UMass field hockey begins the 2014 Atlantic 10 Tournament as the No. 1 seed for competition when the Minutewomen face No. 4 Lock Haven on Friday afternoon. Massachusetts is on the hunt for its third consecutive Atlantic 10 title. Daily Collegian reporter Jamie Cushman discussed the history of postseason success for UMass field hockey with head coach Carla Tagliente, senior Renee Suter and sophomore Hailey Cockrum and also talked to the trio about the approach each is taking to preparing for Lock Haven:
UMass field hockey is no stranger to postseason success
The University of Massachusetts field hockey program begins Atlantic 10 Tournament competition with a semifinal matchup against Lock Haven. Tyler Fiedler of the Daily Collegian staff has a preview of the contest for MinuteFans:
UMass field hockey prepares to face Lock Haven in Atlantic 10 tournament
UMass field hockey freshman Sarah Hawkshaw scored twice during the team's final regular season game to lead the Minutewomen to a 5-1 victory over Saint Louis. The win secured UMass the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Atlantic 10 Tournament while the two-goal game from Hawkshaw was the first such effort in the freshman's collegiate career. Matthew Zackman of the Daily Collegian staff has a recap of the day's action:
Freshman Sarah Hawkshaw steals show for UMass field hockey on Senior Day | Daily Collegian
UMass field hockey won a 3-1 game at La Salle on Friday, Oct. 24. It marked the first multi-goal performance of the season for sophomore forward Izzie Delario and became the 50th win for Carla Tagliente as a head coach overall and with the Minutewomen. Matthew Zackman caught up with Delario and Tagliente this week for a story on the milestone:
UMass field hockey led by Delario, Tagliente in milestone day
The University of Massachusetts field hockey team won its sixth consecutive Atlantic 10 Conference game as the squad took a 3-1 win from La Salle on the road at DeVincent Field in Philadelphia. Jamie Cushman has a recap of the action:
UMass field hockey continues win streak with victory over La Salle | Daily Collegian
Matthew Zackman of the Daily Collegian has a story on Lauren Allymohamed, who scored the game-winning goal against Boston University despite suffering a slash to the face earlier in the game. After she received medical treatment on the sideline, Allymohamed returned to the game and notched the game-winner in the 82nd minute.
Lauren Allymohamed provided UMass with an overtime game-winning goal in the 82nd minute as the Minutewomen defeated Boston University, 2-1 at Garber Field on Sunday. Daily Collegian reporter Tyler Fiedler was on-hand for the game and wrote a recap of the action:
UMass field hockey gets back to .500 with win over BU Sunday | Daily Collegian
UMass field hockey blanked Davidson, 4-0 on Friday afternoon to increase its current Atlantic 10 Conference winning streak to five consecutive games. Daily Collegian writer Jamie Cushman has a report on the game:
UMass field hockey shuts out Davidson in 4-0 win | Daily Collegian
UMass field hockey head coach Carla Tagliente and sophomore forward Nicole Miller spoke to members of the local media after the Minutewomen dispatched Davidson, 4-0 at Garber Field on Friday afternoon. Check out what Tagliente and Miller had to say about the team win below:
More on UMass field hockey can be found throughUMassAthletics.com.
UMass field hockey defeated Davidson, 4-0, in the first meeting between the teams on the strength of a lockdown defensive performance and one goal each from Hailey Cockrum, Izzie Delario, Melanie Kreusch and Nicole Miller. Check out highlights of the game below courtesy of UMass Sports Network:
More on the Minutewomen can be found through UMassAthletics.com.
Daily Collegian reporter Jamie Cushman stopped by field hockey practice on Tuesday and spoke with head coach Carla Tagliente, senior Lauren Allymohamed and freshmen Sarah Hawkshaw and Melanie Kreusch for a story on the immediate impacts made by Hawkshaw and Kreusch.
Hawkshaw and Kreusch on international students from Ireland and Belgium, respectively, and have combined for 22 points via nine goals and four assists through the opening 14 games played.
Kreusch, Hawkshaw stepping up for UMass field hockey | Daily Collegian
Joe Saade of the Daily Collegian staff wrote a feature story on the importance of junior goalkeeper Sam Carlino to the UMass field hockey team. Carlino is in her third season as the starting goalkeeper for the Minutewomen as the squad looks to earn its third consecutive A-10 title and NCAA Tournament trip.
Sam Carlino remains a rock in net for UMass field hockey | Daily Collegian
Daily Collegian reporter Matthew Zackman spoke with head coach Carla Tagliente and sophomore midfielder Hailey Cockrum after UMass field hockey defeated VCU, 4-1 on the road Sunday. Check out his recap of the game's action below:
UMass field hockey earns first Atlantic 10 win with 4-1 victory over VCU
Daily Collegian staff reporter Matthew Zackman discussed the practice structure used by UMass field hockey recently - an aspect of the team's daily activity that often goes unnoticed in the public eye. Read about how head coach Carla Tagliente prepares the Minutewomen for each weekend's games below:
Walking through a week of practice with UMass field hockey | Daily Collegian
Saba Aziz of the Boston Herald sports staff wrote up a piece on UMass field hockey alumna Hannah Prince earning a spot on the United States National Team following the conclusion of the 2014 Women's National Championship. Check out what Prince and UMass head coach Carla Tagliente had to say below:
"As so often is the case in sports, when you dream big, good things happen. Former UMass-Amherst field hockey captain Hannah Prince is a prime example.
Prince, 22, realized her life-long dream of making the U.S National senior team last week, following the 2014 Women's National Championship contested at the Spooky Nook Sports complex in Lancaster, Pa. Prince joins 11 Olympians and seven newcomers on the 30-athlete roster, announced by U.S. Head Coach Craig Parnham..."
The conclusion of the story is available through the Boston Herald website here. More on UMass field hockey is available on UMassAthletics.com.
Play was completed at the 2014 Field Hockey Women's National Championship Saturday, with USA-Eagle securing the title over USA-Freedom with a 2-1 shootout decision following a 1-1 tie through regulation. The U21 squad also defeated USA-Blue in a shootout, 3-1 after tying 4-4 in regulation action to earn third. USA-Red outpaced USA-Patriots, 3-2 for fifth while USA-White defeated USA-Courage, 4-3 for seventh. More on each Minutewoman who competed is below.
