University of Massachusets Athletics
NCAA Preview: Women's Lax Ready For Jacksonville
May 06, 2015 | Women's Lacrosse
May 6, 2015
Minutewomen Face Jacksonville In NCAA First Round
• After winning its seventh consecutive Atlantic 10 Championship title last weekend, the UMass women's lacrosse team (18-1) will face Atlantic Sun Conference Champion Jacksonville (17-2) on Friday afternoon at the University of Maryland Lacrosse & Field Hockey Complex. The match is set for a 4 PM opening draw. Tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for students, children and seniors.
• UMass is currently the top team Receiving Votes in the IWLCA Coaches Poll and is receiving votes in both the InsideLacrosse.com and Nike/Lacrosse Magazine Top 20 Polls.
UMass In The NCAA Tournament
• UMass has been to the NCAA Tournament on eight prior occassions with the most recent being last season. The Minutewomen's appearance in the 2015 NCAA Tournament marks the fifth consecutive year and the sixth in the last seven years. Prior to the recent run which began in 2009, UMass appeared in the Big Dance in 1982, 1983, and 1984. The Minutewomen won the 1982 National Championship - the first NCAA sponsored NCAA championship for women's lacrosse. In 1983 and 1984, UMass reached the semifinals. 
• In 2010, 2011, and 2012, UMass appeared in the NCAA Play-In Game falling at No. 15 Stanford 15-12 in 2010 and defeating Canisius in 2011 and 2012. The 2013 season marked the first time since 2009 that the Atlantic 10 had an automatic berth. UMass received the Atlantic 10's automatic berth in 2013, 2014, and 2015. UMass has won a league-record seven straight A-10 tournament titles which have paved the way to the NCAA Tournament.
• The 2015 meeting vs. Jacksonville will mark the first-ever game between the two teams. UMass has never played a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference. A win for the Minutewomen would then advance UMass to a Sunday meeting (Noon) against the tournament's No. 1 seed and pod-host school Maryland. UMass last faced the Terps in the 2012 NCAA First Round where third-seeded Maryland won 15-12.
• UMass' win against UConn in 2013 marked its first NCAA Tournament win since defeating Harvard 5-4 on May 12, 1984 in the NCAA Tournament Second Round - A span of 29 years.
• All-time UMass is 7-10 in NCAA Tournament games.
UMass In The Atlantic 10 Tournament
• In 15 appearances in the Atlantic 10 Tournament, UMass sports an 18-7 overall record. UMass made it to the Championship Game in 2000, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 - winning the Tournament title in 2000, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015.
• UMass has played Richmond nine times; Temple and Duquesne four times; George Wahington three times; Virginia Tech twice; and George Mason, La Salle and Saint Joseph's once.
• In the 2015 A-10 Championship Tournament, UMass defeated George Mason 12-3 in the Semifinals and Richmond 8-4 in the title game.
• UMass has played four overtime games in its A-10 Tournament history posting a 4-0 record. Two of those OT wins were for the league championship titles.
• 2015 marked the sixth time UMass has entered the A-10 Tournament as the No. 1 Seed. In 2000, UMass finished the season in a three-way tie for 1st, but were the No. 2 seed in the tournament.
• UMass entered the 2015 Tournament after an undefeated run the A-10 schedule for the fifth straight season - 7-0 in league play in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 & 8-0 in 2015.
• UMass holds the league records for most A-10 Championship titles (8) and for consecutive titles won (7).
Atlantic 10 Postseason Honors
• After a 16-1 overall record and an 8-0 mark, UMass brought home the lion share of postseason awards from the Atlantic 10. Junior attack Erika Eipp was named the Offensive Player of the Year, sophomore Hannah Murphy earned Midfielder of the Year honors, and senior Rachel Vallarelli was tabbed the Defensive Player of the Year. Head coach Angela McMahon was also named the Coach of the Year for the fourth time in the last five years - the most for any coach in league history.
• Joining Eipp, Murphy and Vallarelli on the All-Conference First-Team were defenders Kate Farnham and Amber Tobin.
• UMass also placed Katie Ott and Anne Farnham on the All-Conference Second-Team. Freshman Holly Turner was named to the All-Rookie Team as well.
• Tobin also added A-10 All-Academic Honors to her postseason resume along with her first-team honors.
• After winning the A-10 Tournament, Hannah Murphy, Nicole Troost, Anne Farnham, Kate Farnham, Amy Tiernan and Rachel Vallarelli were named to the All-Tournament Team. With a six-point weekend highlighted by three goals and an assist in the championship game against Richmond, Amy Tiernan was selected as the Most Outstanding Player.
Eying The NCAA Record Book
• With a phenomenal year defensively, UMass is on track to finish the year as one of the best defensive teams in NCAA history for a single season.
• Having allowed just 101 goals through 19 games, UMass could finish among the top 25 programs for fewest goals allowed in a season, however, the NCAA Record Book only lists the top 15 programs ending at 100 goals allowed. American International holds the NCAA record with 65 goals allowed in 1997 (8 games), while Northwestern gave up 66 in 1983 (14 games). The 1997 Brown and 1997 North Carolina teams are tied at No. 15 with 100 goals allowed in a season.
• UMass' 5.32 goals allowed average is currently tied for the fifth-best ever in NCAA history. The current No. 1 spot is held by the 1983 Northwestern team which gave up an average of 4.71 goals per game.
• The Minutewomen also have one of the longest consecutive win streaks in conference play. Having won 36 consecutive Atlantic 10 matches during regular-season conference play, UMass is tied with Harvard for the 2nd (36) longest league win streak in NCAA history. Northwestern holds the all-time record with 38 straight league wins from 2005-11 which UMass will have an opportunity to tie in 2016.
• Senior goalie Rachel Vallarelli continues her strong play in goal with a 4.89 goals-against-average. Her GAA is currently the 3rd-best for a single-season. Her 6.52 career goals-against-average is also the 5th-best in NCAA history.
• Hannah Murphy is on the cusp of the NCAA Record Book as well for draw controls. Her 100 draws this year are just 11 shy of the NCAA's top-25 list for a single season. With 145 for her career as a sophomore, Murphy could be on pace to reach 300 over four years which would put her in the top-10 in NCAA history as well.
2014 Rewind

