the UMass defeated No. 1-nationally ranked Syracuse, 2-1 at Garber Field on Thursday afternoon. After falling behind, 1-0 in the 24th minute, the Minutewomen responded with goals from freshman midfielder Noralie Weusthuis and Thando Zono to secure the victory.

Zono provided the decisive goal in the contest during the 63rd minute of play, her fifth tally of the season. Freshman midfielder Allie Sabia controlled possession to begin the attacking run and sent a pass to Zono. After the ball trickled through the legs of a Syracuse defender, Zono ripped a shot into the left side of the cage just inside the post to push UMass ahead, 2-1 at the 62:55 mark.

Zono's goal came slightly more than five minutes after Weusthuis equalized the contest with a re-direction at the 56:16 mark. Sophomore defender Lauren Allymohamed earned her first assist of the season as Allymohamed delivered a perfect pass from outside of the circle to Weusthuis' waiting stick.

With the win, the field hockey team became the first women's program to defeat a No. 1-ranked opponent in recorded UMass athletic history.

Top Notch Competition Testing Minutewomen

Through 23 contests, UMass field hockey has played a ranked foe 12 times, the most among all Atlantic 10 Conference schools. This year, UMass has faced No. 1 Syracuse, No. 3 Connecticut, No. 3 Maryland, No. 7 Northeastern, No. 12 Boston University, No. 15 Ohio State, No. 16 Richmond, No. 17 Boston College, No. 18 New Hampshire, No. 21 UAlbany, No. 22 Richmond and No. 24 Maine.

Within the Atlantic 10, the eight-team conference has played 43 games against top-25 opponents combined, with Richmond and Temple challenging the second-most (seven) while Lock Haven, Saint Joseph's, Saint Louis, La Salle and VCU have tallied four.

As a whole, the conference has gone 9-34 against NFHCA Top-25 opposition, with UMass owning six of those victories. Richmond downed No. 19 Williams & Mary and No. 25 American University while Temple fought by No. 15 Drexel to join UMass as the only A-10 teams with wins over top-25 opposition.

70 Minutes of Field Hockey Just Isn't Enough

Through 23 games, the UMass field hockey squad has played into overtime on seven occasions, meaning nearly a third of the team's games have required extra playing time to decide. UMass is 4-3 in games that go to overtime, with wins against No. 15 Ohio State, No. 17 Boston College, No. 18 New Hampshire and Rider.

Previously, UMass had played six or more overtime games in a season only once, when the Minutewomen had six games need extra minutes during the 2000 campaign, which encompassed 23 contests. Throughout the entire A-10 Conference there have only been 18 overtime contests, with UMass being the only squad to participate in more than three games that played beyond regulation time.

Prince Named A-10 Player of the Week

After helping UMass to a pair of wins against ranked opponents, junior Hannah Prince was named Atlantic 10 Field Hockey Player of the Week, the league office announced on Aug. 27.

Prince scored the first two goals of her career; both overtime game-winners, as the Minutewomen defeated No. 18 New Hampshire and No. 15 Ohio State by 2-1 margins on Friday and Saturday in Durham, N.H. She factored in UMass' first goal vs. the Buckeyes, as well, dishing her first career assist.

UMass Downs No. 18 New Hampshire, No. 15 Ohio State

UMass posted a pair of 2-1 overtime wins vs. No. 18 New Hampshire and No. 15 Ohio State last weekend in Durham, N.H. It marked the first two victories over ranked opponents of head coach Carla Tagliente's tenure.

The pair of wins put the Minutewomen out to their first 2-0 beginning to a season since 2000. UMass' last 3-0 start came in 1996 when the squad opened up with four consecutive wins.

Brooke Sabia, Allie Sabia, Courtney Spleen, Noralie Weusthuis and Sam Carlino all made their collegiate debuts at New Hampshire. Allie Sabia also logged her first career assist against the Wildcats.

In addition to the two game-winners by Prince, seniors Kim Young and Thando Zono also added tallies against UNH and Ohio State, respectively. In goal for UMass, Carlino had three saves vs. the Buckeyes.

Scoreboard

University of Massachusets Athletics

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