UMass men's lacrosse defended Garber Field with the Blue Hens of Delaware in town on Friday night, putting together a complete performance to double-up the visitors, 16-8 in front of 1,623 fans. Kyle Smith earned a career-high nine points (6 goals, 3 assists) while classmate and fellow starting attackmen Will Manny earned seven more (4 goals, 3 assists) to pace the offense. On the other end of the field, seniors Ryan Hollenbaugh and Jake Smith combined for six groundballs and five caused turnovers to lead an even-paced UMass defense that did not allow Delaware more than two goals in any individual quarter.
With the win, UMass remains in contention for the final seed in the CAA Tournament, needing Penn State to defeat Hofstra and Towson to claim victory over Saint Joseph's on Saturday in order to secure a postseason berth. Below are a few recaps of the contest from members of the media present for competition:
The Daily Collegian's Nick Canelas caught up with senior attack Will Manny of UMass men's lacrosse recently to discuss the all-American's career and the road back from a broken thumb suffered in the 2013 season-opener.
Will Manny is as comfortable as ever when he steps onto Garber Field for the Massachusetts men's lacrosse team.
He's energized, but he's relaxed. He's excited, but he's focused. Everything is the same as it ever was.
He sports his usual white jersey with the No. 1 stitched in maroon
and has the No. 7 sketched in eye black facing in toward his nose under
each eye.
He knows he can rely on his skills. He knows he can rely on his
teammates. And he knows he can rely on the preparation of his coaches.
Above all, he knows he can rely on his durability.
Manny had never suffered a serious injury in his entire athletic
career and had never been kept off the lacrosse field for more than a
week. He was always a fixture on the top UMass attack unit, even in the
fall.
But that all changed on Feb. 10.
Read the entire article through the Daily Collegian website here. The Minutemen continue their season with a home game on Saturday, April 13 at 1 p.m.
UMass men's lacrosse moved to 3-0 on the season with an 8-6 victory at Harvard on Saturday. Matt Whippen led the team with a pair of goals while six additional Minutemen notched a tally each as the squad used a balanced attack to earn the win. Zachary Oliveri, the CAA Co-Rookie of the Week, had eight saves in net while the team defense held Harvard to just 23 shots. Below are a few links related to coverage of the contest:
By Cody Lahl on January 13, 2013 11:31 AM
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In the annual Major League Lacrosse draft, a trio of UMass men's lacrosse standouts were taken during the eight-round event on Friday evening. 2012 Tewaraaton Award finalist Will Manny was taken by Boston in the second round (14th overall) before teammate Jake Smith was picked by the Cannons as well, going two rounds later (30th). Colin Fleming was the final Minuteman picked, with the Ohio Machine taking the 6-foot-6 senior attack in the seventh round (49th). Below are a few links related to the draft results:
The Minutemen start their 2013 campaign and CAA regular season and tournament defense at home on Garber Field against Army at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 9.
By Cody Lahl on November 12, 2012 6:46 PM
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UMass women's basketball kicked off the 2012-13 campaign with an 83-53 drubbing of Kent State at the Mullins Center on Saturday afternoon. The Minutewomen were paced by four players scoring in double-figures, including senior center Jasmine Watson's game-high 21. Watson used her final basket of the game to become the 18th Minutewoman to eclipse the 1,000-point mark in program history. Freshman Rashida Timbilla tallied a double-double with 11 points and 10 boards to help the winning effort, the only known Minutewoman to secure a double-double during her first contest as a true-freshman.
Dick Baker of the Springfield Republican focused his recap of the victory on Jasmine Watson's milestone.
Daniel Malone spoke of Watson's success throughout her tenure with the Minutewomen while covering the 30-point victory over Kent State for the Daily Collegian.
The Minutewomen continue their season with their first road trip and first midweek contest as UMass travels to New Britain, Conn., for a Tuesday, Nov. 13 contest against Central Connecticut. Full coverage of the contest can be found on UMassAthletics.com. UMass returns home the following weekend to take on Quinnipiac at the Mullins Center on Friday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m., with tickets available through the UMass Ticket Central.
By Cody Lahl on November 10, 2012 12:05 PM
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It's time for UMass women's basketball to start its 2012-13 season, as the Minutewomen host Kent State on Saturday at the Mullins Center to begin the campaign. Here are a couple stories regarding aspects of the current team and what they hold important and the start a new competitive slate...