• UMass reached the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive year in 2014 after posting an 18-1 overall record before falling to Loyola in the first round. UMass won nine consecutive games to start the season before falling to Northwestern in March. The Minutewomen then ripped off another nine-game win streak entering the NCAA Tournament and capturing its sixth-straight Atlantic 10 crown.
• The year marked the conclusion of the most successful senior class in program history. The group was paced offensively by Katie Ferris and Sam Rush who left UMass as the No. 1 (211 goals) and No. 2 (176 goals) career goal scorers in program history. A three-time All-American, Ferris also left the program as the career leader in points (330) and assists (119), while Rush holds the No. 1 (67) and No. 2 (65) single-season goal scoring records in program history.
• Along with Ferris and Rush, the 2014 senior class was one of the most cohesive groups over a four-year period with starters Tanner Guarino, Kelsey McGovern, Kesley Sheridan, Melissa Carelli and Courtney McGrath all playing key roles on the team during their careers.
UMass Among The 2015 NCAA Stat Leaders

• As a team, UMass ranks No. 1 nationally in scoring defense allowing just 5.32 goals per game. The Minutewomen are first in caused turnovers per game (12.00) and fourth in groundballs per game (20.58) bolstering the team defense profile. The Minutewomen's 7.26 margin of victory ranks 5th overall.
• Individually, Rachel Vallarelli is the top-ranked goalie in the country for goals-against-average (4.89) as UMass' highest ranked player in any category. She also ranks first in save percentage (.554). Kate Farnham (1.84) is ranked 13th for caused turnovers per game. Erika Eipp ranks 24th in total assists (29) and 39th for overall points (65). Hannah Murphy rounds out UMass' top-ranked performers at No. 9 for draw controls (5.26/game).
UMass One Of The Top NCAA Teams Over Last Five Years

• With a record of 90-11, five Atlantic 10 Championships and five trips to the NCAA Tournament, UMass has been one of the top teams nationally over the last five years (including this season).
• The 90 wins are the second most for any team in the four year time span (including 2015). Maryland leads the nation in wins with an 97-8 record over that time span followed by UMass and Northwestern (83-18). UMass is ahead of Florida (80-18), Navy (76-18), North Carolina (74-20), and Syracuse (76-24).
• Statistically, UMass has ranked among the nation's elite in points, scoring offense and scoring defense. In 2013, UMass was 3rd in points (467), 5th in scoring offense (14.76) and 9th in scoring defense (8.24). UMass led the nation in points in 2012 (491), was 2nd in offense (15.81) and ranked 11th in scoring defense (9.0). The 2011 campaign ended with UMass ranked 7th nationally in points (388), 5th in scoring offense (14.65) and 10th in scoring defense (8.70). Last season, UMass ranked 4th in points (422), 8th in scoring offense (14.10), and 2nd in scoring defense (6.30).
Top 15 RPI For UMass Over The Last Three Years

• Over the last three seasons, UMass has ranked among the top 15 programs in NCAA RPI at the conclusion of each year: 10th (2014), 11th (2013), 6th (2012).
• This marks the first time in program history that UMass has posted consecutive years with a top-15 RPI.
• UMass is currently 22nd in the most recent version of the NCAA RPI ranking which was released on April 14.
46 Consecutive Weeks Ranked In Top 20 Ends

• Since the 2011 season, UMass had been ranked among the nation's top 20 in both the IWLCA Coaches Poll and the Brine Media Poll for 46 straight weeks. That was the longest span in program history to hold a ranking.
• While UMass was not ranked to start the 2015 campaign, the Minutewomen were listed among Team's Receiving Votes in the IWLCA Coaches Preseason Poll.
• The highest rank during that span was when the Minutewomen reached No. 8 in the Brine Media Poll entering the 2013 NCAA Tournament and in the March 10, 2014 poll. UMass finished the 2012 regular-season at No. 9 in the deBeer Media Poll.
Vallarelli Steady In Goal

• Rachel Vallarelli has quietly been one of the top performers on the defensive side of the ball over the last four years. The goalie from Hartsdale, N.Y., is coming off her best career year in cage with a 6.26 goals-against-average and her second best year so far with a .444 save percentage in 2014. For her career, she has played in 68 games posting a 47-5 overall record. She has a career 6.52 goals-against-average and a .466 save percentage in little over 3,200 minutes played. She ranks 2nd all-time at UMass in terms of wins and is 2nd in goals-against-average.
• Vallarelli has four times been named the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Week this season, the most recent time being on April 13. She was additionally named the ECAC New England Defensive Player of the Week on April 13 as well.
• She was named the 2015 Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year, was named to the 2015 A-10 All-Tournament Team and is a candidate for IWLCA All-Region and All-America Honors.
Walker A Defensive Mainstay