Renee Suter started in the midfield for USA-Eagle to help the squad earn the right to celebrate as the top finishers at the 2014 Women's National Championship. She helped lead her team against former teammate Alexa Sikalis, who started in the midfield for USA-Freedom.
Izzie Delario scored another goal for the U21 team, pushing the early lead to 2-0 with her strike in the 26th minute. Her tally helped the U21 side edge USA-Blue, who was led at the tournament by UMass head coach Carla Tagliente.
USA-Red, which featured former Minutewoman Kim Young and rising-junior Sam Carlino edged USA-Patriots and rising-sophomore Hailey Cockrum. Young and Cockrum both earned starts in the finale for both sides.
Hannah Prince and Brooke Sabia appeared in the starting lineup for USA-White and spurred the squad on to its one-goal win over USA-Courage, the only squad in the eight-team tournament that did not feature a connection to UMass field hockey.
More on UMass field hockey is available on UMassAthletics.com. Additional information on the 2014 Women's National Championship as well as updated on the U.S. National Team are available through TeamUSA.org.
After a day off to give the players rest, competition at the 2014 Women's National Championship continued on Friday, with all eight current or former Minutewomen in action again.
NFHCA All-Region and A-10 All-Conference standout Kim Young had the only goal as USA-Red defeated USA-Courage, 1-0. Rising-junior Sam Carlino, who has nine shutouts among her 33 wins at UMass, was the starting goalie responsible for blanks USA-Courage.
Renee Suter, who will start her senior year in 2014, started in the midfield and helped USA-Eagle to a 1-0 victory over the U21 squad and rising-sophomore Izzie Delario.
Alexa Sikalis, who graduated with the fourth-most assists in UMass history (31), started in the midfield for USA-Freedom against her former coach and the current leader of Massachusetts field hockey and the USA-Blue squad Carla Tagliente. USA-Freedom won the contest, 4-0.
USA-Patriots defeated USA-white, 2-1 with the help of rising-sophomore Hailey Cockrum, who rotated into the lineup in the fourth minute of play. Cockrum's squad outmatched a pair of Minutewomen in rising-junior Brooke Sabia and 2014 graduate Hannah Prince.
Saturday, June 21 is the final day of games at the 2014 Women's National Championship. USA-Freedom and USA-Eagle play for the top spot while the U21 team and USA-Blue battle in the bronze medal game. USA-Red and USA-Patriots face off in the 5th-6th place game while USA-White and USA-Courage will battle it out for the seven and eight spots.
More on the Women's National Championship is available on TeamUSA.org. Check out the latest news on UMass field hockey through UMassAthletics.com.
The 2014 edition of the U.S. Women's National Championship continued with its third day of action on Wednesday, June 18. Again, eight current and former Minutewomen competed as hopefuls for the 2014-15 United States Women's National Team.
Izzie Delario tallied her second goal of the tournament to help the U21 Team get by the USA-Red squad, 3-1. With U21 up one goal late, Delario iced the contest with her tally in the 60th minute to seal the win over USA-Red, which includes former UMass standout Kim Young and rising-junior Sam Carlino on its roster. The win improved the U21 team to 2-0-1 overall - good for second place with seven points through three days of competition.
USA-Blue and USA-White fought to a 1-1 tie through regulation. Former Minutewoman standout Hannah Prince and rising-junior Brooke Sabia compete for USA-White (1-1-1 overall, 4 points) while current UMass head coach Carla Tagliente guides USA-Blue (1-0-2, 5 points) on the sidelines.
Hailey Cockrum and the USA-Patriots squad cut a two-goal, second half deficit to one in the 41st minute, but was unable to complete the comeback against USA-Courage. The loss dropped USA-Patriots to 0-3-0 while USA-Courage improved to 1-2-0.
Alexa Sikalis and the USA-Freedom team blanked Renee Suter and USA-Eagle, 2-0 to run the squad's record to 3-0-0 while Sikalis' side has yet to allow a goal during competition at the Women's National Championship. USA-Freedom owns nine points to hold down first place in the eight-team tournament while the USA-Eagle squad is 2-1-0, good for third with six points.
Schedules, team rosters and results from the Women's National Championship are available on TeamUSA.org. More from UMass field hockey can be found through UMassAthletics.com.
Action continued at the U.S. Field Hockey Women's National Championship on Tuesday with day No. 2 of competition for the eight current and former Minutewomen playing. Check out how each did:
The USA-White Team, including Hannah Prince and Brooke Sabia, defeated Sam Carlino and Kim Young, who compete for USA-Red, 2-1. Carlino, Prince and Sabia all started for their respective teams while Young entered the fray off the bench in the ninth minute of competition.
Carla Tagliente's USA-Blue Team and Pam Bustin's U21 squad played through full time tied at 1-1. The U21 group, which includes Izzie Delario, scored first in the 39th minute before USA-Blue answered in the 58th.
Alexa Sikalis and the USA-Freedom Team shut out USA-Courage, 3-0. Sikalis earned the start in the midfield for USA-Freedom and is wearing jersey No. 4 for the tournament.
The USA-Patriots Team featuring Hailey Cockrum dropped a 3-0 decision to Renee Suter and the USA-Eagles. Cockrum rotated into the lineup during the fifth minute while Suter was tabbed a starter.
More on the Women's National Championship can be found on TeamUSA.org. The most up-to-date information on UMass field hockey is available through UMassAthletics.com.
Eight current or former UMass field hockey student-athletes began competition at the 2014 U.S. Women's National Championship on Monday. The event serves as a proving-ground for potential members of the 2014-15 United States Women's National Team, with U.S. head coach Craig Parnham and the Women's National Team High Performance Staff on-site to evaluate competitors.
Izzie Delario and the U21 Team defeated USA-White, 6-1, as Delario tallied once to support her team and help the U21 Team out-match a pair of Delario's UMass teammates in Hannah Prince and Brooke Sabia.
Four-year standout and 2013 NFHCA All-American Alexa Sikalis helped lead Team Freedom to an 8-0 victory over Team Patriots and rising-sophomore Hailey Cockrum.
