Womens Lacrosse Images from Round 2 of the 2015 NCAA Divison 1 Womens Lacrosse Championship. The UMass Minutewomen fell...
Posted by UMass Athletics on Sunday, May 10, 2015
University of Massachusets Athletics
blog womens lacrosse angela mcmahon
Recently in Angela McMahon Category
It was a tough loss for the UMass women's lacrosse team on Sunday as the Minutewomen fell 19-8 at top-seeded and No. 1 ranked Maryland in the NCAA Tournament Second Round. The season ends with a 19-2 overall record - the second most wins in program history.
Several media outlets had recaps of the UMass women's lacrosse team's 13-8 win over Jacksonville on Friday afternoon in the NCAA First Round. The Minutewomen will return to action on Sunday against No. 1 seed and regional host Maryland (Noon) in the NCAA Second Round.
Matt Vautour of the Daily Hampshire Gazette has a feature on UMass women's lacrosse goalie Rachel Vallarelli who has put together a phenomenal senior season in leading the Minutewomen to the 2015 NCAA Tournament. The goalie leads the NCAA's No. 1 scoring defense while individually, she is the top ranked goalie nationally in goals-against-average and save percentage.
Rich Thompson of the Boston Herald had a preview of the UMass women's lacrosse team's NCAA first round match-up against Jacksonvile which is being hosted by Maryland. Thompson focuses on the high-powered defense of the Minutewomen which has been ranked No. 1 in the country for much of the season and is anchored by Andover, Mass., twin sisters Anne and Kate Farnham.
Andrew Cyr of the Daily Collegian has a recap of the UMass women's lacrosse team's 12-3 win over George Mason on Friday afternoon in the Atlantic 10 Championship semifinals. The Minutewomen will play for their seventh straight league title and a berth to the NCAA Tournament on Sunday (Noon) against Richmond which defeated Duquesne in the other semifinal match-up.
The Daily Hampshire has a weekend preview and recap of the UMass men's and women's league semifinal wins. The Minutewomen defeated George Mason 12-3 on Friday in the A-10 Semifinals to advance to the Atlantic 10 Championship match against Richmond on Sunday.
The NCAA.com website ran a feature written by Joey Saade of the Daily Collegian featuring UMass women's lacrosse senior goalie Rachel Vallarelli. The play of Vallarelli this season has been critical in the success of the Minutewomen and her leadership has helped turn the defense into the top unit in the country.
The Daily Hampshire Gazette's daily roundup of college sports leads off with a recap of the major Atlantic 10 postseason awards brought home by the UMass women's lacrosse team. Erika Eipp was named the league's offensive player of the year, Hannah Murphy was named the midfielder of the year, Rachel Vallarelli was named the defensive player of the year and head coach Angela McMahon was named the coach of the year.
Matt Vautour of the Daily Hampshire Gazette has a preview of this weekend's Atlantic 10 Championship where the UMass women's lacrosse team is the No. 1 seed. The Minutewomen have won six consecutive league titles and will face George Mason on Friday (1 PM) in the A-10 Semifinals.
"I really like how our team has performed in the bigger game scenarios. Sometimes the more pressure for us the better," Head Coach Angela McMahon said. "We have key players who have thrived in those moments. From the beginning our defense was strong and solid, the way our offense has come together and the number of different people who have become scoring threats is great. That's huge for us going forward."
Peter Cappiello of the Boston Globe has a feature story on UMass women's lacrosse midfielder Hannah Murphy who is having a break-out campaign for the Minutewomen in 2015. Head coach Angela McMahon says the Duxbury, Mass., native may be one of the overall best players the Minutewomen have had over the past several years.
Joey Saade of the Daily Collegian has a feature story on UMass lacrosse goalie Rachel Vallarelli who has turned in a phenomenal senior campaign in net for the Minutewomen this year. The anchor of the nation's No. 1 defense for much of the year talks about what her career has meant to her, while teammate Morgan Walker says Vallarelli's play has inspired the team's defense as a whole.
Andrew Cyr of the Daily Collegian has a recap of Sunday's win at La Salle for the UMass women's lacrosse team. Despite jumping out to a 10-0 lead and holding an 11-2 lead at halftime, the Minutewomen saw a terrific rally from the Explorers in the second half which Coach McMahon said serves as a reminder to the team that the six-time conference champs are going to get everyone's best shot this late into the season.
Matthew Zackman of the Daily Collegian has a preview of tonight's women's lacrosse game at Saint Joseph's. UMass has a key weekend between this game and Sunday's game at La Salle to lock up a spot in the Atlantic 10 Championship Tournament.