• Senior Morgan Walker has been a mainstay on the defense over the past three years. The third-year starter has 35 career caused turnovers and 52 career groundballs in 69 games played.
Eipp Returning Offensive Threat

• Erika Eipp's first year in the Maroon & White proved a benefit for the UMass offense during the 2014 season. The Louisville transfer ranked as the third leading scorer with 57 overall points on 28 goals and 29 assists in 2014.
• Throughout 2015, Eipp is finding even more success. The junior has 65 points: 36 goals and 29 assists. She leads the team in points, sitting 13 ahead of Hannah Murphy, and leads the team in assists.
• Eipp was named the A-10 Offensive Player of the Year and is a candidate for IWLCA All-Region and All-America honors.
Double Trouble On Defense

• Fans may think they are seeing double when they look at the UMass defense in 2015. Twin sistersKate FarnhamandAnne Farnhamreturn and will be starting on the Minutewomen's back four. Kate started 19 games last year, while Anne played in 19 with two starts. The twins were recently featured on the UMass Sports Insider and shared the special bond they share.
• Kate leads the Minutewomen this year with 35 caused turnovers and 42 groundballs, while Anne has 37 groundballs and 25 caused turnovers.
• Kate had a career day in the season-opener against UMass Lowell with five caused turnovers, five draw controls, four groundballs and her first career goal. Farnham's effort earned her the A-10 Co-Defensive Player of the Week honor for the season's opening week. The performance earned her A-10 Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors.
• After being listed on InsideLacrosse.com's Mid-Season All-America list as an honorable mention pick on April 2, Kate turned in a five caused turnover, five groundball and five draw control performance at St. Bonaventure to earn her 2nd A-10 Defensive Player of the Week award. She was also named the ECAC New England Defensive Player of the Week for her game against the Bonnies.
• Anne also scored her first career goal of the season with her tally against George Mason.
• Anne was named the A-10 Co-Defensive Playerof the Week after posting 7 caused turnovers and five groundballs in wins at Saint Joseph's and at La Salle. Four of her caused turnovers and three groundballs came in the win against the Hawks.
• Kate was named to the A-10 All-Conference First Team, while Anne earned A-10 All-Conference Second Team honors. Both were named to the A-10 All-Tournament team and are candidates for IWLCA All-Region and All-America honors.
Versatile Murphy Takes Over The Field

• Sophomore Hannah Murphy made an immediate impact on the team in 2014 as a freshman and is havinga greater role in 2015. The midfielder ranked second on the team in draw controls (45) behind UMass' all-time leader Kelsey McGovern last spring. The A-10 All-Rookie selection played in all 20 games last year and ranked among the team's leaders in groundballs (21 and caused turnovers (13) as well.
• This year, Murphy leads UMass in goals (43), draw controls (100), and is second for points (52). She also ranks fourth in groundballs (36).
• Nationally, Murphy is one of just five players this season to post 40+ goals and 100+ draw controls.
• She scored a then-career-high four goals at New Hampshire on Feb. 21 and followed it up with a three goal performance at Boston University. For her games against UNH and UConn, Murphy was named the Atlantic 10 Player of the Week for the week of Feb. 23.
• She earned A-10 Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors on April 6 after scoring 4 goals and recording 4 draw controls, a groundball and a caused turnover in the win at St. Bonaventure.
•A monster week against Vermont and Davidson where she posted nine goals, three assists, and 15 draw controls earned her A-10 Offensive Player of the Week and ECAC New England Player of the Week honors.
• Murphy's 100 draw controls this year are a career-best after her freshman total of 45 in 2014. Her 100 in 2015 ranks 3rd most for a single-season in UMass program history, while her 145 career draw controls is also third most in program history. She is on the cusp of the top 25 list for most draw controls in a single-season in NCAA history as she needs 11 more. If her current draw control pace stays through the balance of her career, Murphy could finish above the 300 mark which would place her in the top 10 all-time in NCAA history.
Turner Makes Presence Felt In UConn Win

• After going to overtime against UConn, neither team was able to score in the first six-minute OT stanza. Just 56 seconds into the sudden-death overtime period, freshman Holly Turner was fouled to earn a free position attempt. Despite not having a goal on the day, Turner toed the line and fired home the game-winning goal to help the Minutewomen take a 7-6 win.
• Turner followed that up with a three-goal performance in the win at New Hampshire earning her Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week honors on Feb. 23.
•Turner is UMass' top-ranked rookie scorer and ranks 6th on the team in overall points with 25. Her 15 goals have come on 24 shots making her .625 shooting percentage one of the Minutewomen's best.
Come On Eileen! (Sorry we had to)
• Junior attack Eileen McDonald has put together her best season this year offensively. The native of Longmeadow, Mass., just down the road from the UMass campus, has posted a career-best 25 points on 18 goals and seven assists. In the A-10 Championship game against Richmond, she posted a pair of critical goals off the bench in the 8-4 win.
• McDonald is also a business administration/finance major and an analyst for the Minutemen Equity Fund - a student-run financial fund worth over $140,000. A member of SAAC, she was recently named to the group's executive board as well.
Tobin Impressing In First Year As Starting Defender