Daniel Malone of the Daily Collegian recognized the family atmosphere head coach Sharon Dawley has created in Amherst.
Live statistics and web streaming will be available for today's contest with Kent State, which begins at 2 p.m. Tickets can also be purchased here for the season-opener and every upcoming home game of the year.
By Cody Lahl on November 7, 2012 9:08 PM
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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.
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.
By Cody Lahl on November 5, 2012 9:52 AM
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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.
By Cody Lahl on November 1, 2012 8:37 PM
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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.
By Cody Lahl on October 23, 2012 11:45 AM
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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.
By Brian Henry on October 17, 2012 7:25 AM
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Stephen Sellner of the Daily Collegian has the first feature of the year on sophomore big man Cady Lalanne. Lalanne, who is coming off a foot injury that sidelined him for most of last season, has grown an inch and seen his body fat percentage drop from 11 to nine pct. over the summer.
By Cody Lahl on October 15, 2012 12:21 PM
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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...
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.
Take a look at the feature story on Rachel Hilliard's success in the classroom and in athletics written by Jackson Alexander of The Dailey Collegian. The feature also includes an interview with the head coach of the women's cross country and track and field teams Julie LaFreniere.
Massachusetts women's track and field coach Julie LaFreniere received an e-mail in mid-March that perplexed her.
The e-mail, from the academic services within the athletic department, notified her that all women's sophomore track and field athletes could sign up for fall courses.
But on the list was freshman cross country and track and field athlete, Rachel Hilliard.
The men's basketball team improved to 2-0 on Monday night with a 83-67 win over Northeastern at the Mullins Center. Sophomore point guard Chaz Williams led the way again for the Minutemen, recording the first double-double of his career with 20 points and 10 assists, both tying career-highs. Terrell Vinson (14) and Sampson Carter (12) both reached double-figures for the second game in a row. Check out coverage of the game below.
Check out Stephen Hewitt's headline story in the Daily Collegian's basketball preview edition previewing the Minutemen's 2011-12 season, which highlights the fact that Derek Kellogg's UMass team is a new-look squad in many ways going into the season, from style of play, attitude, new players, new roles, and more.
"I think we're looking pretty good," said Chaz Williams. "I think we'll be better than a lot of people expect. But there's always room for improvement. I feel like we can get better every day. Every day we come to practice with an open mind. That's something that will make us and take us to another level."
Stephen Hewitt of the Daily Collegian writes in Thursday's basketball preview edition about redshirt sophomore Chaz Williams, in his first season eligible to play for the Minutemen, taking over the role of point guard for head coach Derek Kellogg, someone who knows a thing or two about playing the point at UMass. The story focuses on how the 2010 CAA All-Rookie selection at Hofstra will be in charge of running the Minutemen's new up-tempo attacking style of play.
"I expect to do some things I haven't gotten to do in the past," said Williams. "A lot of things that will make my teammates better and a lot of things that'll help us win games.
"I want to help bring some excitement back to UMass," he added.
Stephen Sellner of the Daily Collegian takes a look in Thursday's basketball preview issue at the UMass roster being a mix of old and new, and how that mix could be the right one for the Minutemen in 2011-12.
"I'm hoping that that's what people that come in and watch us ... play see is a group of guys that are willing to give up a little of themselves," said Kellogg. "It's really more of a group effort than it'll ever have been."
Herb Scribner of the Daily Collegian has a story in Thursday's basketball preview edition on the new attitude the Minutemen are taking into the 2011-12 season. Scribner points out that when talking to Coach Kellogg and the players, the term "brotherhood" has been used a lot in describing this year's team. Scribner takes a look at how this new attitude and trust in one another can help the Minutemen reach new heights together this season.
Jackson Alexander of the Daily Collegian has a story in Thursday's basektball preview issue on the four new Minutemen that will be taking the court this season. Freshman Caddy Lalanne, redshirt sophomore transfer Chaz Williams, and redshirt freshmen Maxie Esho and Andrew McCarthy all have to opportunity to contribute to the Minutemen in 2011-12 at various levels. Alexander provides some insight into how each could make a contribution.
Jay Asser of the Daily Collegian has a story on the new offense being implemented this season by UMass head coach Derek Kellogg. To better fit the athletes the Minutemen have on the court, the team is switching to more of an up-tempo style of play that will create more balanced scoring and as Asser puts it, "an exciting brand of basketball appears to await the Minutemen."
