Minutewomen Fall to UConn 2-1, in Defensive Battle

AMHERST, Mass -- No. 14 Massachusetts (10-2, 3-1 MAC) dropped a defensive battle, 2-1 to UConn (5-5, 2-1 Big East) on Sunday at Gladchuk Field Hockey Complex. The Minutewomen held a 1-0 lead heading into the fourth quarter but could not weather a late push from the Huskies.

Junior Kristy Leonard provided Massachusetts' lone goal of the game, firing a shot across the shooting circle and into the bottom left corner of the net. Freshman Lina Kroeger provided the assist, lobbing an aerial over midfield and into the attacking third.

Grad Student Elena Clococeanu notched her fifth defensive save of the season, swatting a shot out of the air and away from the right post. Senior Myrte van Herwijnen made two saves on the afternoon, facing four shots.

The Huskies were led by Sol Simone and Lene Bujes who each recorded a goal in the contest.

Breaking Down The Action

Both teams recorded two shots in the opening quarter, but neither could find the net, leaving the score deadlocked at 0-0.
Kristy Leonard tallied the game's first goal, firing a shot into the bottom left corner of the net with 9:10 to play in the second quarter.
UConn increased the pressure, tallying four shots in the third quarter; however, Massachusetts weathered the storm and retained its 1-0 lead through 45 minutes of play.
UConn leveled the score at 1-1 as Sol Simone scored an unassisted goal with 10:36 remaining in regulation.
Lene Bujes gave UConn a 2-1 advantage, tipping in a centering pass from Pien Prins with 8:50 left in the fourth quarter.
Massachusetts pulled Myrte van Herwijnen from net with 3:59 on the clock but could not find the equalizer, falling 2-1 in regulation.

Notable Numbers

0: Neither team drew a penalty corner in the matchup
1: Lina Kroeger recorded her first career assist.
2: Kristy Leonard notched her second goal of the season.
5: Elena Clococeanu recorded her fifth defensive save of the season.
6: The Minutewomen tallied six shots in the contest, four on goal.

Series History

With the result, Massachusetts now holds a 16-41-3 record all-time against the Huskies.
The Minutewomen last faced UConn in the 2025 NCAA Storrs Regional, claiming a 2-1 to advance to the Elite Eight.

Up Next

The Minutewomen close their three-game homestand with a matchup against Longwood on Friday, Oct. 10 at 4 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and can be followed live on umassathletics.com or UMassFH on Twitter.

Scoreboard

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Team Stats

Kristy Leonard

Lina Kroeger

Sophie Kent

Cara Falconer

Players Mentioned

Elena Clococeanu

Lina Kroeger

Kristy Leonard

Players Mentioned

Elena Clococeanu

Lina Kroeger

Kristy Leonard

Scoreboard

University of Massachusets Athletics