Andrew Cyr of the Daily Collegian has a recap of the UMass women's lacrosse team's 19-4 win at Davidson on Sunday. Over the last four games, the Minutewomen have been averaging 17.5 points per game as they enter the home stretch of the regular-season with four games left on the docket.
Check out the new coverage and video highlights of the UMass women's lacrosse team's 16-7 win over Vermont on Wednesday afternoon at McGuirk Stadium. Hannah Murphy notched four goals, while Amy Tiernan and Holly Turner each had three.
Jesse Korzen of the Daily Collegian has a feature on Hannah Murphy's recent scoring success over the last three games. In those contests, she has posted four goals in each to lead the Minutewomen.
Matthew Zackman of the Daily Collegian has a preview of the UMass women's lacrosse team's final non-conference game of the season as Vermont visits McGuirk Stadium on Wednesday afternoon. The Minutewomen will be tasked with stopping one of the nation's top offensive threats in Jessica Roach who has 49 goals this season.
Andrew Cyr has a recap of the UMass women's lacrosse team's win at St. Bonaventure on Saturday. Head coach Angela McMahon highlights the play of Hannah Murphy on offense, but says the team still needs to execute better to keep pressure off the defense.
Jesse Korzen of the Daily Collegian has a preview of Saturday's women's lacrosse match-up at St. Bonaventure - the only game of the week for the Minutewomen. Head coach Angela McMahon says the balanced offensive attack displayed against George Mason was a good sign of the team's progress heading into week 2 of league play.
Andrew Cyr of the Daily Collegian has a feature story on Angela McMahon recording her 100th career win as a head women's lacrosse coach. In her 5th year at UMass, 81 of those wins have coming coaching the Minutewomen. Senior Katie Ott and junior Anne Farnham talk about the relationship that coach McMahon builds with her players and how that breeds success.
Matthew Zackman of the Daily Collegian has a recap of the UMass women's lacrosse team's 17-7 win over George Mason on Sunday as the Minutewomen opened Atlantic 10 play with a 2-0 record over the weekend. UMass also defeated Duquesne on Friday.
Jesse Korzen of the Daily Collegian has a preview of the UMass women's lacrosse team's Atlantic 10 opener against Duquesne on Friday. The Minutewomen have won 38 consecutive games against A-10 opponents which is one of the longest conference win streaks in NCAA history.
Andrew Cyr of the Daily Collegian has a feature looking at the make-up of the UMass women's lacrosse team's defense which is currently ranked as the top unit in the nation. Anchoring the back line is goalie Rachel Vallarelli who is off to her best season ever and is an All-American candidate in goal.
Megan Schneider of LaxMagazine.com has a feature looking at the undefeated start of the season for the UMass women's lacrosse team along with Albany. Both programs jumped into the Lacrosse Magazine Top 20 poll this week and will face each other next week in Albany, N.Y.
Matt Zackman of the Daily Collegian has a preview today of the UMass women's lacrosse team's game on Wednesday at Yale (4 PM). Redshirt junior attack Katie Ott and head coach Angela McMahon both say that a patient offense and focus on defense will be key for the Minutewomen to win.
Andrew Cyr of the Daily Collegian has a recap of the UMass women's lacrosse team's 9-4 win over Drexel on Friday. Cyr states that while the offensive unit has received much of the acclaim over the past few seasons, it is the defense that's been spectacular this year in the Minutewomen's 6-0 start.
Strong defensive effort lifts Minutewomen in 9-4 win over Drexel : The Massachusetts Daily Collegian
Matthew Zackman of the Daily Collegian has a recap of Saturday's 11-3 win at Holy Cross for the women's lacrosse team which improved to 5-0 on the season. With the scored tied 2-2 at halftime, the Minutewomen broke the game open with an 8-to-0 run during the second half and held the Crusaders scoreless for a stretch of 41 minutes.
Matthew Zackman of the Daily Collegian has a preview of Wednesday's women's lacrosse game at Boston University which begins at 3 PM. The Minutewomen are off to a 3-0 start this year after last weekend's win at New Hampshire.
Andrew Cyr of the Daily Collegian has a recap of last Saturday's 12-7 win for the UMass women's lacrosse team at New Hampshire. Head coach Angela McMahon says she was pleased with the number of players who were able to score goals along with the continued presence of the team's defense.
Nicholas Casale of the Daily Collegian has a recap of the UMass women's lacrosse team's dramatic double-overtime 7-6 win against UConn yesterday at McGuirk Stadium. Freshman Holly Turner notched the game-winning goal just 54 seconds into the sudden-death second overtime period improving UMass to 2-0 on the season.