Nick Canelas of the Daily Collegian has a recap of last weekend's swimming and diving sweep of Binghamton in a three-session meet on Friday and Saturday. The men won, 189-125, and the women won, 185.5-133.5. Joey Sbordon had the highlight of the meet, breaking an 11-year old pool record in the 400 IM in a time of 4:01.35. In fact, the senior smashed the old pool record by over a second and a half.
"I was actually a little surprised the boys swam as well as they did," said Russ Yarworth. "We've been training pretty hard lately so I wasn't sure if they were going to come in fatigued. But they got their heads together and swam well."
The Minutewomen were led by victories early on by freshmen Katie Arnott in the 200 IM (by over two seconds) and Zoe Judd in the 50 free. Chelsea Downing took first in the 500 free, leading a sweep of the top four places by UMass.
"I'm very happy with where we are at this time of year," said women's coach Bob Newcomb. "This was a great opportunity for us to see where we were at and I think we're in a great spot being only a third of the way into the season."
Jeffrey Okerman of the Daily Collegian has a recap of the tennis team's fall finale last weekend, the Big Green Invitational at Dartmouth. Sophomore Jessica Podlofsky continued her season-long strong play, while freshman Chanel Glasper was also very impressive. As usual, UMass' doubles teams were superb, winning several matches. Judy Dixon's squad begins its spring season on Jan. 28 when it hosts Boston College at the Bay Road Tennis Club at 12:30 p.m.
Michael Counos of the Daily Collegian has the recap of Friday's A-10 semifinal loss by the field hockey team to Temple, 4-0 at St. Joe's. It proved to be the final career game for seniors Christine Cutry, Amanda Dietz, Nikki Panciocco, and Alesha Widdall, the 2011 Conference Defensive Player of the Year. The class finishes its career with a 51-33 overall record, a 21-4 conference record, and two A-10 Championships and NCAA Tournaments.
Cameron McDonough of the Massachusetts Daily Collegian takes a look at the UMass Women's tennis team as they prepare for an invitational despite the major snow storm. The Minutewomen will be participating in the three-day Big Green Invitational over the weekend in Hanover, N.H. This will be their first time competing as a team since the match at Fordham on Oct. 9.
Chris Corso of the Massachusetts Daily Collegian has a wrap-up on Saturday's swimming & diving sweep of Stony Brook at the Joseph Rogers Pool. The men were victorious 184-105, while the women cruised to a 181-117 win.
Both swimming & diving teams will be home again this weekend when they host Binghamton in a two-day meet Friday and Saturday.
Matt Strong of the Daily Collegian has a story in today's issue taking an in-depth look at Friday's field hockey home finale at Garber Field against Richmond. The Minutewomen (5-0 A-10) sit one game ahead of Temple (4-1) and a game and a half up on the Spiders (3-1) going into this final conference tilt. The UMass/Richmond game is always a good one as the two teams have combined to win the last 15 A-10 Championships.
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.
Michael Counos of the Daily Collegian has a story on the UMass field hockey team's 2-0 weekend that vaulted them alone into first place in the Atlantic 10 standings at 5-0. The Minutewomen defeated La Salle at home 2-0 and then went to previously unbeaten in A-10 play Temple, winning 2-1 in overtime in an impressive come-from-behind win.
"Our confidence is pretty high right now, once A-10 play started we had a new mind-set and knew that we needed to play well to move on to the postseason," said senior All-American goalie Alesha Widdall.
The Minutewomen close A-10 play on Friday when they host Richmond on Senior Day at Garber Field at 1 p.m.
Nick Canelas of the Massachusetts Daily Collegian has a recap of last weekend's swimming and diving meet at Army where the women pulled out a tough 151-149 victory and the men fell to a very talented Black Knight's squad, 177-122.
The swimming and diving teams will be back in action at home this weekend when they host Stony Brook at the Joseph Rogers Pool in the Boyden Building at 1 p.m.
Matt Strong of the Massachusetts Daily Collegian has a preview of the the field hockey team's critical pair of Atlantic 10 Conference games this weekend. The Minutewomen host La Salle this afternoon at 3 p.m. at Garber Field before heading to Philly to face Temple on Sunday in a clash of 3-0 teams entering the weekend tied atop the A-10 standings.
If you can't make it out to Garber for today's game, you can watch it live on UMass All-Access.
