University of Massachusets Athletics
UMass To Take On Temple In NCAA First Round On Friday
May 09, 2021 | Women's Lacrosse
The Minutewomen and Owls will square off at 4 p.m. in Chestnut Hill, Mass.
AMHERST, Mass. – For the 13th time in team history, the Massachusetts women's lacrosse team is back in the NCAA Tournament. The Minutewomen, who secured an automatic berth into the national tournament after securing the Atlantic 10 Championship last week, will travel to Chestnut Hill, Mass. to take on Temple in the NCAA First Round on Friday at 4 p.m. on ESPN+.
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. All games will be played at the Newton Soccer and Lacrosse Field and tickets will not be open to the public.
This marks UMass' first trip to the NCAA Tournament 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.
Massachusetts enters the tournament winners of 14 games in a row. It's the first time since 2017, and sixth time in program history, that Massachusetts has won at least 14 games in a row in a season (1979, 2013, 2016, 2017). 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).
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).
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 enters the NCAA Tournament second on the NCAA single-season list in draw controls (220), and could become the all-time leader this weekend (Hailey Wagner, Marist, 224 in 2019). She secured the UMass single-season record last week, passing current assistant coach Hannah Murphy (212 in 2017).
Earlier this season, Stephanie Croke was named the Atlantic 10 Midfielder of the Year for the third straight year, and 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. Petro, meanwhile was named to the All-Conference Second Team and Alex Finn and Audra Tosone represented UMass on the All-Rookie Team.
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. All games will be played at the Newton Soccer and Lacrosse Field and tickets will not be open to the public.
This marks UMass' first trip to the NCAA Tournament 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.
Massachusetts enters the tournament winners of 14 games in a row. It's the first time since 2017, and sixth time in program history, that Massachusetts has won at least 14 games in a row in a season (1979, 2013, 2016, 2017). 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).
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).
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 enters the NCAA Tournament second on the NCAA single-season list in draw controls (220), and could become the all-time leader this weekend (Hailey Wagner, Marist, 224 in 2019). She secured the UMass single-season record last week, passing current assistant coach Hannah Murphy (212 in 2017).
Earlier this season, Stephanie Croke was named the Atlantic 10 Midfielder of the Year for the third straight year, and 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. Petro, meanwhile was named to the All-Conference Second Team and Alex Finn and Audra Tosone represented UMass on the All-Rookie Team.
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