Current UMass head coach Carla Tagliente guided USA-Blue to a 6-2 win over USA-Red, which featured rising-junior Sam Carlino and former Minutewoman Kim Young.
Renee Suter, a 2014 team captain for Massachusetts, helped lead Team Eagles to a shutout of Team Courage, 3-0.
Additional ties to UMass field hockey abound at the event as Pam Bustin, a star on the pitch at UMass from 1985-88, serves as the head coach of the U21 team and former head coach Justine Sowry leads Team Patriots.
More information on the 2014 Women's National Championship is available through TeamUSA.org. Keep up-to-date with everything UMass field hockey through UMassAthletics.com.
Daily Collegian staff writer Jason Kates previews the UMass field hockey NCAA Tournament First Round game against Virginia for MinuteFans. UMass is making its 24th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and second in head coach Carla Tagliente's three seasons leading the program.
The Minutewomen will face the Cavaliers on Saturday afternoon with a chance to advance to the second round on the line.
After winning its second consecutive Atlantic 10 championship, the No. 10 Massachusetts field hockey team will make its 24th appearance in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday when it faces No. 7 Virginia in the first round.
The Minutewomen (18-4, 7-0 A-10) enter the contest riding an 11-game winning streak dating back to Oct. 2, when they defeated Northeastern 2-0. The Cavaliers (15-5, 3-3 ACC) have lost two straight, most recently losing to Duke in the ACC quarterfinals.
UMass has prior experience playing ranked opponents this season, so Minutewoman coach Carla Tagliente doesn't believe the challenge of playing a top 10 team will overwhelm her squad...
Check out the rest of Kates' story on the
Daily Collegian website. More information on UMass field hockey can found through
UMassAthletics.com.
The University of Massachusetts field hockey squad wrapped up its second consecutive Atlantic 10 Championship with a 2-1 victory over Richmond at Garber Field on Saturday afternoon. Jesse Mayfield Sheehan was at the game and has a recap of the action for MinuteFans.
Now that she's in her senior season, the playoffs no longer mean "do or die" for University of Massachusetts field hockey co-captain Hannah Prince. They now mean "do or your college career is over."
"It was an exciting day for us, knowing this could be my last game on Garber (Field)," Prince said.
But Prince's career isn't over yet, and the season isn't over for UMass, as the Minutewomen defeated Richmond again this year by a score of 2-1 to win their second straight A-10 Championship.
For UMass, it was the first set of back-to-back championships since the 2007 and 2008 seasons. For coach Carla Tagliente, it was her second championship in just three seasons with the team...
Read the rest of Mayfield Sheehan's story through
MassLive.com here. More information on the Minutewomen can be found through
UMassAthletics.com.
Jason Kates with the
Daily Collegian spoke to head coach Carla Tagliente in anticipation of the Minutewomen hosting the Atlantic 10 Field Hockey Championship at Garber Field on Friday, Nov. 8 and Saturday, Nov. 9. UMass enters the event as the No. 1 seed.
On Friday afternoon, the No. 12 Massachusetts field hockey team begins its quest for back-to-back Atlantic 10 titles as it takes on Virginia Commonwealth at Garber Field for the semifinal round of the conference tournament.
The Minutewomen (16-4, 7-0 A-10), who received the No. 1 seed after going undefeated in conference play for the first time since the 2010-11 season, already beat the Rams (10-9, 4-3) at home, 3-1, in their first meeting this year. And will do it on an even bigger stage Friday.
UMass coach Carla Tagliente believes playing at home is advantageous for her team, especially in the playoffs...
Read the rest of Kates' story on the Daily Collegian website. More information on UMass field hockey and the Atlantic 10 Field Hockey Championship is available through UMassAthletics.com.
UMass field hockey used a late rally and clutch overtime goal to defeat Saint Francis (Pa.) 4-3 on the road to clinch an undefeated A-10 regular season on Sunday. Freshman
Izzie Delario provided two goals to spur the offense as UMass reached 16-4 overall and 7-0 in Atlantic 10 games. Jason Kates recapped the game for the
Daily Collegian.
The No.12 Massachusetts field hockey team concluded its regular season with a come from behind victory against St. Francis 4-3 in overtime.
With the win, the Minutewomen finish undefeated record in A-10 play for the 12th time in school history and now set their sights on a second consecutive A-10 title on Friday at Garber Field for the conference semifinals.
"Going undefeated in conference play is something this team set out to do since day one, and they should be very proud of themselves," UMass coach Carla Tagliente said. "Getting back at home on our surface for the tournament is a huge advantage, so it's important that we recover physically and continue to push forward."
Izzie Delario led the way with a pair of goals, including the game-winner at the 79:35 mark during the extra period...
The remainder of Kates' story can be found on the Daily Collegian website. More information on UMass field hockey is available through UMassAthletics.com.
Daily Collegian staff writer Jason Kates caught up with UMass field hockey head coach Carla Tagliente, senior defender Hannah Prince and sophomore goalkeeper Sam Carlino for a weekend recap. The Minutewomen won a thriller, 2-1 over Richmond on penalty strokes following double-overtime on Friday before taking a 3-1 victory from VCU on Sunday.
Just two days after defeating conference rival Richmond in a penalty shootout, the No. 12 Massachusetts field hockey team was victorious once again, this time defeating Virginia Commonwealth 3-1.
The Minutewomen (14-4, 5-0 Atlantic 10) used three different goal scorers to get the better of the Rams (8-9, 2-3 A-10), with senior Hannah Prince scoring the eventual game winner just two minutes into the second half.
Although her team got the win, UMass coach Carla Tagliente said the outcome of the game left a lot to be desired...
The rest of Kates' story can be found on the Daily Collegian website. The most up-to-date information on the field hockey program can be found through UMassAthletics.com.
Jesse Mayfield Sheehan previews UMass field hockey's upcoming weekend for the
Daily Collegian as the Minutewomen prepare for a challenging slate that includes Richmond on Friday, Oct. 25 at 1 p.m. and VCU on Sunday, Oct. 27 at Noon. Both games will be played at Garber Field in Amherst, Mass., where admission is free.
