Massachusetts Set For Friday's NCAA First Round vs. Temple

University of Massachusetts Women's Lacrosse Game Notes & Information
Game 18	Massachusetts (15-2) vs. Temple (12-5)
Date \| Time	Friday, May 14, 2021 \| 4 p.m.
Location	Chestnut Hill, Mass. \| Newton Soccer and Lacrosse Field
Fan Information	Tickets are not open to the public
Championship Central	Championship Central \| Bracket
Watch	ESPN3
Live Statistics	StatBroadcast
Record Book	2021 Massachusetts Lacrosse Record Book
Twitter	@UMassAthletics \| @UMassLacrosse
Instagram	UMass Women's Lacrosse
Facebook	UMass Women's Lacrosse

AMHERST, Mass. – Back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017, the Massachusetts women's lacrosse team will make the short trip across the state to Chestnut Hill, Mass. when the Minutewomen take on Temple in the NCAA First Round on Friday at 4 p.m. on ESPN3.

The winner of the game will advance to the NCAA Second Round, taking on the winner of the No. 4 Boston College and Fairfield on Sunday at 1 p.m. All games will be played at the Newton Soccer and Lacrosse Field and tickets will not be open to the public.

Massachusetts in the NCAA Tournament
UMass is back in the NCAA Tournament for the 13th time in program history, and first time since 2017. The Minutewomen previously reached NCAAs in 1982, 1983, 1984, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017, reaching the Final Four three times and capturing the 1982 national championship.

UMass has advanced to the NCAA Second Round in each of its last three tournament appearances, and four of the last five.

The series with Temple
UMass and the Owls are meeting for the 37th time in team history, and first time since 2013, on Friday. Temple owns a 27-8-1 all-time record against the Minutewomen dating back to 1980, but it's UMass with wins in each of the last five meetings.

This will be just the second meeting between the two schools in the NCAA Tournament. The other came on May 21, 1983, a 10-4 win for Temple in the NCAA Semifinals.

CHAMPIONS! UMass captures A-10 Tournament title
For the 11th time in program history, and first time since 2017, the Massachusetts women's lacrosse team are the champions of the Atlantic 10. Behind seven points (four goals, three assists) from A-10 Tournament Most Outstanding Player Kaitlyn Cerasi, along with six saves from Lauren Hiller, the Minutewomen used a 15-3 run to close the game and did the job on defense for the second straight game to capture the conference championship on May 2 at Garber Field, 18-7.

Cerasi, who finished the tournament with seven goals and three assists, was one of six Minutewomen selected to the A-10 All-Tournament Team. She was joined by Hiller, Haley Connaughton, Stephanie Croke, Olivia Muscella and Caitlyn Petro.

UMass was back in the A-10 Championship Game for the 13th straight season, and 15th time in team history. The Minutewomen have now captured 11 tournament titles in program history, including nine in a row from 2009 to 2017. UMass has also captured a share of 12 Atlantic 10 Regular Season crowns, including each of the last 10.

Streaking
Massachusetts enters Friday's game winners of 14 in a row. It's the first time since 2017, and fifth time in program history, that Massachusetts has won at least 14 games in a row in a season.

2017 – 16 games
2016 – 16 games
2013 – 15 games
1979 – 15 games
2021 – 14 games

The current streak is tied for the third longest active winning streak in the nation, behind only North Carolina (18 games) and Denver (15 games).

Connaughton and Croke headline eight UMass A-10 all-conference selections
Stephanie Croke was named the Atlantic 10 Midfielder of the Year for the third straight season, and Haley Connaughton was tabbed the league's Co-Offensive Player of the Year as the duo led eight Massachusetts Minutewomen to earn conference accolades ahead of the Atlantic 10 Championship.

Connaughton and Croke were also named to the A-10 All-Conference First Team, joined by teammates Kaitlyn Cerasi, Lauren Hiller and Kelly Marra. Caitlyn Petro, meanwhile was named to the All-Conference Second Team and Alex Finnand Audra Tosone represented UMass on the All-Rookie Team.