Cameron McDonough of the Massachusetts Daily Collegian has a story in Wednesday's edition on the UMass women's tennis players that have been invited to compete at the prestigious Intercollegiate Tennis Association Northeast Regional this weekend at Yale. The doubles team of Yuliana Motyl and Chantal Swiszcz will compete in addition to singles draw players Julia Comas, Sonia Bokhari, and Jessica Podlofsky. The tournament begins on Friday and runs through Oct. 25.
"These are the best players in the region and they are excited to go," said head coach Judy Dixon.
Matt Strong of the Massachusetts Daily Collegian has a wrap up on this weekend's two conference wins for the field hockey team, 7-0 vs. Saint Joseph's on Friday and 3-1 at Saint Louis on Sunday, keeping the Minutewomen a perfect 3-0 in A-10 play.
This weekend UMass will host La Salle on Friday before heading to Temple on Sunday. The Owls are also unbeaten in A-10 play.
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.
The Massachusetts Daily Collegian's Jackson Alexander has a great preview in Friday's edition on the "Bash at Southwest Beach" hosted by the basketball programs this Saturday from 4-6:30 p.m. at the "horseshoe" in the Southwest Residential Area. The Midnight Madness-type event is a way for the campus and community to celebrate the beginning of basketball season and will include a DJ, iPad raffle, chance to win a trip for 2 to the Bahamas with the men's basketball team, t-shirt giveaways, and more. A tailgate party will be held across the street in Lot 33 as well.
"I think the students are looking for some things to do on the weekends, and me being a former student and player here, I thought it'd be a great opportunity to give them one more thing," said Head Coach Derek Kellogg.
Matt Strong of the Massachusetts Daily Collegian has a recap of field hockey's 2-0 loss at No. 5 Syracuse on Sunday. The Minutewomen played the Orange tough however, keeping the game 1-0 deep into the second half with a pair of shots of penalty corners that could have tied it. UMass begins A-10 play on Saturday when it heads to Lock Haven for a noon contest.
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."
Cameron McDonough of the Massachusetts Daily Collegian has a recap in Tuesday's edition of the UMass tennis team's stellar weekend at the Eastern Collegiate Invitational at Army. Against some of the top programs in the Northeast, UMass placed five of its eight players in the semfinal round of flights and had two flight champions, Jessica Podlofsky and Chanel Glasper, who is 7-1 in her freshman campaign.
Podlofsky is now a perfect 8-0 on the season and was named UMass Athlete of the Week. She will be honored, along with Head Coach Judy Dixon, at Wednesday's UMass Sports Luncheon, at noon at the Cape Cod Room of the Student Union.
"I was very pleased with the effort from everyone on the team," said UMass coach Judy Dixon. "I have felt like the last two weeks have been very positive and what coaches need this time of year is to take a look at their players and see what we need to work on," she said.
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.
Nick Canelas of the Massachusetts Daily Collegian has a good preview of the women's tennis team's trip to the Eastern Collegiate Invitational this weekend at Army:
Just one week after what UMass coach Judy Dixon called a, "successful weekend," in the Harvard Fall Classic, her squad is trying to repeat its formula when the Eastern Collegiate Invitational begins in West Point, NY. on Friday.
The tournament is a popular one early in the season, and serves as another tune-up for not only the Minutewomen, but also other Atlantic 10 foes the team will face later in the season. Other A-10 teams attending the Invitational include Rhode Island and Fordham.
DeShawn Townsend of the Massachusetts Daily Collegian today covers the field hockey team's pair of losses to ranked opponents over the weekend. On Friday, the Minutewomen dropped a tight contest with No. 20 Northeastern, 2-1 in overtime, and on Sunday, fell to defending national champion and third-ranked Maryland, 4-1.
Field hockey returns to action on Friday with a 6 p.m. game at home against Boston University under the lights at Garber Field.
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.
With the start of the fall semester, the Massachusetts Daily Collegian is back in business. In Tuesday's Collegian, Michael Counos previews the UMass field hockey season. The Minutewomen, off to a 1-3 start against a tough early non-conference schedule, are in their first year under head coach Carla Tagliente and were picked as the preseason favorite in the Atlantic 10 Conference. UMass has won three of the last four A-10 titles and advanced to the NCAA Tournament all three of those championship seasons.
UMass field hockey opens at home on Saturday when it hosts Harvard at 1 p.m. at Garber Field. A ceremony will be held prior to the game honoring the 30th anniversary of UMass' 1981 Final Four team.
If the University of Massachusetts men's lacrosse team were still in the ECAC, its season probably would be over.