• With so many veteran starters gone from the 2014 program, several players took on more prominent roles for the Minutewomen this season. Junior Amber Tobin took over one of the starting spots on defense and has certainly impressed this year. She has 42 groundballs and 28 caused turnovers which ranks No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, among the Minutewomen this season. In the win over UConn, Tobin had a career day with 5 caused turnovers and 8 groundballs. Tobin's eight groundballs in a game were the most since Ali Houlis had 9 against New Hampshire in 2012.
• In her first year as a starter, Tobin was named to the A-10 All-Conference First Team and the A-10 All-Academic Team. She is a candidate for IWLCA All-Region and All-America honors.
Balanced Scoring For Offense

• A total of 20 different players have scored a goal this season with 15 having multiple goals. Hannah Murphy leads the way with 43 followed by Erika Eipp (36) and Katie Ott (33).
• The trio of Eipp, Murphy and Ott have more combined goals (112) than all of UMass' 19 opponents (101) this year.
First Half Scoring Key For Minutewomen

• UMass is outscoring teams 131-to-44 during first halves this season. In 18-of-19 games this season, UMass has not allowed more than three goals to be scored in the first half. Against UMass Lowell and George Mason (A-10 Semifinals), the Minutewomen held both teams scoreless in the opening stanza.
Scoring Way Up Over Last 10 Games

• While the defense has been the story for much of the season, UMass has started to assert itself on the offensive side more over the last 10 games with players getting more comfortable in new roles.
• The Minutewomen are averaging 15.3 goals per game in the last eight contests compared to 9.7 in the first nine games. In A-10 play, the Minutewomen averaged 16.0 goals per game compared to 10.3 in regular-season non-conference games..
McMahon An Up-And-Coming Coach

• In just her fifth year as the head coach at UMass, Angela McMahon is already the second-winningest coach in program history in terms of wins (90) and is No. 1 in win percentage (90-11, .891). With a 54-7 record from 2011-13, she had the best overall record of any women's lacrosse coach in NCAA history in the first three years at a school. McMahon ranked 2nd in terms of win percentage behind Maryland's Cindy Timchal who was 40-5 (.889) in her first 3 seasons with the Terps. McMahon's 90 career wins at UMass is second to just Hall of Famer Pam Hixon's 91 from 1979-87 which included 3 NCAA Tournament appearances and the 1982 NCAA National Championship.
• For her overall career, McMahon is 109-39 (.720) including her time at UMass, UConn and Bentley.
• McMahon can tie Hixon with a win in the 2015 NCAA First Round for most wins in UMass women's lacrosse history.
McGuirk Magic

• UMass is in its ninth year playing at McGuirk Alumni Stadium and is 55-17 all-time at the facility. Over the last five seasons, UMass is 42-3 at home including 11-0 in 2012, 10-0 in 2013, 9-1 in 2014, and 8-0 in 2015.
• UMass had won 31 consecutive games at McGuirk before falling to Northwestern on March 25, 2014 (10-6). That ranked 3rd all-time in NCAA history for most consecutive home wins. The last time UMass lost at McGuirk Stadium was on March 26, 2011 - also against No. 2 Northwestern (17-7).
• Since that loss to Northwestern, UMass has won 12 straight games meaning the Minutewomen have won 43 of their last 44 home games (.980).
• UMass is not scheduled to play any games this spring at Garber Field which is the home of the men's lacrosse team and the field hockey team. The women's lacrosse team previously played there until 2007.
• Fans can now see one of the most dramatic upgrades to the stadium facility with the construction now finished on the new Martin & Richard Jacobson Press And Skybox Complex.
UMass Is A-10 Title Town