Andrew Cyr of the Daily Collegian has a feature story on UMass women's lacrosse twins Anne and Kate Farnham. Cyr looks at the special relationship between the sisters and how they are impacting the team this year as starting defenders.
Andrew Cyr of the Daily Collegian has a preview of today's women's lacrosse game as the Minutewomen host UConn at 3 PM at McGuirk Stadium. The preview looks at adjustments UMass has made since the season-opener last Saturday against UMass Lowell and coach McMahon's experience during her time as the head coach at UConn before coming back to UMass.
Anthony Chiusano of the Daily Collegian has an extensive feature story on UMass women's lacrosse head coach Angela McMahon who was announced last year as the head coach for the Italian National Team which will compete at the 2017 FIL World Cup. McMahon and her husband, Amherst men's soccer coach Justin Serpone, will be tasked with creating a roster of players for the first-year Italian national team leading up to the World Cup.
Megan Schneider of Lacrosse Magazine has a preseason snap shot of the Atlantic 10 women's lacrosse teams as the 2015 campaign approaches. She lists UMass as her front-runner to win the league once again, but says Angela McMahon and the Minutewomen must replace several key losses from a season ago.
LaxMagazine.com: Conference Snapshot - Atlantic 10 (Women)
LaxMagazine.com: Conference Snapshot - Atlantic 10 (Women)
The UMass women's lacrosse team wrapped up its fall ball season with the Minutewomen's annual competition week. During the week, the team splits up into two squads which compete against each other on and off the field. InsideLacrosse.com has all the details and photos.
Matt Kinnear of Inside Lacrosse stopped by UMass women's lacrosse practice earlier this fall to check out the Minutewomen and speak with head coach Angela McMahon. While the Minutewomen graduated one of its most successful (and largest) senior classes last spring after its sixth straight Atlantic 10 Championship win, Coach McMahon feels the team has the ability to win the league again for another NCAA Tournament appearance.
We hope you enjoyed our coaches sharing some of their favorite motivational quotes this week as part of #UMassCoachQuotes. We'll have another round of those coming next week as well. For now, let's look back at what our coaches submitted this past week.
Team: Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success. MLAX Greg Cannella #UMassCoachQuotes
-- UMass Athletics (@UMassAthletics) July 4, 2014
I can accept failure; everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying. (M. Jordan) WSOC Ed Matz (@CoachMatz) #UMassCoachQuotes
-- UMass Athletics (@UMassAthletics) July 5, 2014
In the end it's the "teamness" that makes the difference. WTEN Judy Dixon (@Jbddix) #UMassCoachQuotes
-- UMass Athletics (@UMassAthletics) July 6, 2014
if you do the work, you can own the dream. Rowing Jim Dietz #UMassCoachQuotes
-- UMass Athletics (@UMassAthletics) July 7, 2014
Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard. WLAX Angela McMahon (@umasswlax) #UMassCoachQuotes
-- UMass Athletics (@UMassAthletics) July 8, 2014
The best team is the team that takes care of itself. (Elaine Sortino) SB Kristi Stefanoni (@UMCoachKristi) #UMassCoachQuotes
-- UMass Athletics (@UMassAthletics) July 9, 2014
The Price of Success is always Paid in Advance. MTrack/XC Ken O'Brien #UMassCoachQuotes
-- UMass Athletics (@UMassAthletics) July 10, 2014
Consistency in effort will determine success. MLAX Greg Cannella #UMassCoachQuotes
-- UMass Athletics (@UMassAthletics) July 11, 2014
Paige Stenberg of the Boston Herald has a feature on UMass women's lacrosse head coach Angela McMahon who was recently named the head coach for the Italian Women's Lacrosse national team which will compete at the 2017 FIL World Cup.
McMahon will be co-head coach alongside her husband Justin Serpone and says the World Cup is another stepping stone to helping lacrosse become an Olympic sport.
"The idea of bringing a sport that we are both passionate about to a country that is passionate about everything they do, is just a great fit on both sides," continued McMahon. "I believe I can speak for most coaches out there when I say it's a unified goal of ours for lacrosse to become an Olympic sport, so whatever we can do to help that become a reality, we are willing to do pretty much anything."
It was announced on Wednesday that UMass women's lacrosse head coach Angela McMahon will serve as the head coach of the Italian National Team which will take part in the FIL World Cup in 2017. McMahon and her husband, Justin Serpone, will serve as co-head coaches of the first-ever Italian national squad.