High power offense
The Minutewomen are second in the nation averaging 18.27 goals per game this season, and have scored 19 goals or more in eight of the team's 17 games. UMass is also third in the country averaging 26.41 points per game, led by Haley Connaughton's 79 points (13th in the NCAA).

The offense stayed hot last against St. Bonaventure in late April, scoring 27 goals on the afternoon in a 27-2 victory over the Bonnies. The 27 goals scored marked the most in a single game in program history while the margin of victory (25) was the largest as well.

Much of this is due in part to UMass' draw control domination throughout the year. The Minutewomen average 19.12 draw controls per game (second-most) and have the nation's leader on the draw in redshirt senior Caitlyn Petro (13.75).

Petro approaching national milestone
Caitlyn Petro enters the NCAA Tournament second on the NCAA single-season list in draw controls (220), and could become the all-time leader this weekend:

1. Hailey Wagner (Marist, 2019) - 224
2. Caitlyn Petro (Massachusetts, 2021) – 220
3. Kayla Treanor (Syracuse, 2016) - 217
4. Jessica Karwacki (Robert Morris, 2014) - 216
5. Hannah Murphy (Massachusetts, 2017) – 212

She secured the UMass single-season record last week, passing current assistant coach Hannah Murphy (212 in 2017).

Petro, the nation's leading draw specialist averaging 13.75 wins per game this season, set the UMass single-game record for the third time this season and tied the NCAA single-game record with 24 draws on Apr. 24 in a 27-2 victory against St. Bonaventure.

Her 13.75 average wins per game is on pace to shatter the current NCAA single-season mark of 12.71, set by Robert Morris' Jessica Karwacki in 2014.

Chasing history
Senior attack Kaitlyn Cerasi entered the 2021 season poised to rewrite the UMass record book. Cerasi, who has already left her mark on several single-season marks during her time in Amherst, is prepped to make a move up UMass' career records list this year.

Career Points
1. Katie Ferris – 330
2. Kaitlyn Cerasi – 308
3. Holly Turner - 280

Career Goals
3. Pam Moryl - 170
4. Kaitlyn Cerasi – 164
5. Kiley Anderson - 163
6. Kathleen Typadis - 160

Career Assists
1. Kaitlyn Cerasi - 144
2. Holly Turner – 143

Experience in the cage
UMass is currently 12th in the NCAA with a team goals against average of 9.47, led by the play of starting goalkeeper Lauren Hiller. The graduate student from North Andover, Mass. is ninth in the country with a 9.18 goals against average this season, while her .443 save percentage is good for 45th and fourth in the Atlantic 10.

Hiller enters the weekend tied for eighth in UMass history with 72 career starts, while her 554 career saves are good for third:

1. Jen Nardi – 600
2. Katie Florence – 564
3. Lauren Hiller - 554

UMass welcomes Livvy Unglaub to women's lacrosse program through Team IMPACT
Ahead of the season opener, head coach Angela McMahon announced that 12-year old Livvy Unglaub has joined the Minutewomen as an official member of the program through Team IMPACT.

"We are very excited to celebrate a small all-star who is having a very big impact," McMahon said. "Livvy is a courageous 12-year-old from Feeding Hills, Mass. who has been diagnosed with TCell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, which makes playing sports a challenge. However, we all know the life-changing benefit of team, and as such, UMass women's lacrosse has created a spot for her on our roster."

Livvy comes to the UMass women's lacrosse team through Team IMPACT, a national nonprofit that connects kids facing serious and chronic illnesses to college athletic teams across the country. As a member of the team, Livvy will be present at virtual team bonding events, and will be present at practices, games, team dinners and more when it is safe to do so.

Scoreboard

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Players Mentioned

Kiley Anderson

Kaitlyn Cerasi

Haley Connaughton

Stephanie Croke

Alex Finn

Lauren Hiller

Kelly Marra

Hannah Murphy

Olivia Muscella

Caitlyn Petro

Audra Tosone

Holly Turner

Scoreboard

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