• UMass is 53-6 in the Atlantic 10 over the last seven seasons which includes seven A-10 Tournament Titles (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015), six regular-season titles (2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015) and one tournament runner-up finish (2008).
• Since the loss against La Salle to end the 2010 regular season, UMass has won 48 consecutive games against A-10 teams (including A-10 tournament games) breaking the record of 25 set by Temple in 2001-03.
• UMass' 36 consecutive regular-season conference wins (2011-2015) is tied as the second-longest such streak in NCAA history. The Minutewomen need two league wins to tie for the longest in NCAA history.
• In addition to the past seven straight A-10 Titles, UMass also won the A-10 title in 2000.
• All-time, UMass is 86-29 (.748) in the Atlantic 10 and 18-7 (.720) in the A-10 Tournament. UMass also holds the league record for most regular-season wins (86) after passing former member Temple (74) during the 2014 season.
• UMass' seven consecutive conference championship titles is the longest consecutive run in Atlantic 10 history. UMass' eight overall Atlantic 10 Championships is also a league record.
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• Want to get all the latest information on the women's lacrosse team delivered straight to your E-Mail Inbox? Sign up for the UMass Women's Lacrosse E-Mail List and you will receive game previews, recaps and feature stories delivered straight to you. To sign up, send an e-mail with the subject line "Sign Up For Women's Lacrosse E-Mail List" to jsinnett@admin.umass.edu.
|  Massachusetts (18-1) vs. Jacksonville (17-2) - NCAA Tournament First Round |
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|  Date |  Friday, May 8 - 4:00 PM (ET) |
|  Location |  Maryland Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex | College Park, Md. |
|  Watch Online |  NCAA/Maryland Digital Network |
|  Live Stats |  Live Stats |
|  Tickets |  $6 Adults / $4 Students, Children & Seniors (301-314-7070) | Order Online |
|  NCAA Bracket | Interactive Bracket | Printable Bracket |
|  Twitter Updates |  @UMassAthletics |
Minutewomen Face Jacksonville In NCAA First Round
• After winning its seventh consecutive Atlantic 10 Championship title last weekend, the UMass women's lacrosse team (18-1) will face Atlantic Sun Conference Champion Jacksonville (17-2) on Friday afternoon at the University of Maryland Lacrosse & Field Hockey Complex. The match is set for a 4 PM opening draw. Tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for students, children and seniors.
• UMass is currently the top team Receiving Votes in the IWLCA Coaches Poll and is receiving votes in both the InsideLacrosse.com and Nike/Lacrosse Magazine Top 20 Polls.
UMass In The NCAA Tournament
• UMass has been to the NCAA Tournament on eight prior occassions with the most recent being last season. The Minutewomen's appearance in the 2015 NCAA Tournament marks the fifth consecutive year and the sixth in the last seven years. Prior to the recent run which began in 2009, UMass appeared in the Big Dance in 1982, 1983, and 1984. The Minutewomen won the 1982 National Championship - the first NCAA sponsored NCAA championship for women's lacrosse. In 1983 and 1984, UMass reached the semifinals. 
• In 2010, 2011, and 2012, UMass appeared in the NCAA Play-In Game falling at No. 15 Stanford 15-12 in 2010 and defeating Canisius in 2011 and 2012. The 2013 season marked the first time since 2009 that the Atlantic 10 had an automatic berth. UMass received the Atlantic 10's automatic berth in 2013, 2014, and 2015. UMass has won a league-record seven straight A-10 tournament titles which have paved the way to the NCAA Tournament.
• The 2015 meeting vs. Jacksonville will mark the first-ever game between the two teams. UMass has never played a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference. A win for the Minutewomen would then advance UMass to a Sunday meeting (Noon) against the tournament's No. 1 seed and pod-host school Maryland. UMass last faced the Terps in the 2012 NCAA First Round where third-seeded Maryland won 15-12.
• UMass' win against UConn in 2013 marked its first NCAA Tournament win since defeating Harvard 5-4 on May 12, 1984 in the NCAA Tournament Second Round - A span of 29 years.
• All-time UMass is 7-10 in NCAA Tournament games.
UMass In The Atlantic 10 Tournament
• In 15 appearances in the Atlantic 10 Tournament, UMass sports an 18-7 overall record. UMass made it to the Championship Game in 2000, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 - winning the Tournament title in 2000, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015.
• UMass has played Richmond nine times; Temple and Duquesne four times; George Wahington three times; Virginia Tech twice; and George Mason, La Salle and Saint Joseph's once.
• In the 2015 A-10 Championship Tournament, UMass defeated George Mason 12-3 in the Semifinals and Richmond 8-4 in the title game.
• UMass has played four overtime games in its A-10 Tournament history posting a 4-0 record. Two of those OT wins were for the league championship titles.
• 2015 marked the sixth time UMass has entered the A-10 Tournament as the No. 1 Seed. In 2000, UMass finished the season in a three-way tie for 1st, but were the No. 2 seed in the tournament.
• UMass entered the 2015 Tournament after an undefeated run the A-10 schedule for the fifth straight season - 7-0 in league play in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 & 8-0 in 2015.
• UMass holds the league records for most A-10 Championship titles (8) and for consecutive titles won (7).
Atlantic 10 Postseason Honors
• After a 16-1 overall record and an 8-0 mark, UMass brought home the lion share of postseason awards from the Atlantic 10. Junior attack Erika Eipp was named the Offensive Player of the Year, sophomore Hannah Murphy earned Midfielder of the Year honors, and senior Rachel Vallarelli was tabbed the Defensive Player of the Year. Head coach Angela McMahon was also named the Coach of the Year for the fourth time in the last five years - the most for any coach in league history.
• Joining Eipp, Murphy and Vallarelli on the All-Conference First-Team were defenders Kate Farnham and Amber Tobin.
• UMass also placed Katie Ott and Anne Farnham on the All-Conference Second-Team. Freshman Holly Turner was named to the All-Rookie Team as well.
• Tobin also added A-10 All-Academic Honors to her postseason resume along with her first-team honors.
• After winning the A-10 Tournament, Hannah Murphy, Nicole Troost, Anne Farnham, Kate Farnham, Amy Tiernan and Rachel Vallarelli were named to the All-Tournament Team. With a six-point weekend highlighted by three goals and an assist in the championship game against Richmond, Amy Tiernan was selected as the Most Outstanding Player.
Eying The NCAA Record Book
• With a phenomenal year defensively, UMass is on track to finish the year as one of the best defensive teams in NCAA history for a single season.
• Having allowed just 101 goals through 19 games, UMass could finish among the top 25 programs for fewest goals allowed in a season, however, the NCAA Record Book only lists the top 15 programs ending at 100 goals allowed. American International holds the NCAA record with 65 goals allowed in 1997 (8 games), while Northwestern gave up 66 in 1983 (14 games). The 1997 Brown and 1997 North Carolina teams are tied at No. 15 with 100 goals allowed in a season.
• UMass' 5.32 goals allowed average is currently tied for the fifth-best ever in NCAA history. The current No. 1 spot is held by the 1983 Northwestern team which gave up an average of 4.71 goals per game.
• The Minutewomen also have one of the longest consecutive win streaks in conference play. Having won 36 consecutive Atlantic 10 matches during regular-season conference play, UMass is tied with Harvard for the 2nd (36) longest league win streak in NCAA history. Northwestern holds the all-time record with 38 straight league wins from 2005-11 which UMass will have an opportunity to tie in 2016.
• Senior goalie Rachel Vallarelli continues her strong play in goal with a 4.89 goals-against-average. Her GAA is currently the 3rd-best for a single-season. Her 6.52 career goals-against-average is also the 5th-best in NCAA history.
• Hannah Murphy is on the cusp of the NCAA Record Book as well for draw controls. Her 100 draws this year are just 11 shy of the NCAA's top-25 list for a single season. With 145 for her career as a sophomore, Murphy could be on pace to reach 300 over four years which would put her in the top-10 in NCAA history as well.
2014 Rewind