Behind a strong defensive effort, the No. 12 Loyola women's lacrosse team defeated No. 14 UMass 10-4 last Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Boston College. The Minutewomen ended their season with an 18-2 overall record. Sam Rush broke her previous single-season scoring mark with a pair of goals in the game giving her 67 for the 2014 campaign.
John Connolly of the Boston Herald has a preview of the NCAA Tournament First Round games which are being held by Boston College this Friday and Saturday with UMass kicking things off against Loyola at 2 PM.
Matt Vautour of the Daily Hampshire Gazette has a preview of today's NCAA First Round match-up between UMass and Loyola at Boston College's Lacrosse Complex in Newton. While still being on the "road", UMass expects to have a sizable fan contingent with a roster of mostly Bay Staters.
The UMass women's lacrosse team used a late first half run to pull away from Richmond in Sunday's A-10 Championship Game en route to a 10-6 win and the Minutewomen's sixth consecutive Atlantic 10 title. UMass will next face Loyola (Md.) in the NCAA Tournament First Round on Friday at 2 PM at the BC Lacrosse Complex in Newton, Mass.
Women's lacrosse defeats Richmond 10-6 to win sixth straight A-10 Championship : The Daily Collegian
Matt Vautour of the Daily Hampshire Gazette has a feature story on UMass women's lacrosse senior Katie Ferris including her battle against Lyme disease over the past two seasons. Ferris states that the disease has actually made her more appreciative of her time on the field and has made her a better player overall.
Prior to being named the A-10 Player of the Year for the third straight year, Ferris was presented the first-ever Dr. James Ralph Award which is given to a UMass athlete who has overcome injury or illness to excel in sport.
Knowing that her playing career has, at most, weeks remaining, is liberating for Ferris, who plans to go into college coaching after graduating this month. She can play as hard as she can during the Atlantic 10 and NCAA tournaments. If she's worn out at the end, she can rest without worrying what she's missing.
"I just tell myself, 'Get through it. You can rest after. Push yourself as much as you can and then you get a break and the break is forever,'" Ferris said. "My body is exhausted, but lacrosse is my favorite thing in the entire world so I'm obviously going to miss playing, but I'm not going to miss the physical toll. I'm excited to get out on my own and see what's going to happen next."
The No. 13 UMass women's lacrosse team clamped down defensively holding Duquesne scoreless for the final 40 minutes of play as the Minutewomen cruised past the Dukes 16-3 on Friday afternoon in Richmond, Va. UMass will now face Richmond on Sunday at 1 PM for the Atlantic 10 Championship title.
The UMass Sports Network put together a feature on women's lacrosse attack Erika Eipp who transferred to UMass from Louisville prior to this season and has made an instant impact on the squad. The feature also looks at her relationship with her brother Dan who is an attack at Harvard.
As the No. 11 UMass women's lacrosse team prepares to play Duquesne on Sunday, take a few minutes to read about the Minutewomen's win over St. Bonaventure on Friday at McGuirk Stadium.
Rich Thompson of the Boston Herald has a feature story on the No. 11 UMass women's lacrosse team and senior defender Kelsey Sheridan. Thompson focuses on the UMass defense which is one of the top units in the country allowing just over 6 goals per game (2nd nationally).
Anthony Chiusano of the Daily Collegian has a preview of this weekend's games for the No. 11 UMass women's lacrosse team as the Minutewomen host St. Bonaventure on Friday (1 PM) and head to Duquesne on Sunday (Noon). UMass will have a chance to take the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Atlantic 10 Championship and the regular-season conference title with a pair of wins.
Sam Rush scored with 3:27 remaining in regulation and Rachel Vallarelli made a huge save with 1.6 seconds left as No. 11 UMass took sole possession of the top spot in the Atlantic 10 standings with a 9-8 win at Richmond on Saturday.
Marvin Pave of the Boston Globe has a great story on the impact Tanner Guarino and Kelsey McGovern have had during their careers with the UMass lacrosse team. The pair of new each other prior to coming to UMass have been instrumental in making the program nationally relevant over the last several years.
Howard Herman of the Berkshire Eagle has a profile piece on Meg Newton who is a walk-on for the nationally ranked women's lacrosse team. Newton says the experience has been great this year, while head coach Angela McMahon says Newton has the attributes to "be successful here."
Anthony Chiusano of the Daily Collegian has a preview of No. 11 UMass women's lacrosse at Richmond on Saturday. The game, an annual rivalry game between the two programs, will have added importance this weekend as both teams are tied for the top spot in the Atlantic 10 standings with 4-0 league records and just three games left in the regular season.