The No. 12 Massachusetts field hockey team will host two of its toughest Atlantic 10 conference opponents this weekend, including its biggest rival in the league.
On Friday, the Minutewomen will host Richmond at 1 p.m., and on Sunday, the team will host Virginia Commonwealth at noon.
UMass (12-4, 3-0 A-10) has a long history of competing with the Spiders (10-5, 3-0) for dominance in the A-10. The two teams have won every conference championship dating back to 1996, with Richmond claiming seven titles in that period while the Minutewomen won 10, including last year's title, in which they defeated the Spiders, 5-0... The conclusion of Mayfield Sheehan's story can be found through the
Daily Collegian website. More information on the field hockey program can be found through
UMassAthletics.com.
Jason Kates with the
Daily Collegian spoke to UMass field hockey junior midfielder Renee Suter and head coach Carla Tagliente recently to discuss Suter's emergence as a scoring threat for the Minutewomen as Suter has provided 11 points on five goals and an assist in the previous four games.
It all started for sophomore midfielder Renee Suter on Oct. 6 in a non-conference game against in-state rival Boston University.
With the No. 10 Massachusetts field hockey team trailing 1-0 in the second half, Suter stepped up and smashed two penalty corner goals to give her team the 2-1 lead, and eventually the win.
Suter, who has started 12 out of 16 games this season, now has five goals in four games and hopes to extend this offensive display well into Atlantic-10 play... MinuteFans can read the rest of the story through the
Daily Collegian website. More information on UMass field hockey can be found through through
UMassAthletics.com.
Daily Collegian staff writer Jason Kates caught up with UMass field hockey head coach Carla Tagliente and junior midfielder Renee Suter to recap the 3-1 victory at Boston University on Sunday. With the win, UMass improved to 9-4 on the season at the conclusion of the non-conference portion of the 2013 schedule. Suter produced two goals, including the game-winner, to lead to charge against the Terriers.
The No. 13 Massachusetts field hockey team scored three unanswered goals in the second half to defeat in-state rival Boston University 3-1 on Sunday afternoon in the final non-conference game of the season.
A two-goal performance from junior midfielder Renee Suter led the way for the Minutewomen (9-4), tallying her first collegiate multi-goal game. UMass coach Carla Tagliente was proud of the way her midfielder stepped up and played a crucial part in the victory...
The conclusion of the story can be found through the Daily Collegian website. More information on UMass field hockey is available on UMassAthletics.com.
Daily Collegian writer Jason Kates has a weekend preview covering UMass field hockey,
which hosts New Hampshire on Friday at 4 p.m. and No. 2 Maryland on Sunday at 1 p.m. The Minutewomen will look to defend Garber Field during the two-game slate as the squad is 4-0 at home this season.
With two games remaining in a three-game homestand, the seventh-ranked Massachusetts field hockey team continues to find success at Garber Field, as it has started out the season 4-0 at home.
The Minutewomen (7-2), coming off of a 5-1 win over Hoftra on Sunday, hope to make Garber Field a place where opponents dread going into conference play. UMass coach Carla Tagliente believes that the level of familiarity a home field brings to a team is one of the main reasons for her team's great start...
Read the rest of Kates' story on the Daily Collegian website here. More information on the field hockey program can be found on UMassAthletics.com.
Jason Kates of the Daily Collegian recapped UMass' 5-1 victory over Hofstra on Sunday afternoon, highlighting the success of the offense, especially the penalty corner unit...
In its two losses this season, the No. 7 Massachusetts field hockey team was done in by a lack of shot attempts offensively.
Brooke Sabia wouldn't let it happen again on Sunday.
The sophomore scored two goals on 11 shots to lead the Minutewomen to a 5-1 win over Hofstra at Garber Field in the first leg of a three-game homestand...
The remainder of Kates' story is available through the Daily Collegian website. More information on the UMass field hockey program can be found on UMassAthletics.com.
UMass field hockey opened the 2013 season with a 6-1 record and jumped to the No. 7 spot in the national rankings thanks in part to the strong play of the defensive unit.
Daily Collegian reporter Jason Kates takes a closer look at the defense and examines how the group has fared and what has made it successful through seven games.
The No. 7 Massachusetts field hockey team is off to a 6-1 start, and it has its defense to thank for the early success.
Senior Hannah Prince (six points) and Lauren Allymohamed (four points) have served as the anchors of the defense, which has held their opponents to one goal per game.
One of the things that UMass coach Carla Tagliente is looking for from her defense is organization.
"I think it's very important to be organized early on and for each player to find out their marking responsibilities right away," Tagliente said. "Early pressure on the ball is also very important, and just making sure our defenders are mobile and not standing still. We just try and use every ounce of athleticism that we can."
Putting pressure on the opponent's offense has always been a part of Tagliente's style, and is one of the key components of UMass' strong start...
The rest of Kates' story can be found on the Daily Collegian website here. Fans can also keep up with the team through UMassAthletics.com.
Daily Collegian reporter Jason Kates spoke to UMass field hockey head coach Carla Tagliente as part of a weekend recap covering participation at the Syracuse Invitational. The Minutewomen fell to No. 6 Syracuse, 2-1 on Friday before defeating Ohio State, 1-0 on Saturday afternoon.
An early second half goal by sophomore Brooke Sabia gave the No. 7 Massachusetts field hockey team a 1-0 victory over Ohio State Saturday afternoon in the Syracuse Invitational.
After a scoreless first half, Sabia scored her eighth goal of the season off a penalty corner assisted by senior Alexa Sikalis and freshman Charlotte Verelst about nine minutes into the second half to give UMass (6-1) a lead it would not surrender.
Just one day after losing a hard fought battle to No. 6 Syracuse, UMass coach Carla Tagliente was happy with the way her team bounced back against the Buckeyes (2-3)...
The remainder of the story can be read on the
Daily Collegian website
here. More information on the Minutewomen is available through
UMassAthletics.com.
Portland Press Herald staff writer Steve Craig caught up with Gorham, Maine, native and UMass field hockey senior Hannah Prince to highlight Prince's success in the college game as well as internationally. The 5-foot-3 defender has started every contest since her arrival at the University of Massachusetts in 2010 and had the opportunity to compete with the United States U-21 National Team at the Junior World Cup in Germany this summer alongside Minutewomen teammate Sam Carlino.