• UMass reached the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive year in 2014 after posting an 18-1 overall record before falling to Loyola in the first round. UMass won nine consecutive games to start the season before falling to Northwestern in March. The Minutewomen then ripped off another nine-game win streak entering the NCAA Tournament and capturing its sixth-straight Atlantic 10 crown.
• The year marked the conclusion of the most successful senior class in program history. The group was paced offensively by Katie Ferris and Sam Rush who left UMass as the No. 1 (211 goals) and No. 2 (176 goals) career goal scorers in program history. A three-time All-American, Ferris also left the program as the career leader in points (330) and assists (119), while Rush holds the No. 1 (67) and No. 2 (65) single-season goal scoring records in program history.
• Along with Ferris and Rush, the 2014 senior class was one of the most cohesive groups over a four-year period with starters Tanner Guarino, Kelsey McGovern, Kesley Sheridan, Melissa Carelli and Courtney McGrath all playing key roles on the team during their careers.
UMass Among The 2015 NCAA Stat Leaders

• As a team, UMass ranks No. 1 nationally in scoring defense allowing just 5.32 goals per game. The Minutewomen are first in caused turnovers per game (12.00) and fourth in groundballs per game (20.58) bolstering the team defense profile. The Minutewomen's 7.26 margin of victory ranks 5th overall.
• Individually, Rachel Vallarelli is the top-ranked goalie in the country for goals-against-average (4.89) as UMass' highest ranked player in any category. She also ranks first in save percentage (.554). Kate Farnham (1.84) is ranked 13th for caused turnovers per game. Erika Eipp ranks 24th in total assists (29) and 39th for overall points (65). Hannah Murphy rounds out UMass' top-ranked performers at No. 9 for draw controls (5.26/game).
UMass One Of The Top NCAA Teams Over Last Five Years

• With a record of 90-11, five Atlantic 10 Championships and five trips to the NCAA Tournament, UMass has been one of the top teams nationally over the last five years (including this season).
• The 90 wins are the second most for any team in the four year time span (including 2015). Maryland leads the nation in wins with an 97-8 record over that time span followed by UMass and Northwestern (83-18). UMass is ahead of Florida (80-18), Navy (76-18), North Carolina (74-20), and Syracuse (76-24).
• Statistically, UMass has ranked among the nation's elite in points, scoring offense and scoring defense. In 2013, UMass was 3rd in points (467), 5th in scoring offense (14.76) and 9th in scoring defense (8.24). UMass led the nation in points in 2012 (491), was 2nd in offense (15.81) and ranked 11th in scoring defense (9.0). The 2011 campaign ended with UMass ranked 7th nationally in points (388), 5th in scoring offense (14.65) and 10th in scoring defense (8.70). Last season, UMass ranked 4th in points (422), 8th in scoring offense (14.10), and 2nd in scoring defense (6.30).
Top 15 RPI For UMass Over The Last Three Years

• Over the last three seasons, UMass has ranked among the top 15 programs in NCAA RPI at the conclusion of each year: 10th (2014), 11th (2013), 6th (2012).
• This marks the first time in program history that UMass has posted consecutive years with a top-15 RPI.
• UMass is currently 22nd in the most recent version of the NCAA RPI ranking which was released on April 14.
46 Consecutive Weeks Ranked In Top 20 Ends

• Since the 2011 season, UMass had been ranked among the nation's top 20 in both the IWLCA Coaches Poll and the Brine Media Poll for 46 straight weeks. That was the longest span in program history to hold a ranking.
• While UMass was not ranked to start the 2015 campaign, the Minutewomen were listed among Team's Receiving Votes in the IWLCA Coaches Preseason Poll.
• The highest rank during that span was when the Minutewomen reached No. 8 in the Brine Media Poll entering the 2013 NCAA Tournament and in the March 10, 2014 poll. UMass finished the 2012 regular-season at No. 9 in the deBeer Media Poll.
Vallarelli Steady In Goal