The UMass women's lacrosse team picked up a pair of wins over George Washington and George Mason over the weekend. The two wins give the Minutewomen the most wins for a program in Atlantic 10 history with 75 since 1999.
Jesse Mayfield Sheehan of the Daily Collegian has a preview of this weekend's lacrosse games as the Minutewomen head to George Washington on Friday before returning to McGuirk Stadium to host George Mason on Sunday. Prior to Sunday's game, UMass will honor its 2014 senior class.
The UMass women's lacrosse team opened its Atlantic 10 schedule with a pair of wins this weekend defeating La Salle on Friday and Saint Joseph's on Sunday at McGuirk Stadium. UMass is now 11-1 overall and 2-0 in the A-10.
No. 7 Northwestern used a four-goal run spanning halftime to build enough of a lead to hold off No. 10 UMass, 10-6, last night at McGuirk Stadium. The loss for the Minutewomen snapped a 31-game home win streak, however, the closeness of the game shows how far the UMass program has come after suffering eight double-digit losses to the Wildcats in previous meetings.
Laurel Pfahler of LaxMagazine.com has a feature story on the UMass women's lacrosse team and how head coach Angela McMahon uses some non-traditional strategies to keep the environment challenging and fun while turning the Minutewomen into a nationally recognized program.
Jesse Mayfield Sheehan of the Daily Collegian has a game preview of tonight's top-10 match-up between UMass and Northwestern under the lights at McGuirk Stadium.
Anthony Chiusano of the Daily Collegian has a feature story on UMass women's lax goalie Rachel Vallarelli who has anchored one of the top defensive units in the country. Vallarelli and the Minutewomen face a tough test on Tuesday night as No. 7 Northwestern visits McGuirk Stadium.
A 12-goal first half along with standout performances from Katie Ferris, Melissa Carelli, Tanner Guarino and Kelsey Sheridan paced the No. 9 UMass women's lacrosse team to a 17-4 win over Colorado last Friday.
Jesse Mayfield Sheehan of the Daily Collegian has a story today on Sam Rush and her prominent role in the win over New Hampshire where she scored five of the Minutewomen's 12 goals. Rush moved into 5th place all-time on the UMass goals scored ranking.
UMass women's lacrosse head coach Angela McMahon speaks with the media following the Minutewomen's 12-6 win over New Hampshire on Saturday, March 8, 2014 at McGuirk Stadium.
Anthony Chiusano of the Daily Collegian has a preview of Saturday's women's lacrosse matchup against New Hampshire at McGuirk Stadium.
Anthony Chiusano of the Daily Collegian has a recap of UMass' 19-6 win at Iona on Saturday.
Behind four goals from Erika Eipp and three from Sam Rush, the No. 10 UMass women's lacrosse team was able to hold off long-time Commonwealth rival Boston University, 11-8, on Wednesday afternoon at McGuirk Stadium. The win improves UMass to 4-0 this season.
Anthony Chiusano of the Daily Collegian has a feature story on Hannah Murphy and her development as a player early in the start of the 2014 women's lacrosse season.
Jesse Mayfield Sheehan of the Daily Collegian has a preview of today's women's lacrosse game against Boston University at McGuirk Stadium (3 PM).
Despite moving the game from Tuesday to Wednesday due to a snow storm, the Minutewomen's game against Holy Cross yesterday was delayed an hour due to a heavy band of snow that swept through the region. That didn't hamper the UMass women's lacrosse team though as it defeated Holy Cross 12-6 to improve to 3-0 on the season.
A big first half lead gave the No. 12 UMass women's lacrosse team cushion to survive a second half run by UConn on Saturday afternoon in Storrs. Ellie Bullitt's goal late in the second half gave the Minutewomen a two-goal cushion to take a 7-5 win.
Jesse Mayfield Sheehan of the Daily Collegian has a preview of this Saturday's match-up at UConn for the No. 12 UMass women's lacrosse team.
The Daily Collegian, the Daily Hampshire Gazette, and Lacrosse Magazine all have coverage of the season-opening win at Vanderbilt for the No. 13 UMass women's lacrosse team. Senior attack Katie Ferris broke the program's career goals-scored record with four in the game giving her 171 for her career.
Anthony Chiusano of the Daily Collegian has a feature story on UMass senior All-American Kelsey McGovern who is returning this year after suffering a knee injury at the end of the 2013 campaign.
Jesse Mayfield Sheehan has a feature on the UMass women's lacrosse team's senior class which is one of the most successful groups in program history.
