Key Matchup at Saint Joseph’s Awaits Minutewomen Saturday

University of Massachusetts Field Hockey Game Notes & Information
Game 11	Massachusetts (7-3 overall, 3-1 Atlantic 10) at Saint Joseph's (3-2, 2-1 Atlantic 10)
Date // Time	Saturday, April 17 // 1 p.m.
Location	Philadelphia, Pa. // Ellen Ryan Field
Series History	UMass leads, 32-9 Last Meeting: (at) Saint Joseph's 4, Massachusetts 1 Sept. 27, 2019 • Ellen Ryan Field • Philadelphia, Pa.
Live Statistics	Sidearm Sports
Watch	ESPN+ Domestic // International
Social Media	Twitter \| Instagram \| Facebook

From St. Joe's: Fan Attendance Protocols
"As of March 1, 2021, spectators are permitted to attend outdoor Athletics contests hosted at Saint Joseph's University. All guests are required to wear masks, physical distancing must be practiced, any/all group gatherings are prohibited, SJU indoor facilities have restricted access, and outdoor restrooms will be provided."

Setting the Scene
Massachusetts field hockey caps its regular season with a Sat., April 17 game at Atlantic 10 rival Saint Joseph's in a game scheduled for 1 p.m. It's a crucial matchup for both sides with implications on next week's Atlantic 10 Championship.

Fans in the United States can follow the game on ESPN+ and those internationally can watch on the Atlantic 10 Network.

Recap in a Minute
UMass has won three straight in A-10 play after a dominant 4-1 triumph vs. La Salle on Sat., April 10. The Minutewomen controlled play throughout the match and spent a majority of the game in the attacking third. Georgie McTear led the offense with two goals plus an assist, and as a team the squad drew 10 attacking penalty corners to just one for La Salle.

All-Time vs. St. Joe's
Massachusetts owns a 32-9 record against St. Joe's dating back to 1989, although the Hawks have come out on top in the last four meetings of the sides.

The Minutewomen are eyeing their first win over their Philly rival since Nov. 5, 2016, when the squad took down top-seeded SJU in the Atlantic 10 Championship Game. Izzie Delario and Nicole Miller keyed the offense that day with a goal apiece, with Miller's tally breaking a 1-1 tie in the 67th minute. Goalkeeper Emily Hazard backstopped Massachusetts in the cage with two saves and Melanie Kreusch led the defensive effort at center back.

Crunching the Numbers
UMass sits at a 7-3 overall record, matching the team's best start through 10 games since 2017. That year, the first in Amherst for head coach Barb Weinberg, the Minutewomen ultimately reached the Atlantic 10 Championship Game.

Senior Georgie McTear owns the team lead with 15 points on six goals and three assists, with both freshman Josephine Ang and sophomore Jess Beech close behind in the scoring column with four goals apiece. Graduate student Amelie Green also shares the top of the pack with three assists, thanks in part to Green's work at the insert spot on penalty corners. It's been a fairly balanced effort in the attacking circle with nine different Minutewomen finding the back of the cage at least once and 12 players recording a point through 10 games.

Freshman Brooke Richards has carried the load in goal this Spring, logging a 1.74 goals-against average to date and aided on the backline by sophomore Josie Rossbach. Richards made a season-high six saves against No. 13 Boston College (April 7), and also turned aside penalty strokes at New Hampshire (Feb. 26), at Northeastern (March 5) and vs. BC.

Defending the 'Chuk
The La Salle win last Saturday was UMass' sixth victory in its last seven games at the Gladchuk Field Hockey Complex, a run the dates back to Oct. 2019. The Minutewomen closed out the regular season home slate with a 4-1 record on the 'Chuk with the lone setback coming vs. No. 13 Boston College on April 7.

Massachusetts: Wicked Smaht (how do you like them apples?)
The Minutewomen were included in a trio of academic award announcements throughout March from the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA). For their efforts in the classroom, UMass placed 21 honorees on the NFHCA National Academic Squad, including seven Scholars of Distinction. The program also received the National Academic Team Award after tallying a 3.79 overall grade-point average during Fall 2020. It narrowly missed a three-way tie for the fifth highest team figure in the country.

During an unprecedented Fall '20 semester, the Minutewomen still managed remarkable individual performances hitting the books. Along with the upper-tier team GPA, every student-athlete on the team finished the term with a cumulative mark above 3.5 and five had perfect 4.0 averages.

Team Leadership Announced
UMass field hockey elected a four-woman leadership group ahead of the 2021 spring season. The quartet includes team co-captains Sophie Johnson and Georgie McTear, as well as Jess Beech and Emilie Keij. The team elected the captains and leadership group through a player-wide vote.

A Dependable Center "Bach"
Now-sophomore Josie Rossbach started at center back for the Minutewomen during the 2019 season and played a team-high 1,181 minutes of a possible 1,226 during the 20-game season (96.3 percent). Her total time played breaks down to 59 minutes, five seconds per appearance. She was the first Minutewoman to start at center back as a true freshman since Lauren Allymohamed did so in 2011.

Scoreboard

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Players Mentioned

Josephine Ang

Jess Beech

Izzie Delario

Amelie Green

Emily Hazard

Sophie Johnson

Emilie Keij

Melanie Kreusch

Georgie McTear

Nicole Miller

Brooke Richards

Josie Rossbach

Scoreboard

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