• Rachel Vallarelli has quietly been one of the top performers on the defensive side of the ball over the last four years. The goalie from Hartsdale, N.Y., is coming off her best career year in cage with a 6.26 goals-against-average and her second best year so far with a .444 save percentage in 2014. For her career, she has played in 68 games posting a 47-5 overall record. She has a career 6.52 goals-against-average and a .466 save percentage in little over 3,200 minutes played. She ranks 2nd all-time at UMass in terms of wins and is 2nd in goals-against-average.
• Vallarelli has four times been named the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Week this season, the most recent time being on April 13. She was additionally named the ECAC New England Defensive Player of the Week on April 13 as well.
• She was named the 2015 Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year, was named to the 2015 A-10 All-Tournament Team and is a candidate for IWLCA All-Region and All-America Honors.
Walker A Defensive Mainstay

• Senior Morgan Walker has been a mainstay on the defense over the past three years. The third-year starter has 35 career caused turnovers and 52 career groundballs in 69 games played.
Eipp Returning Offensive Threat

• Erika Eipp's first year in the Maroon & White proved a benefit for the UMass offense during the 2014 season. The Louisville transfer ranked as the third leading scorer with 57 overall points on 28 goals and 29 assists in 2014.
• Throughout 2015, Eipp is finding even more success. The junior has 65 points: 36 goals and 29 assists. She leads the team in points, sitting 13 ahead of Hannah Murphy, and leads the team in assists.
• Eipp was named the A-10 Offensive Player of the Year and is a candidate for IWLCA All-Region and All-America honors.
Double Trouble On Defense

• Fans may think they are seeing double when they look at the UMass defense in 2015. Twin sistersKate FarnhamandAnne Farnhamreturn and will be starting on the Minutewomen's back four. Kate started 19 games last year, while Anne played in 19 with two starts. The twins were recently featured on the UMass Sports Insider and shared the special bond they share.
• Kate leads the Minutewomen this year with 35 caused turnovers and 42 groundballs, while Anne has 37 groundballs and 25 caused turnovers.
• Kate had a career day in the season-opener against UMass Lowell with five caused turnovers, five draw controls, four groundballs and her first career goal. Farnham's effort earned her the A-10 Co-Defensive Player of the Week honor for the season's opening week. The performance earned her A-10 Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors.
• After being listed on InsideLacrosse.com's Mid-Season All-America list as an honorable mention pick on April 2, Kate turned in a five caused turnover, five groundball and five draw control performance at St. Bonaventure to earn her 2nd A-10 Defensive Player of the Week award. She was also named the ECAC New England Defensive Player of the Week for her game against the Bonnies.
• Anne also scored her first career goal of the season with her tally against George Mason.
• Anne was named the A-10 Co-Defensive Playerof the Week after posting 7 caused turnovers and five groundballs in wins at Saint Joseph's and at La Salle. Four of her caused turnovers and three groundballs came in the win against the Hawks.
• Kate was named to the A-10 All-Conference First Team, while Anne earned A-10 All-Conference Second Team honors. Both were named to the A-10 All-Tournament team and are candidates for IWLCA All-Region and All-America honors.
Versatile Murphy Takes Over The Field

• Sophomore Hannah Murphy made an immediate impact on the team in 2014 as a freshman and is havinga greater role in 2015. The midfielder ranked second on the team in draw controls (45) behind UMass' all-time leader Kelsey McGovern last spring. The A-10 All-Rookie selection played in all 20 games last year and ranked among the team's leaders in groundballs (21 and caused turnovers (13) as well.
• This year, Murphy leads UMass in goals (43), draw controls (100), and is second for points (52). She also ranks fourth in groundballs (36).
• Nationally, Murphy is one of just five players this season to post 40+ goals and 100+ draw controls.
• She scored a then-career-high four goals at New Hampshire on Feb. 21 and followed it up with a three goal performance at Boston University. For her games against UNH and UConn, Murphy was named the Atlantic 10 Player of the Week for the week of Feb. 23.
• She earned A-10 Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors on April 6 after scoring 4 goals and recording 4 draw controls, a groundball and a caused turnover in the win at St. Bonaventure.
•A monster week against Vermont and Davidson where she posted nine goals, three assists, and 15 draw controls earned her A-10 Offensive Player of the Week and ECAC New England Player of the Week honors.
• Murphy's 100 draw controls this year are a career-best after her freshman total of 45 in 2014. Her 100 in 2015 ranks 3rd most for a single-season in UMass program history, while her 145 career draw controls is also third most in program history. She is on the cusp of the top 25 list for most draw controls in a single-season in NCAA history as she needs 11 more. If her current draw control pace stays through the balance of her career, Murphy could finish above the 300 mark which would place her in the top 10 all-time in NCAA history.
Turner Makes Presence Felt In UConn Win

• After going to overtime against UConn, neither team was able to score in the first six-minute OT stanza. Just 56 seconds into the sudden-death overtime period, freshman Holly Turner was fouled to earn a free position attempt. Despite not having a goal on the day, Turner toed the line and fired home the game-winning goal to help the Minutewomen take a 7-6 win.
• Turner followed that up with a three-goal performance in the win at New Hampshire earning her Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week honors on Feb. 23.
•Turner is UMass' top-ranked rookie scorer and ranks 6th on the team in overall points with 25. Her 15 goals have come on 24 shots making her .625 shooting percentage one of the Minutewomen's best.
Come On Eileen! (Sorry we had to)
• Junior attack Eileen McDonald has put together her best season this year offensively. The native of Longmeadow, Mass., just down the road from the UMass campus, has posted a career-best 25 points on 18 goals and seven assists. In the A-10 Championship game against Richmond, she posted a pair of critical goals off the bench in the 8-4 win.
• McDonald is also a business administration/finance major and an analyst for the Minutemen Equity Fund - a student-run financial fund worth over $140,000. A member of SAAC, she was recently named to the group's executive board as well.
Tobin Impressing In First Year As Starting Defender

• With so many veteran starters gone from the 2014 program, several players took on more prominent roles for the Minutewomen this season. Junior Amber Tobin took over one of the starting spots on defense and has certainly impressed this year. She has 42 groundballs and 28 caused turnovers which ranks No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, among the Minutewomen this season. In the win over UConn, Tobin had a career day with 5 caused turnovers and 8 groundballs. Tobin's eight groundballs in a game were the most since Ali Houlis had 9 against New Hampshire in 2012.
• In her first year as a starter, Tobin was named to the A-10 All-Conference First Team and the A-10 All-Academic Team. She is a candidate for IWLCA All-Region and All-America honors.
Balanced Scoring For Offense

• A total of 20 different players have scored a goal this season with 15 having multiple goals. Hannah Murphy leads the way with 43 followed by Erika Eipp (36) and Katie Ott (33).
• The trio of Eipp, Murphy and Ott have more combined goals (112) than all of UMass' 19 opponents (101) this year.
First Half Scoring Key For Minutewomen

• UMass is outscoring teams 131-to-44 during first halves this season. In 18-of-19 games this season, UMass has not allowed more than three goals to be scored in the first half. Against UMass Lowell and George Mason (A-10 Semifinals), the Minutewomen held both teams scoreless in the opening stanza.
Scoring Way Up Over Last 10 Games

• While the defense has been the story for much of the season, UMass has started to assert itself on the offensive side more over the last 10 games with players getting more comfortable in new roles.
• The Minutewomen are averaging 15.3 goals per game in the last eight contests compared to 9.7 in the first nine games. In A-10 play, the Minutewomen averaged 16.0 goals per game compared to 10.3 in regular-season non-conference games..
McMahon An Up-And-Coming Coach

• In just her fifth year as the head coach at UMass, Angela McMahon is already the second-winningest coach in program history in terms of wins (90) and is No. 1 in win percentage (90-11, .891). With a 54-7 record from 2011-13, she had the best overall record of any women's lacrosse coach in NCAA history in the first three years at a school. McMahon ranked 2nd in terms of win percentage behind Maryland's Cindy Timchal who was 40-5 (.889) in her first 3 seasons with the Terps. McMahon's 90 career wins at UMass is second to just Hall of Famer Pam Hixon's 91 from 1979-87 which included 3 NCAA Tournament appearances and the 1982 NCAA National Championship.
• For her overall career, McMahon is 109-39 (.720) including her time at UMass, UConn and Bentley.
• McMahon can tie Hixon with a win in the 2015 NCAA First Round for most wins in UMass women's lacrosse history.
McGuirk Magic

• UMass is in its ninth year playing at McGuirk Alumni Stadium and is 55-17 all-time at the facility. Over the last five seasons, UMass is 42-3 at home including 11-0 in 2012, 10-0 in 2013, 9-1 in 2014, and 8-0 in 2015.
• UMass had won 31 consecutive games at McGuirk before falling to Northwestern on March 25, 2014 (10-6). That ranked 3rd all-time in NCAA history for most consecutive home wins. The last time UMass lost at McGuirk Stadium was on March 26, 2011 - also against No. 2 Northwestern (17-7).
• Since that loss to Northwestern, UMass has won 12 straight games meaning the Minutewomen have won 43 of their last 44 home games (.980).
• UMass is not scheduled to play any games this spring at Garber Field which is the home of the men's lacrosse team and the field hockey team. The women's lacrosse team previously played there until 2007.
• Fans can now see one of the most dramatic upgrades to the stadium facility with the construction now finished on the new Martin & Richard Jacobson Press And Skybox Complex.
UMass Is A-10 Title Town

• UMass is 53-6 in the Atlantic 10 over the last seven seasons which includes seven A-10 Tournament Titles (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015), six regular-season titles (2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015) and one tournament runner-up finish (2008).
• Since the loss against La Salle to end the 2010 regular season, UMass has won 48 consecutive games against A-10 teams (including A-10 tournament games) breaking the record of 25 set by Temple in 2001-03.
• UMass' 36 consecutive regular-season conference wins (2011-2015) is tied as the second-longest such streak in NCAA history. The Minutewomen need two league wins to tie for the longest in NCAA history.
• In addition to the past seven straight A-10 Titles, UMass also won the A-10 title in 2000.
• All-time, UMass is 86-29 (.748) in the Atlantic 10 and 18-7 (.720) in the A-10 Tournament. UMass also holds the league record for most regular-season wins (86) after passing former member Temple (74) during the 2014 season.
• UMass' seven consecutive conference championship titles is the longest consecutive run in Atlantic 10 history. UMass' eight overall Atlantic 10 Championships is also a league record.
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