Jesse Mayfield Sheehan of the Daily Collegian takes a look at the UMass women's lacrosse team as they prepare to start the 2014 campaign.
As part of its preseason build-up, Lacrosse Magazine is releasing it's preseason Top 20 poll team-by-team. Last week, it ranked the UMass women's lacrosse team as No. 16 to start 2014. UMass is looking for its sixth consecutive A-10 title and another trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Patrick Strohecker of the Daily Collegian has a preview for Saturday's renewal of the UMass/New Hampshire women's lacrosse game which is the longest running rivalry in program history.
A early start and a balanced attack led the way as the UMass women's lacrosse team improved to 3-0 on Saturday with a 20-7 win over Marist. The Minutewomen will return to action on Wednesday against longtime New England rival New Hampshire.
The No. 13 UMass women's lacrosse team fell 14-7 on Saturday afternoon at No. 5 and sixth-seeded Loyola on Saturday afternoon in the NCAA First Round. Haley Smith led UMass with a pair of goals, while Katie Florence made nine saves in goal. Meg Decker led all players with five goals as the Greyhounds will head to North Carolina next Saturday.
The Minutewomen finished the season 17-3 overall - the second most wins in program history.
Springfield Republican: UMass women bow out at Loyola in NCAA 1st Round
LaxMagazine.com: Decker Fills Void as Loyola Women's Saving Grace
InsideLacrosse.com: Loyola Advances to Second Round With Win Over UMass
NBC22: UMass women fall in NCAA's
LaxPower.com: #5 Loyola Runs by #13 UMass in NCAA Opener
NBC22 Highlights:
Postgame Press Conference:
Postgame Highlights:
LaxMagazine.com and InsideLacrosse.com each have previews of all the NCAA Tournament action which starts today.
LaxMagazine.com:
The Minutewomen held off MAAC champion Canisius, 16-8, in the play-in game and advanced to face the Greyhounds in Baltimore. UMass is 10-0 on the road. Expect a tough matchup between A10 Defensive Player of the Year Katie Florence and Big East Player of the Year Grace Gavin, who is third in the nation with 88 points and Loyola's career points leader with 224.
InsideLacrosse.com:
Loyola went undefeated through their non-conference schedule but fell twice during BIG EAST play to Georgetown and Syracuse. The veteran lineup rallied back in the BIG EAST Tournament, defeating Syracuse and Notre Dame en route to the program's first BIG EAST Title. Led by Grace Gavin (66g, 22a), this is the first trip to the NCAA Tournament for this talented senior class. UMASS (17-2) has only fallen twice this season, as well (Northwestern & Albany). Led by Jackie Lyons (40, 32a), UMASS will head into this game looking to upset the Greyhounds en route to their first quarterfinal appearance since 1984.
AMHERST - Two years ago, the University of Massachusetts women's lacrosse team was just happy to earn a spot in the NCAA tournament. Despite their eventual drubbing by top-seed Northwestern, the appearance represented a huge step for the Minutewomen, which hadn't earned a spot in the field since 1984.
UMass is happy to be back in the field this year after falling in the play-in game in 2010. Despite being an underdog to No. 6-seed Loyola in Baltimore on Saturday, the Minutewomen (17-2) will be disappointed if their stay lasts just one game.
"We've come a long way since (2009). We were a really young team my freshman year. We've really grown since then," junior goalie Katie Florence said. "I want to win so bad. Making it to the first round was a big accomplishment my freshman year, but I think we're a better team and we have the potential to make it further. We have a chance to advance and achieve more than just the bid to the tournament."
As the team gathered for the NCAA Women's Lacrosse Tournament Selection Show on Sunday night at head coach Angela McMahon's home, the tension in the room became increasingly palpable as the Minutewomen waited to see their name on the bracket. When UMass saw that it would be playing sixth-seed and Big East Champion Loyola, cheers erupted.
The Minutewomen, three-time defending Atlantic 10 Champions, will being making its 2nd NCAA Tournament in the last three years and the fifth overall in program history. UMass is riding a 10-game win streak and is 10-0 on the road this season.
Here is the coverage from last night's selection and other tournament related news.
Springfield Republican: UMass draws Loyola (Md.) in opening round of NCAA tournament
Daily Hampshire Gazette: UMass gets No. 8 Loyola in the first round of the NCAA Tournament
New England Lacrosse Journal: UMass women win NCAA play-in game
Daily Collegian: Minutewomen earn NCAA Tournament bid with win over Canisius
InsideLacrosse.com: Division I Women's NCAA Tournament Field Announced
LoyolaGreyHounds.com: Loyola To Host UMass Saturday In NCAA 1st Round
CBS3 Highlights:
ABC40 Highlights:
Sparked by a second half offensive surge, the No. 16 UMass women's lacrosse team pushed past Canisius on Saturday to earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament. The Minutewomen won the NCAA Play-In Game thanks to five points (3 goals, 2 assists) from both Jackie Lyons and Katie Ferris. Ferris now holds the all-time UMass single-season goal record with 55 as the win was UMass' 10th straight.
Daily Hampshire Gazette: Minutewomen pull away to defeat Canisius in NCAA play-in game
Springfield Republican: UMass women's lacrosse advances to NCAA tournament with 16-8 victory over Canisius
InsideLacrosse.com: UMass Advances to NCAA Tournament With Win Over Canisius
LaxMagazine.com: UMass Earns NCAA Play-In Victory over Canisius
LaxPower.com: #16 UMass Wins NCAA Play-in Game vs. Canisius
Atlantic10.com: No. 16 UMass Women's Lacrosse Advances To NCAA Tournament
ABC40/CBS3/NBC22 Highlights:
UMass Highlights:
For one day, the University of Massachusetts will be the center of the lacrosse universe as two NCAA tournament bids - one men's and one women's - will both be clinched in Amherst.
The women's team will host Canisius Saturday in an NCAA tournament play-in game at 1 p.m. at McGuirk Stadium. The winner will be assured a spot in tournament.
The men will host Delaware at 7 p.m. at Garber Field in the Colonial Athletic Association title game. The winner clinches the league's automatic bid.
Both 16-team tournament fields will be unveiled Sunday night.
Check out Dick Baker's coverage in the Springfield Republican from what he calls the greatest day in college lacrosse in Western Massachusetts history.
It's May Madness for local college lacrosse teams with conference titles and potential NCAA playoff berths at stake on home turf.
Both the men's and women's teams at the University of Massachusetts and Western New England College along with the men's team at Springfield College highlight a Saturday slate that is composed of arguably the largest number of championship-type lacrosse matches ever to be played by Western Massachusetts college teams at home on the same day.
In addition to the Saturday night Colonial Athletic Association men's title showdown between UMass and Delaware at Garber Field at 7, the UMass women, already Atlantic 10 champions, have a 1 p.m. NCAA play-in contest with Canisius at McGurk Stadium. In both contests, a UMass victory results in a berth in the NCAA tournament.
Continue reading Republican With Pair Of Lacrosse Stories.
The UMass women's lacrosse team is a mosaic that keeps adding more pieces.
The 16th-ranked Minutewomen (16-2), who demolished Richmond, 16-12, to capture their third straight Atlantic 10 tournament championship, next hosts Canisius in an NCAA play-in game tomorrow (1 p.m.) at McGuirk Stadium in Amherst.
Last week, junior attack Jesse O'Donnell earned MVP honors of the A-10 tournament after scoring five goals against the Spiders. UMass senior attack Jackie Lyons added a pair of goals and became the school's career scoring leader with 220 points. Freshman attack Katie Ferris chipped in three goals and tied the UMass single-season goals mark of 52.
A record-setting weekend came to a close yesterday with the No. 14 UMass women's lacrosse team earning its third consecutive Atlantic 10 Women's Lacrosse Championship Tournament title with a 16-12 win over Richmond. Jesse O'Donnell was named Tournament MVP after tying her career-high with five goals (eight for the weekend), while Jackie Lyons broke the UMass record for career points with two goals giving her 220 career points. Rookie Katie Ferris tied the school's single-season goals record of 52 as the high-octane Minutewomen racked up 32 goals to set a new league record for a tournament weekend.
UMass will host Canisius on Saturday at McGuirk Stadium (1 PM) for the NCAA Play-In Game.
Daily Collegian: Minutewomen three-peat as A-10 champs
Daily Hampshire Gazette: Minutewomen win A-10 lacrosse title
LaxMagazine.com: Lyons Sets Mark as UMass Wins A-10 Title
Postgame Highlights:
Postgame Interviews:
Jackie Lyons scored seven points on four goals and three assists as the No. 14 UMass women's lacrosse team cruised past Duquesne in the Atlantic 10 Semifinal on Friday afternoon. The win gives the Minutewomen a spot in their fourth consecutive Atlantic 10 Championship game on Sunday where UMass will be going for its third straight league tournament championship. UMass will face No. 2 seed Richmond at 1 PM at Geasey Field. The game will be televised live on the CBS Sports Network with Jason Knapp and Sheehan Burke on the call.