University of Massachusetts field hockey coach Carla Tagliente says she isn't sure how far her senior captain Hannah Prince of Gorham can go in the game.
"But she won't ever be let down by her own effort," said Tagliente, a three-time All-American at Maryland and former USFHA Player of the Year. "Nothing really deters her and there are very few players that really have that sort of drive."
A defender for No. 7 nationally ranked Massachusetts, Prince is coming off a summer stint as a member of the United States U21 team that competed in the Junior World Cup in Germany, which finished seventh among 16 teams...
The full story by Craig is available through the Portland Press Herald website
here. More information on UMass field hockey, including a 2013 schedule and team statistics, can be found on
UMassAthletics.com.
Daily Collegian staff reporter Jason Kates spoke with UMass field hockey head coach Carla Tagliente recently for a story highlighting the success of the program against ranked opposition during the previous two seasons and what contests against top-level foes means for the program. In that time frame, the Minutewomen have eight victories against National Field Hockey Coaches Association Top-20 team, including wins over No. 9 Michigan and No. 19 Boston College through five games of the 2013 season.
The Massachusetts field hockey team has made a habit of overcoming ranked opponents in recent years.
UMass knocked off six teams ranked in the Top 25 last season on its way to the NCAA Tournament and have already beaten two ranked opponents just five games into 2013.
The seventh-ranked Minutewomen (5-0) will have a shot at win No. 3 over ranked teams when they take on No. 6 Syracuse - a team they played twice last season, winning one at home and losing the other in the Tournament - on Friday at 3 p.m.
Why so many nationally-ranked opponents?
According to UMass coach Carla Tagliente, it's a perfect measuring stick for her team early in the season...
The remainder of the story is available on the
Daily Collegian website
here. Information on the University of Massachusetts field hockey program can be found through
UMassAthletics.com.
UMass field hockey, which recently moved up to No. 7 in the national poll, faces a tough weekend slate, including No. 6 Syracuse and Ohio State on Sept. 13-14.
Daily Collegian reporter Jesse Mayfield Sheehan previews the weekend with a focus on the early-season numbers for all sides.
The 7th-ranked Massachusetts field hockey team will have a chance for payback on Friday, as they visit No. 6 Syracuse, the team that knocked them out of the NCAA Tournament last season.
Despite the recent history between the two teams (which also includes UMass defeating the Orange, who were ranked No. 1 at the time, earlier last year), coach Carla Tagliente said that the team is focused on the present...
The entire preview can be read through the Daily Collegian website
here. More information on UMass field hockey, including a season schedule, updated statistics and important team information, is available
here.
Daily Collegian staff writer Jason Kates caught up with UMass field hockey head coach Carla Tagliente this week to discuss the early production of the offense and its impact on the Minutewomen opening the season with five consecutive victories.
Despite losing several leading scorers from last year to graduation, the Massachusetts field hockey team hasn't lost a beat offensively.
UMass has tallied 18 goals on 88 shots through the first five games of the season, 59 of which have been on goal.
Sophomore Brooke Sabia has led the Minutewomen (5-0) this season with seven goals so far. UMass is averaging 3.6 goals per game while allowing just one per game defensively. UMass coach Carla Tagliente has attributed this great start not just to the recent performances of Sabia, but to efforts of the entire team...
Read the full story
here. More information on UMass field hockey can be found through
UMassAthletics.com.
Boston Globe correspondents Marvin Pave and Lorenzo Recupero caught up with UMass field hockey head coach Carla Tagliente and Minutewomen senior co-captain and Acton-Boxborough Regional High School graduate Alexa Sikalis for a story recently. Sikalis was a co-captain of the Acton-Boxborough team that won the 2009 Division I Massachusetts Title, along with current Babson field hockey standout Julia Pochini, and both have found success on the field since their high school graduation that year.
As senior captains, Julia Pochini and Alexa Sikalis led the field hockey team at Acton-Boxborough Regional to the Division 1 state title in 2009.
The two are captains once again, as starters in the midfield -- Sikalis at the University of Masschusetts Amherst, the 14th-ranked program in Division 1, and Pochini at Babson College, the defending regular-season champion in the NEWMAC.
Pochini, who has started every game since her freshman year for the Division 3 program in Wellesley, enhanced her role as a go-to player at center-mid with six goals and seven assists last season.
Sikalis, who set the career scoring mark at A-B her senior season, started all 24 games at UMass last season, finishing with three goals and six assists in a march to the NCAA tourney... The full story is available to
Boston Globe/Boston.com subscribers
here. More information on UMass field hockey, including a 2013 season schedule and team statistics, can be found through UMassAthletics.com
here.
Jason Kates of the Daily Collegian has a story on the field hockey program and how the team is once again looking to repeat as Atlantic 10 Champions.
Last season was a memorable one for the Minutewomen, who accumulated a 15-9 record that included an Atlantic 10 title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Cade Belisle/Daily Collegian
Now, it must build on last year's success and live up to lofty preseason expectations. The Minutewomen enter the year with 15 returners and earned seven of eight possible first-place votes to repeat as A-10 champions.
Although they lost several top scorers due to graduation, Tagliente believes her squad will still maintain the high-powered offense that averaged just below three goals a game last season.
Daily Collegian staff writer Jason Kates was in attendance for the inaugural Kennedy Cup on Tuesday evening to see the Minutewomen field hockey squad defeat UMass-Lowell, 6-0 on Garber Field. Kates spoke with UMass head coach Carla Tagliente and sophomore midfielder Brooke Sabia, who scored two goals including the game-winner, as part of the recap.
AMHERST, Mass. - Fresh off an upset victory over No. 9 Michigan, the Massachusetts field hockey team dominated in its home opener on Tuesday, defeating in-state rival UMass Lowell, 6-0, and claiming the inaugural Kennedy Cup.
Paced by sophomore Brooke Sabia's second straight two-goal game, the 14th-ranked Minutewomen (3-0) didn't take long to open up the scoring.
Sabia scored her first goal of the game seven minutes and 38 seconds into the first half on a rebound over the goalkeeper after her initial shot was saved. Just under 15 minutes later, she tallied her second goal of the game on a penalty corner, set up by Alexa Sikalis and Charlotte Verelst...
