University of Massachusets Athletics
Sunday, February 28
Boston, Mass.
1 p.m.
University of Massachusetts
1-0
23
at
13
Boston University
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Massachusetts
11
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23
Boston University
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Photo by: Jon Crispin
No. 22 Women's Lacrosse Wins Season-Opener At BU, 23-13
February 28, 2021 | Women's Lacrosse
Connaughton spearheads offense with nine points on five goals, four assists
BOSTON - Senior attack Haley Connaughton provided nine points at the helm of the No. 22 nationally ranked University of Massachusetts women's lacrosse offense as the Minutewomen started their 2021 campaign with a 23-13 victory at Boston University's Nickerson Field on Sunday. Connaughton split her points between five goals and four assists as Massachusetts won its fourth consecutive season-opening game and its seventh in the last eight seasons.
Graduate student attack Kaitlyn Cerasi, graduate student midfielder Stephanie Croke and sophomore attack Alex Finn generated hat tricks for the Massachusetts offense as 11 Minutewomen etched their names into the scoresheet. UMass also garnered multi-point outings from Brinley Anderson, Emma Dotsikas, Fiona McGowan and Olivia Muscella.
The Minutewomen also played aggressively on defense, which resulted in nine caused turnovers by the Terriers. Senior defender Courtney Barrett provided a game-high three caused turnovers while junior midfielder Amy Moreau added a pair. Barret also scooped up a game-best four groundballs.
Redshirt senior Caitlyn Petro won 15 draws and added a caused turnover alongside a groundball. It marked her eighth collegiate game with double-digit draw controls and fourth in her last five appearances dating back to the abbreviated 2020 season. Petro's dominance helped Massachusetts edge Boston University in draw controls on the game, 21-17.
Graduate student goalie Lauren Hiller earned the win in net with four saves made. Tess Castellano made a pair of stops in relief of Hiller during Castellanos' first collegiate game.
After the sides traded tallies early on, Massachusetts struck to a 7-3 advantage midway through the first half via a five-goal run that spanned eight minutes of game clock. Two goals apiece from Connaughton and Dotsikas and one from Cerasi accounted for the run, which Connaughton capped with 15 minutes, 42 seconds remaining in the frame.
BU closed to within two of tying near halftime; however, the Terriers pulled no closer than that the remainder of the game. The Minutewomen put distance between the sides with another five-goal run early in the second half, which resulted in a 17-9 advantage for the Minutewomen. Croke and Maddy Moloney converted on free position attempts, sandwiched around a goal each by Anderson, Finn and Kelly Marra. In total, the Minutewomen outscored Boston University, 12-5 in the second half and led by as many as a dozen during the frame.
Massachusetts continues its season at No. 13 Boston College (2-0 overall) on Tues., March 2 with a 3 p.m. game at Fish Field House.
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Graduate student attack Kaitlyn Cerasi, graduate student midfielder Stephanie Croke and sophomore attack Alex Finn generated hat tricks for the Massachusetts offense as 11 Minutewomen etched their names into the scoresheet. UMass also garnered multi-point outings from Brinley Anderson, Emma Dotsikas, Fiona McGowan and Olivia Muscella.
The Minutewomen also played aggressively on defense, which resulted in nine caused turnovers by the Terriers. Senior defender Courtney Barrett provided a game-high three caused turnovers while junior midfielder Amy Moreau added a pair. Barret also scooped up a game-best four groundballs.
Redshirt senior Caitlyn Petro won 15 draws and added a caused turnover alongside a groundball. It marked her eighth collegiate game with double-digit draw controls and fourth in her last five appearances dating back to the abbreviated 2020 season. Petro's dominance helped Massachusetts edge Boston University in draw controls on the game, 21-17.
Graduate student goalie Lauren Hiller earned the win in net with four saves made. Tess Castellano made a pair of stops in relief of Hiller during Castellanos' first collegiate game.
After the sides traded tallies early on, Massachusetts struck to a 7-3 advantage midway through the first half via a five-goal run that spanned eight minutes of game clock. Two goals apiece from Connaughton and Dotsikas and one from Cerasi accounted for the run, which Connaughton capped with 15 minutes, 42 seconds remaining in the frame.
BU closed to within two of tying near halftime; however, the Terriers pulled no closer than that the remainder of the game. The Minutewomen put distance between the sides with another five-goal run early in the second half, which resulted in a 17-9 advantage for the Minutewomen. Croke and Maddy Moloney converted on free position attempts, sandwiched around a goal each by Anderson, Finn and Kelly Marra. In total, the Minutewomen outscored Boston University, 12-5 in the second half and led by as many as a dozen during the frame.
Massachusetts continues its season at No. 13 Boston College (2-0 overall) on Tues., March 2 with a 3 p.m. game at Fish Field House.
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Team Stats
UMASS
BU
Shots
40
28
Turnovers
14
21
Caused Turnovers
9
5
Draw Controls
21
17
Free-Position Shots
5
4
Ground Balls
19
13
Game Leaders
G
5
A
4
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
1
CT
1
G
4
A
0
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
0
CT
0
G
3
A
0
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
2
CT
0
Players Mentioned
M
/ Women's Lacrosse
D
/ Women's Lacrosse
GK
/ Women's Lacrosse
A
/ Women's Lacrosse
A
/ Women's Lacrosse
M
/ Women's Lacrosse
A
/ Women's Lacrosse
GK
/ Women's Lacrosse
A
/ Women's Lacrosse
M
/ Women's Lacrosse
A
/ Women's Lacrosse
M
/ Women's Lacrosse
M
/ Women's Lacrosse
A
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