The Minutemen had a solid 2011 season at 9-4, but their resume likely falls a little short of NCAA tournament at-large bid status without enough signature wins. The ECAC has no conference tournament and the Minutemen would have been stuck waiting for next year.
But now, as a member of the Colonial Athletic Association, hope is still very much alive as the No. 3-seed Minutemen (9-4) play No. 2 Penn State (7-6) tonight at 7 in the semifinal round of the CAA tournament at State College.
It was a historic day at the UMass Softball Complex on Wednesday as junior pitcher Sara Plourde, with a 14-strikeout three-hitter, led UMass to a 3-2 win over Boston University and recorded the 1,000th strikeout of her career. She is just the third pitcher in UMass history to reach the mark, joining Danielle Henderson and Brandice Balschmiter, and the first to do it prior to her senior season.
Ben Lambert of the Daily Collegian has a recap of the UMass rowing team's race against Holy Cross last weekend. The Minutewomen won two of three races against the Crusaders, and will return to the water in two weeks for the Dad Vail Regatta in Philadelphia.
The UMass softball team concluded a busy six-game week with a doubleheader split at home against Syracuse on Friday and then a twinbill sweep over George Washington on Easter Sunday which included a dramatic come-from-behind eight-inning victory in game two. The Minutewomen continue their 12-game homestand on Wednesday when they host Boston University at 5 p.m. at the UMass Softball Complex. Below are recaps from this weekend's games.
"It's an unbelievable opportunity to go against some of the top teams of the country and to be together as a family, as a basketball family, on Thanksgiving," said UMass coach Derek Kellogg. "It's a perfect opportunity. The setup they have down there rivals some of the best tournaments that are going, which is really the Maui tournament."
The Minutewomen travelled to Storrs, Conn. on Wednesday and shut out the Huskies, 2-0. Stephanie Mayne hit a two-run home run in the third inning to account for all the scoring, while Sara Plourde pitched her eighth shutout of the season with a three-hitter. Playing in her home state, she struck out 13 batters, including the final three of the game with two runners on base. Below are recaps of the game.
Pete Vasquez of the Daily Collegian has a recap of Friday's softball win at Dayton, 9-1. Sara Plourde struck out 17 in a three-hitter, and Meghan Carta and Stephanie Mayne hit back-to-back home runs, Carta's being her second grand slam of the season. The Minutewomen have won eight in a row.
This week will be a busy one for the softball team. It travels to Storrs on Wednesday to face UConn before returning home for five-straight to close the week. On Thursday, The Minutewomen host Fairfield, on Friday it's a doubleheader against Syracuse, and on Sunday, George Washington comes to the UMass Softball Complex for an Atlantic 10 twinbill.
Steve Levine of the Daily Collegian has a great story on the emergence of Cyndil Matthew as a threat in the UMass softball team's offense. The story focuses on how the sophomore speedster has learned the art of slap-hitting and, as the No. 9 hitter, has got on base for the top of the lineup.
"She's like our second leadoff [hitter]," Assistant Coach Kristi Stefanoni said. "She's someone we can depend on to get on base and use her speed and then have the heart of the order... [come up] to drive Cyndil in."
Matthew has been getting on base with regularity as of late, batting .346 with a .433 on-base percentage and six runs scored in the last 10 games.
Ben Lambert of the Daily Collegian has a recap of the UMass rowing team's win over Colgate last weekend on the Connecticut River. The Minutewomen swept all three races against the Raiders, and will head to Camden, N.J. for the Knecht Cup this weekend.
"Despite the rough conditions, I thought both boats raced pretty well," said UMass coach Jim Dietz. "Normally, the Connecticut River is flat and very conducive to rowing. On Saturday, the wind was blowing big time and there were white caps, so it was very rough water."
The Daily Collegian has an update notebook on UMass football. The team held its annual Pro Day at McGuirk Stadium on March 25, announcing its 2011 schedule. The schedule is highlighted by the second-annual Colonial Clash at Gillette Stadium against New Hampshire on Oct. 22 and a BCS battle against Boston College on Sept. 24.
Here are a pair of previews from the Daily Collegian looking at the 14th-ranked men's lacrosse team, which travelled to Philadelphia to play Saint Joseph's on Saturday at 1 p.m.
The UMass softball team opened up their home schedule in style on Wednesday, sweeping a doubleheader from Dartmouth, 1-0 and 6-2. Sara Plourde and Caroline Raymond combined to hold the Big Green hitless through the first 12 innings of play. Check out the coverage of the two wins below.