Fans can read the rest of the article through the Daily Collegian website here. The Minutewomen return to the field on Friday, Sept. 6 at 5 p.m. against in-state rival Boston College. Admission to the contest is free.
The University of Massachusetts and head coach Carla Tagliente
announced the addition of midfielder and forward
Izzie Delario on Thursday morning. Delario is an incoming-freshman who will start her collegiate career during the 2012 spring semester after graduating high school early. Delario brings a wealth of playing experience to Amherst as the 5-foot-5 attacking player has already found success at the high school, club and national levels.
Delario went 72-3-0 during high school competition, capping the four-year starter's career with regional and academic All-America honors from the National Field Hockey Coaches Association. In tandem with her scholastic success, Delario played for the WC Eagles club program and earned a U19 National Championship with the squad while also competing for the U17 U.S. Junior National Team.
"We are very excited for Izzie to join the program," Tagliente said. "To be able to graduate and come to college a semester early requires a tremendous amount of hard work, discipline, maturity and excellence in and out of the classroom. Izzie embodies all of that, but what's most impressive is her character. She is a great person and will make this program better on and off the field."
UMass field hockey will announce the rest of its incoming signees during the NCAA's national signing period in February.
With their 2-1 overtime victory vs. Rider (15-6 overall) on Tuesday, the Minutewomen field hockey team earned the right to participate in the upcoming 2012 NCAA Tournament. UMass will make its 23rd appearance in the event when the Minutewomen face #5 Syracuse (17-2) at host-Penn State University on Saturday, Nov. 10 at 2 p.m.
Harry Plumer
recounted the dramatic final moments of UMass' NCAA Tournament Play-In Game victory over the Broncs for the
Springfield Republican.
Matt Vautour of the
Daily Hampshire Gazette looks forward to the NCAA Tournament First Round contest with #5 Syracuse while reviewing the nail-biting victory over Rider that secured the Minutewomen their berth into NCAAs.
Peter Cappiello
recapped the play-in game for the
Daily Collegian and highlighted how team unity has helped the Minutewomen to secure its recent success on the field.
Check on
UMassAthletics.com to keep up-to-date on UMass' participation in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.
With their 5-0 drubbing of #16 nationally ranked and #1 seed Richmond to earn the Atlantic 10 Tournament Championship on Saturday afternoon, the UMass field hockey team earned the right to host an NCAA Tournament play-in game against Rider University on Tuesday, Nov. 6 at 1 p.m. on Garber Field.
Greg Cameron of the
Springfield Republican recapped the championship victory while Harry Plumer
previews the upcoming play-in contest with a look at the exceptional play of senior defender Thando Zono.
Matt Vautour of the
Daily Hampshire Gazette was also present for UMass' 2012 Atlantic 10 Tournament Championship and
highlighted Zono and the scoring ability the Minutewomen possess.
Peter Cappiello highlighted the impact Zono had
while discussing UMass' 5-0 victory over Richmond.
More coverage of the upcoming contest with Rider can be found through
UMassAthletics.com, including a link for .
The UMass field hockey team and its home facility - Garber Field - will serve as the host for the 2012 Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament beginning Friday, Nov. 2 at 11 a.m. The Minutewomen enter competition as the No.2-seeded squad and will face No. 3 seed Temple during the semifinal round of play at 2 p.m. on Friday. Below are a few links related to the event...
The
Atlantic 10 Conference has set up a page on its website with information related to the event for fans.
UMass, as the host of the event, will also provide coverage of the entire championship through
UMassAthletics.com and a
tournament central page, including live statistics and web streaming.
Peter Cappiello spoke to the UMass field hockey team to
preview this weekend's action for the
Daily Collegian.
Harry Plumer of the
Springfield Republican stopped by practice this week to speak with a few members of the squad
in anticipation of the championship.
With the Atlantic 10 Field Hockey Tournament beginning on Friday, Nov. 2, the conference announced its regular season award winners on Thursday. Seven members of the UMass program combined to earn 12 laurels this season - the most of any team in the A-10.
Sophomore Lauren Allymohamed was tabbed the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year - the fourth consecutive season a UMass student-athlete earned the laurel - while second-year head coach Carla Tagliente was named the Coach of the Year.
Read up more on each of the awards UMass received
here or through the official
Atlantic 10 release.
The UMass field hockey team continued its strong second-half performance on the 2012 season with a pair of road victories against A-10 foes
La Salle, 4-1 and
Saint Joseph's, 5-1 to move the squad's undefeated streak to five consecutive games. The Minutewomen now own a 10-8 overall record and 4-1 mark in conference play entering the final regular season weekend.
As a result of the recent success, UMass has gone from unranked in to NFHCA Top-25 Poll to holding down the
No. 18 spot in the current standings.
The pair of wins also netted the Minutewomen
three individual honors as senior forward Nicole Cordero was named A-10 Player of the Week, freshman goalkeeper Sam Carlino totaled A-10 Rookie of the Week and senior defender Thando Zono tallied Co-UMass Athlete of the Week laurels.
Matt Levine of The Daily Collegian has the
recap for this weekend's action.
After three games in four days, the UMass field hockey team recorded an undefeated week that included a 2-1 come-from-behind win over No. 1 Syracuse and a pair of A-10 Conference victories. The three-game winning streak earned the team and a few of its individual players considerable praise this week...
Mike Moran covered
the victory over No. 1 Syracuse for the
Daily Hampshire Gazette. Peter Cappiello with the
Daily Collegian recapped the
hard-fought upset of No. 1 Syracuse, which included a
goal for the ages from senior defender Thando Zono.
J. Anthony Roberts provided a
photo gallery and Harry Plumer added a
short recap for the
Springfield Republican following the defeat of No. 1 Syracuse.
Matt Levine with the
Daily Collegian had coverage of UMass'
strong play against conference opponents this weekend.
The Atlantic 10 Conference named Zono to its
players of the week listing for her efforts while sophomore defender Lauren Allymohamed was named the
UMass Athlete of the Week.