Daily Hampshire Gazette: UMass Women's Lacrosse Advances To A-10 Final
LaxMagazine.com: UMass Women Headed To A-10 Title Game
Atlantic10.com: 
Photo Gallery From The Game
Photo Gallery From The Game Postgame Interview:
The 2011 Atlantic 10 Championship Tournament gets underway this afternoon at 1 PM as the No. 2 seed Richmond takes on host and No. 3 seed Temple in Philadelphia. The top-seeded and 14th-ranked Minutewomen will take on No. 4 seed Duquesne at 3:30 PM. The winners will meet on Sunday in the Championship game which will be televised live on the CBS Sports Network at 1 PM.
The Daily Collegian previews today's match-up and also looks at some of UMass' top award-winners as announced by the Atlantic 10 yesterday.
The University of Massachusetts highlights this year's awards, as voted on by the league's head coaches, claiming four of the five individual accolades including Jackie Lyons as Offensive Player of the Year, Katie Florence as the league's Defensive Player of the Year and Katie Ferris as the A-10 Rookie of the Year, while Angela McMahon garnered Coach of the Year honors. Richmond's Mary Flowers earned Midfielder of the Year accolades.
The Daily Hampshire Gazette and Daily Collegian have their recaps on the UMass women's lacrosse 18-4 win at Saint Joseph's on Saturday. On Monday, the official Atlantic 10 Tournament brackets will be released along with ticket information.
Daily Hampshire Gazette: Minutewomen lacrosse team makes history with undefeated conference slate
Daily Collegian: Minutewomen cap perfect A-10 season with win over Hawks
The No. 15 UMass women's lacrosse team capped a dominating week of Atlantic 10 play on Sunday with a 14-4 win over Richmond to claim the league's regular-season title and the No. 1 seed in the A-10 Championship Tournament which will be held in two weeks. Richmond entered the game with UMass tied for first in the league standings and was previously unbeaten in conference play.
Daily Hampshire Gazette: Minutewomen Clinch A-10 Regular-Season Title
LaxMagazine.com: UMass Clinches A-10 Season Title With Authority
Game Highlights:
Postgame Interviews:
The No. 11 UMass women's lacrosse team improved to 6-0 on the road with Sunday's 16-10 win at St. Bonaventure on Sunday. The win also keeps the Minutewomen in a tie with Richmond for first place in the Atlantic 10 standings with a 4-0 league record.
Inside Lacrosse: UMass Stays Unbeaten on Road, in Atlantic 10
The No. 13 UMass women's lacrosse team started league play 2-0 with a 12-9 win over Temple on Thursday at McGuirk Stadium before traveling down to Philadelphia for a 17-4 win over La Salle.
Daily Collegian: Minutewomen get first A-10 win of season
Daily Collegian: Minutewomen dominate Explorers in A-10 win
Daily Hampshire Gazette: Ferris leads Minutewoman lacrosse over Temple
LaxMagazine.com: UMass Women Shut Down La Salle in A-10 Clash
The Daily Collegian has a recap from the women's lacrosse team's 23-7 win at Marist on Tuesday. The No. 12 Minutewomen will host No. 2 Northwestern on Saturday night (7 PM) under the lights at McGuirk Stadium. Admission is free to all!
The No. 12 UMass women's lacrosse team will face Marist this afternoon at 4 PM in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. The Minutewomen are looking to bounce back after a 10-8 loss to then No. 15 Albany last Saturday. Marist is the defending MAAC Champion and played in the NCAA Tournament last season falling to Maryland in the first round. The Daily Collegian previews the game.
The UMass women's lacrosse team returns to action on Saturday at Garber Field against Stony Brook after a 10-day rest. The Minutewomen jumped to 18th in the insidelacrosse.com/deBeer Media Poll on Monday and earned a No. 20 ranking in the IWLCA coaches poll on Tuesday. Katie Ferris earned her 2nd straight Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week honor, while Katie Florence was named the league's Defensive Player of the Week. With all that, the Minutewomen are going for win No. 6 of the year as the Seawolves come to town. The Daily Collegian has the preview of the game along with a sidebar on Ferris.
The Daily Collegian has a preview of Wednesday's women's lacrosse game at New Hampshire on Wednesday in what is the longest running series for the Minutewomen. Ranked 19th nationally, UMass seeks to remain unbeaten on the season entering the game a perfect 4-0.
The Collegian also has a nice sidebar on UMass junior midfielder Danielle Pelletier who is a Granite State native.
The Collegian also has a nice sidebar on UMass junior midfielder Danielle Pelletier who is a Granite State native.