Here are various previews as No. 14 UMass men's lacrosse returns to action after a long layoff. The Minutemen travel to Harvard to play the Crimson at Harvard Stadium on Tuesday night at 7 p.m.
Steve Levine of the Daily Collegian has a preview of this weekend's softball games at Temple and Saint Joseph's. He points out that the Minutewomen, winners of five out their last seven, have played better as of late, but have areas that need to be improved upon as conference play continues.
Michael Wood of the Daily Collegian has a feature on senior first baseman Audrey Boutin. The story focuses on how the Bristol, Conn. native is a key member to the offense in 2011, and after a slow start, has caught fire as of late, batting .417 with nine RBIs in the last seven games.
The Daily Collegian has a notebook on the men's lacrosse team: Rushing sidelined, UMass drops in national rankings. Stephen Sellner touches on Greg Rushing being out of the lineup after being diagnosed with mono, the team's stats leaders as well as the squad's latest rankings in the polls.
UMass returns to action next Tuesday, March 29 at Harvard.
With Atlantic 10 Conference play just underway and the home opener on the horizon, the Daily Collegian released its annual Baseball/Softball Issue on Wednesday with extensive coverage of both squads. Check out the links below to all of the softball coverage in today's issue.
The Daily Collegian has two stories on the No. 9 UMass men's lacrosse team as the Minutemen seek a 4-0 start as No. 20 Brown visits Garber Field on Saturday.
The Daily Collegian has a pair of stories on the men's basketball team as the Minutemen enter the final game of the regular-season at Fordham on Saturday, at 1 p.m. The Minutemen need a win to secure the No. 7 seed and home game in the A-10 Tournament.
UMass basketball battled the three-time defending A-10 Champions, but lost 73-67 in overtime on Wednesday. Still, the Minutemen hold fate in their own hands when it comes to hosting a first-round A-10 Tournament game. A win on Saturday at Fordham OR several other scenarios would result in a home game to start the postseason. Read about the Temple game and the postseason situation here:
Nick Bellofatto of the Daily Collegian has a story on the UMass Swimming & Diving teams' performances at the A-10 Championships this past weekend in Buffalo. The Minutemen claimed their fifth-straight and 13th overall title, while the Minutewomen put in a very strong performance, placing third. It was a tremendously successful meet on both sides as numerous school records fell. In addition, the following individuals were recognized:
Women's Most Outstanding Diver: Molly Elkins Women's Diving Coach of the Year: Mandy Hixon Men's Most Outstanding Rookie: Chris Inglis Men's Most Outstanding Diver: Jason Cook Men's Co-Coach of the Year: Russ Yarworth Men's Diving Coach of the Year: Mandy Hixon
UMass basketball faces perhaps its stiffest test of the season as the three-time defending A-10 Champion Temple Owls comes to the Mullins Center for a huge contest on Wednesday night. Here are the previews.
The softball team went 2-3 last weekend in the season-opening FAU Kickoff Classic, making it to the tournament's championship game. Below are recaps from the weekend.
On Saturday at Al-Marzook Field in West Hartford, Conn., there will be two undefeated records on the line when the No. 16 Massachusetts men's lacrosse team takes on Hartford.
The Minutemen enter into this weekend's affair with two undefeated records in their hands, the first being their season record of 1-0, which featured an 8-5 win against No. 12 Army, and the other being an 8-0 undefeated streak against the Hawks.
Here are the stories leading into Wednesday's game A-10 game for UMass, against Duquesne at the Mullins Center. Both teams are looking to end losing streaks: UMass, three in a row and the Dukes, two in a row after an 8-0 A-10 start.
Lots of stories on the basketball front on Tuesday including injury updates on both Sean Carter (elbow) and Freddie Riley (foot/ankle) read about in these stories.
All season long, the Massachusetts men's basketball team's coach Derek Kellogg has called for fans to pile into the Mullins Center to watch his team perform.
"I'm hoping that the students we're striving for have some school pride," Kellogg said. "That they come because they go to UMass, because we're their basketball team, and you know what, there's not much else to do on a Sunday."
The game will go on. Both the Saint Louis University and UMass campuses are closed today due to the weather, but the UMass at SLU basketball game will be played tonight at 8 p.m. ET. Watch it on CSN NE. Here are preview stories on the game.