After the final horn to Friday's field hockey contest against Vermont sounded, the Minutewomen cleared the field with a 10-1 blowout victory over the visiting Catamounts. Nicole Cordero, Kim Young and Thando Zono totaled multi-goal performances against Vermont, with Zono adding a pair of a assists to lead the game with six points. Molly MacDonnell, Brooke Sabia, Alexa Sikalis and Renee Suter each added one goal during play. In addition to Zono, Hannah Prince, Sikalis and Callie Sweigart each recorded a pair of assists while Marisa Dunn, Kate Heineman and Noralie Weisthuis chipped in an assist each.
The show of offensive force by UMass is rarely seen at the collegiate level and had only occurred in the history of the program on a few occasions. Here is a look at how rare the feat of totaling double-digit goals is in the history of the illustrious program...
- Previously, the UMass Minutewomen field hockey program has recorded 10 or more goals in only two contests in the 38 years the program has existed. Once on Oct. 25, 1979 against Smith College (11-1 victory) and again on Oct. 25, 2009 at Saint Louis (10-1 victory).
- After a 30-year span of not recording double-digit goals (1979-2009; 650 games), the Minutewomen went only 53 contests since routing Saint Louis in 2009 before matching the feat against Vermont.
- Since the 11-1 win over Smith College pre-dates the modern collegiate athletics era, the 10-goal outing against Vermont ranks as only the second such double-digit goal effort against a NCAA Division-I opponent.
- In all of Division-I field hockey this season there have only been seven games where a team has scored more than 10 goals, with UMass' performance against Vermont tying for the second-most this season behind Virginia's 14-goal outing vs. Towson.
- In tandem with the number of goals scored, UMass recorded a tie for the second-most points notched in a single game with the win over Vermont. The 31 points by the Minutewomen has been equaled this year on four occasions across Division-I, while only being eclipsed once (Virginia vs. Towson).
The Minutewomen return to action at Garber Field with a 2 p.m. contest against the University of Maine on Sunday, Sept. 30. Admission to all home field hockey contests is free.
The UMass field hockey team will be entering the heart of a six-game homestand in the coming days, the longest such stay at Garber Field on the season. After hosting No. 7 Northeastern on Friday evening, the Minutewomen will challenge No. 11 Boston University on Tuesday, Sept. 18 a 4 p.m.
Initially set to be an evening contest, the start time was moved up to 4 p.m. in accordance with the current university avoidance of nighttime activity due to
concerns over mosquito-borne illnesses such as West Nile Virus. The contest against Vermont scheduled for Friday, Sept. 21 will also begin at 4 p.m.
For fans who are unable to make it to Garber Field at 4 p.m. for the contest with BU, the University of Massachusetts will offer and a
web streaming of the game.
In its most recent contest, Thando Zono recorded a last-minute goal to extend the game into overtime, where UMass (3-4 overall) eventually fell to Northeastern (6-0), 4-3 in the 77th minute. Peter Cappiello of
The Daily Collegian recapped
the excitement of the contest.
When
Nicole Cordero notched the overtime game-winner at No. 17 Boston College on Sunday, the UMass field hockey squad improved to 3-1 on the season. Each of the three wins have come over teams ranked in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Top-25 Poll.
Read up on how the team has been recognized for the early-season success below:
The NFHCA noticed UMass' success and
awarded the Minutewomen the No.19 spot in their national rankings this week. Senior midfielder Kim Young also received accolades following a pair of goals and an assist on the weekend, taking home UMass Athlete of the Week honors.
Peter Cappiello of
The Daily Collegian focused on how U.S. National Team player and UMass assistant coach
Shannon Taylor is helping improve the current squad.
Matt Levine of
The Daily Collegian discussed the squad's determination to
focus on individual and team-wide improvement. Levine also reviewed the
2-1 overtime victory at No. 17 Boston College.
The Minutewomen will continue to face top-notch competition as the team heads to No. 3-ranked Maryland on Saturday, Sept. 8 for an 11 a.m. contest. Follow along with the game through . The contest will also be streamed online as a
radio broadcast hosted by Maryland's radio network, WMUC.
Michael Counos of the Daily Collegian previews UMass field hockey's big game on Friday against Richmond. The Minutewomen, 5-0 and alone in first by one game in the Atlantic 10 standings, close out conference play and their home schedule against the Spiders at Garber Field at 1 p.m. Friday will also be Senior Day, with Christine Cutry, Amanda Dietz, Nikki Panciocco, and Alesha Widdall all being honored prior to the game.
"I think this group of seniors is just very resilient, take everything in stride and just always keep competing and understand that nothing comes easy and they have to work for it," said UMass coach Carla Tagliente.
Minutewomen playing for title, seniors - Daily Collegian The Massachusetts field hockey team looks to stay undefeated in Atlantic 10 conference play as they take on Saint Joseph's and Saint Louis this weekend. UMass currently sits at 3-9 overall and 1-0 in A-10 play. The Minutewomen host St. Joe's today at 3 p.m. at Garber Field.
"It was important for us to come out and play strong and send a message for the rest of the conference," said Head Coach Carla Tagliente.
Matt Strong of the Daily Collegian previews the Minutewomen's first Atlantic 10 game vs Lock Haven. The game is set for Saturday, October 8 at 12 p.m.
Michael Cuonos of the
Massachusetts Daily Collegian has a recap of UMass field hockey's 4-1 loss at No. 4 UConn on Wednesday night. It was a tale of two halves in Storrs, as the Huskies used a 16-1 shot advantage in the first half to build a 3-0 lead and, though UMass controlled the second half of play with a 8-2 shot advantage, the Minutewomen were unable to close the gap.
"We were prepared but we just had a tough first half and they were more aggressive than us and it comes down to matching their aggressiveness which has been a problem for us all season," said Head Coach Carla Tagliente. "I was really happy with our play in the second half but we can't expect to win the game after the way we played in the first half."
The UMass field hockey team begins a four-game road stretch
tonight at No. 4 Connecticut at 7 p.m. The Minutewomen are looking for another victory over the Huskies, just as they did last season when they upset the Huskies, 1-0 at Garber Field.
