McMahon, Murphy Win Gold At U19 World Lacrosse Championship

AMHERST, Mass. – Head Coach Angela McMahon and junior midfielder Ally Murphy of the UMass Women's Lacrosse team were crowned world champions after defeating Canada 13-3 on Saturday in the gold medal game at the U19 World Championship in Peterborough, Ontario. The UMass duo was part of a U.S. squad that held opponents to just 20 goals in seven contests as the team went a perfect 7-0 on the world stage.

U.S. Assistant Coach Angela McMahon
Thoughts on the tournament as a whole:
"It was just an amazing experience. Being on a worldwide stage, looking at all the different countries and traditions, the commitment they put into getting there and all the new countries that were participating for the first time ever. It was the largest U19 tournament in terms of participation across the board that they've ever had, girls or boys. Seeing the growth of the sport and the commitment and dedication of all the people to make it such an amazing experience was tremendous. I think it bodes really well for the future of the sport as we're trying to push it to get into the Olympic Games. When you're coaching these younger kids, they really are in the future going to be the face of the game at the senior team level. They were just such a pleasure to coach. Our coaching staff was really in sync and all on the same page. It was all very positive in all aspects to coach a group that was super committed, selfless and willing to do whatever it took for the team and to win. It was awesome."

On Murphy's play throughout the tournament:
"I'm happy for Ally and the experience that she had. Seeing her rise to the occasion in terms of her leadership role as a captain of the team and seeing her flourish within her communication, her play and playing fearless. I saw another level out of her and I think that she's starting to realize what her potential is. To be the oldest of that group and then come in as a junior this upcoming year, I think is really going to bode well for her. The grind that it was and how important it is to take care of your body, recover and sleep. You just learn so much about yourself when you're put under that type of duress in such a short amount of time. I think she did such a fantastic job and was an amazing leader and really the backbone of our team on the defensive side of things. I'm really proud of her, proud of the group and feel so lucky to have been a part of it."

On winning a world championship:
"The first thing I said to the head coach right after we won was that we picked the right people. It was all about people that were going to do what we asked them to do, be selfless, be committed and play an aggressive team style. They bought into that 100-percent. Seeing the commitment in the process and staying focused on exactly what we were doing, how we wanted the team to play and what our expectations were. We were really all on the same page and very committed to that and didn't waiver for one second. Even when we were winning games, there were some plays we thought we could have done better and we were on them. It wasn't so much about beating people, it was about us playing at that high level to the standard that we think is acceptable. Through that, it really pushed us to not just win, but to dominate. Having that type of mentality where you're focused on yourself and playing the best."

U.S. Defender and Team Captain Ally Murphy
On tournament experience:
"As the days went on it got more and more intense going from regular games into the playoffs. The whole time was such a crazy experience. The championship game was very, very intense and crazy with so many feelings. A year ago was the tryout and we just made it. We feel like we put so much hard work and that game was the factor that we put all of our hard work into."

On being a world champion:
"The feeling is just unreal. After we won that game we were like, 'we finally did it.' We've been training so hard for a year, we worked for this and the feeling of relief. We finally did it, we worked so hard for everything. It's an exciting feeling like no other."

On playing for Team USA under Coach McMahon:
"Since she's been my coach and I've been with her for so long, it was very helpful to have her there. It was a familiar face, someone you're comfortable with and an awesome coach. I look up to her so much that I think it was good for me to have her there mentoring me."

For complete coverage of the UMass women's lacrosse team, follow the Minutewomen on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @UMassLacrosse and online at www.UMassAthletics.com.

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Players Mentioned

Ally Murphy

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University of Massachusets Athletics