The UMass defense will be tested against the high-scoring Huskies offense that has amassed 27 goals already this season. The scoring is spread around evenly amongst the Terriers' front line, with four players who have scored at least four goals. Hunnable, despite starting just one game, leads the team with seven goals, followed by Ali Blankmeyer and Jestine Angelini each with five.
"It's the second and third shots that are hurting us right now," said UMass coach Carla Tagliente. "Most of the goals we're giving up are on second and third shot opportunities so it'll be important for people to make sure they are marking their person and boxing out on defense."
De'Shawn Townsend of the
Massachusetts Daily Collegian writes the wrap on Friday's field hockey loss to No. 17 Boston University, 3-0 at Garber Field.
UMass failed to recover from an early Terrier lead off-an unassisted goal by junior forward Tabi Hatch. With forward Leslie Zules assist, Hatch scored off a corner pass from the left side. The Minutewomen (2-6) had a couple opportunities on the goal but defender Callie Sweigart and forward Nicole Cordero could not connect with the back of the net.
"We were confident but we lost structure throughout the game" said UMass coach Tagliente.
Michael Counos of the
Massachusetts Daily Collegian writes in today's edition on the UMass field hockey team and how, despite being 0-4 against ranked opponents this season, the Minutewomen's difficult non-conference schedule will prepare them well for Atlantic 10 play. UMass (2-6) started 2010 with a 3-5 record before running the table in the A-10, winning the conference championship and advancing to the NCAA Tournament.
"There are good teams in our conference but I think that there is a lot of pressure in these non-conference games and a lot of pressure moments so this prepares us well mentally when stepping into conference play when we need to win those games," said Coach Carla Tagliente.
Since 2008 UMass is 16-3 in A-10 play including clean sweeps in 2008 and 2010. The next time the Minutewomen return home to Garber Field is Oct. 14 against Saint Joseph's.
A lot has been made early in the field hockey season of new head coach Carla Tagliente's attacking style of play that she has brought to the Minutewomen, but as Matt Strong of the
Massachusetts Daily Collegian points out in Friday's edition, Tagliente has also brought a new style of play to the defense that the group is beginning to adjust well to. Strong mentions how assistant coach Roz Ellis has been crucial in mentoring the defense and talks to former UMass four-year-starter Jaime Bourazeris, who is helping the team this season.
With the new defensive approach comes a new mindset, which incorporates an offensive attitude. It gives the defense a chance to push the ball up the field, thus creating more shots and scoring opportunities.
"The biggest key as it is with any defensive structure is to communicate and stay organized," said Bourazeris.
Dick Baker of the
Springfield Republican has a story today on UMass field hockey's 4-1 loss at home to No. 3 Maryland on Sunday. Baker points out in the story that, despite the loss, the Minutewomen played the National Champs tough, outplaying them for much of the first half. Baker says UMass has shown much improvement under first-year coach Carla Tagliente since the beginning of the season.
"It was two different games," Tagliente said. "I was proud of the way we stepped up in the first half. The second half was a little different story. But this is a game of momentum. If we had scored the first goal in the second half, or had the first corner, things might have been different."
Matt Strong of the
Massachusetts Daily Collegian has a story today on the UMass field hockey team as it prepares for a challenging home weekend of non-conference games. On Friday, the Minutewomen host No. 20 Northeastern at 6 p.m., and on Sunday, UMass faces No. 3 and defending National Champion Maryland at Garber Field at noon.
Sunday's matchup against the Terrapins will be a rematch of two UMass losses last season, including a 4-2 loss in the NCAA Tournament. Both losses came at Maryland. Strong highlights how it will also be new head coach Carla Tagliente's first game coaching against her alma mater, where she was a four-time All-American, and how she brings a more offensive-minded system to the UMass program.
The UMass field hockey team played its home opener on Saturday at Garber Field,
shutting out Harvard, 3-0. Not only did the team improve to 2-3 on the season as it kicked off a four-game homestand, but prior to the game a ceremony was held honoring the 30th anniversary of the Minutewomen's 1981 National Finalist team. Many players from that '81 squad came back to UMass for the occassion. Check out coverage of Saturday's win below.
Check out Dick Baker's
great preview of the UMass field hockey season from over the weekend in the Springfield Republican and MassLive.com. Baker looks at how new head coach Carla Tagliente is taking over a program that has had recent success, but is implementing a new system and the squad must adjust to the loss of three key senior starters from last season's team. Baker also points out that senior All-American goalie Alesha Widdall will play an integral role for the Minutewomen in 2011.
The defending A-10 champion Minutewomen field hockey team has begun its first preseason camp under Head Coach Carla Tagliente. Check out the video from the first day of practice.
Dick Baker of the Springfield Republican in his Local College Notebook talks about UMass field hockey getting ready to begin its first preseason under new head coach Carla Tagliente. Baker points out that the A-10 regular season title could come down to the final conference game of the year, an Oct. 28 meeting between the Minutewomen and Richmond at Garber Field.
UMass was picked first in the Atlantic 10 Preseason Poll, ahead of Richmond, Temple, and Lock Haven.
UMass field hockey junior goalkeeper
Alesha Widdall is currently playing in Europe with the US Junior National Team (U-21).
USA Field Hockey has posted a schedule for Team USA's games in Ireland yesterday and today, as well as the games in Germany throughout the rest of the week.
The USA U-21 squad is coached by former UMass player and assistant coach, and current Boston College coach Ainslee Lamb.
Also, new UMass head coach Carla Tagliente is the head coach of the USA U-19 squad. She is assisted by UMass alum and current Duke head coach Pam Bustin. Stay tuned for updates on what the U-19'ers are up to during their training season.
Good luck to Alesha as she represents the Red, White, & Blue!
Nick O'Malley of the Massachusetts Daily Collegian has a nice
story on former field hockey coach Justine Sowry. The column focuses on how Sowry, now the head coach at Louisville, took the UMass program to the next level in her four years at the helm of the program.
Sowry was replaced on Jan. 7 when UMass announced the hiring of Northwestern Associate Head Coach and former US National Team member Carla Tagliente as field hockey head coach.
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On Friday, UMass announced the hiring of Carla Tagliente as field hockey head coach. Tagliente takes over a program that has won the Atlantic 10 title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament in three out of the last four years. Below is coverage:
