By Cody Lahl on December 13, 2012 11:48 AM
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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.
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 November 1, 2012 10:31 AM
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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.
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 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.
By Cody Lahl on September 24, 2012 9:36 PM
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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 live statistics 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.
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 live stats. The contest will also be streamed online as a radio broadcast hosted by Maryland's radio network, WMUC.
The UMass field hockey had an outstanding opening weekend to 2012, coming home from Durham, N.H. with a pair of 2-1 overtime wins over #18 New Hampshire and #15 Ohio State.
Both the Daily Collegian and the Daily Hampshire Gazette had coverage of the contests:
Former UMass women's basketball standouts Tamara and Alisha Tatham and UMass field hockey assistant coach Shannon Taylor began action at the Olympics over the weekend.
Canada Women's Basketball Remaining Schedule Monday, July 30 vs. Great Britain - 3:00 PM EST
Wednesday, Aug. 1 vs. France - 4:00 AM EST
Friday, Aug. 3 vs. Brazil - 9:30 AM EST
Sunday, Aug. 5 vs. Australia - 9:30 AM EST
USA Field Hockey Remaining Schedule Tuesday, Aug. 31 vs. Argentina - 2:00 PM EST
Thursday, Aug. 2 vs. Australia - 5:45 AM EST
Saturday, Aug. 4 vs. New Zealand - 2:00 PM EST
Monday, Aug. 6 vs. South Africa - 5:45 AM EST
The NCAA Field Hockey Championship starts this weekend and, as was announced on Tuesday's selection show, a pair of UMass alumnae will face each other in the first round. Former UMass All-Americans Pam Bustin and Tara (Jelley) Danielson are the head coaches at Duke and Stanford, respectively, and will face each other on Saturday at Old Dominion's Powhatan Sports Center in Norfok, Va.
Bustin, a First Team All-American with UMass in 1988 as well as an Olympian in 1996, is in her first year as head coach of the No. 6 Blue Devils (13-7, 2-3 ACC) after serving the same position at Louisville for 13 years. Her job with the Cardinals was filled by former UMass head coach Justine Sowry.
Danielson is in her second year at the helm for No. 10 Stanford (17-3, 6-0 NorPac). UMass' 1993 All-American was a member of the US National Team for several years. The Greenfield native coached against her alma mater a year ago in the NCAA play-in game, defeating UMass 2-1 to earn her first NCAA bid. The Minutewomen would earn an at-large bid that season.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
UMass, after dropping its opener on Saturday to Boston College, looks to rebound today with a 2 p.m. game at Vermont. There will be free live video of the game online.
The National Field Hockey Coaches Association released its Top 20 Preseason Poll on Tuesday with UMass finishing just out of the top 20. The Minutewomen are the top "receiving votes" team, coming in with 98.
UMass, under first-year head coach Carla Tagliente will face a tough schedule in 2011. The Minutewomen will face three of the top five teams in the preseason poll, including No. 1 Maryland, who comes to Garber Field on Sept. 18. The Minutewomen will face six teams of the top 20 teams in the preseason poll and seven more that received votes, accounting for 13 of the 18 regular season games.
The Minutewomen open the season this weekend with a pair of games in Burlington, Vt. On Saturday, UMass takes on No. 14 Boston College at 3 p.m., and then on Sunday faces Vermont at 3 p.m.
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.
Happy belated birthday wishes to Ali Houlis of women's lacrosse and football's Igor Garcia! The two celebrated their birthday on August 4. Happy belated birthday to K.R. Jurgelevich of men's lacrosse who celebrated his birthday on August 5! Happy belated birthday to Michael McDonough of men's track! Michael celebrated his birthday on August 6. Happy belated birthday to football's Ryan Carter and field hockey's Nicole Cordero! Both, Ryan and Nicole celebrated their birthday on August 7.
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.
Four UMass field hockey players are suiting up for the New England team at the USA Field Hockey Women's Junior National Championship in Virginia Beach, Va. this week. After three days of competition, Mika Black, Hannah Prince, Alexa Sikalis, and Kim Young have led New England to a 1-1-1 record.
On Monday against Pennsylvania, Young tallied a goal and an assist, while Prince got on the score sheet with a goal as the Minutewomen led New England to a 4-3 victory.
The New England squad faces the South on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. and takes on the Mid-Atlantic on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. before the medal round is played on Saturday to conclude the tournament. Live match information can be found on Twitter @USAFieldHockey.
Lots of UMass birthdays from the weekend and today! Jasmine Watson of the women's basketball team celebrated on Saturday, while Erika Unger of the track team enjoyed her day yesterday.
On Monday, make sure to say happy birthday to Mike Lee of the football team, Ryan Hollenbaugh of the men's lacrosse team and Christine Cutry of the field hockey team.
On April 25, we wish Happy Birthday to the following: field hockey sophomore Kara Charochak, track sophomore Nick Otis, lacrosse assistant coach and former All-American goalie Doc Schneider and swimming junior Kayla Tegeler.
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!
After a few days with no student-athlete birthdays, we wish Happy Birthday on March 22 to freshman field hockey player Alyssa Ineson and sophomore rower Michaela Streitfield.
A quartet of UMass student-athlete birthdays on Feb. 5. Celebrating today are women's soccer junior Natalie Muka, men's soccer freshman Nigel Negm, field hockey freshman Hannah Prince and swimming junior Liz Sullivan.
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.
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:
"Former Dedham High stars Katie Kelly and Sydney Stoll each left Whiting Avenue as the all-time leading scorers in their signature sports. But beyond their knack for producing goals, it was a relentless drive that made them stand apart in Marauder uniforms on the field hockey and soccer pitches."
In addition to the men's basketball season preview in today's Daily Collegian, Pete Vasquez ran a feature on field hockey senior Jaime Bourazeris. Vasquez writes of Bourazeris journey and rise as one of the Atlantic 10's best defenders. "She's a coach's dream," (High school coach Kori) Brocking said. "She's going to execute whatever goal it is and she's going to achieve it. That's just the type of person she is."
Also in today's Collegian is a feature on freshman Lindsay Bowman, written by Michael Wood. "She was one of the latest recruits we picked up," (Head Coach Justine) Sowry says. "What we had noticed about her was her athleticism and her competitive spirit or nature."
A fantastic season for the UMass field hockey team came to a close on Saturday when Justine Sowry's Minutewomen, winners of the Atlantic 10 Championship and an NCAA at-large team, fell to No. 1 Maryland, 4-2 at the Terps Field Hockey Complex. Maryland, the winners of three of the last five National Championships, jumped out to an early 2-0 lead and led 4-1 at halftime, but the Minutewomen outplayed the host team for the latter part of the first half and almost all of the second half. Seniors Makaela Potts and Jaime Bourazeris netted the UMass goals in the final game in the Maroon & White for them and senior captain Katie Kelly.
The No. 18 UMass field hockey team (15-7) is in College Park, Md. preparing for Saturday's 11:30 a.m. NCAA Tournament first round game against No. 1 Maryland (19-1). The Minutewomen, Atlantic 10 Champions and winners of 11 of their last 12 games, earned an at-large bid to the NCAA field of 16, joining UConn and American in the Maryland region. Below is coverage of the Minutewomen's NCAA run:
With a 2-0 victory over No. 2 seed Lock Haven on Saturday, the top-seeded UMass field hockey team won its third Atlantic 10 Championship in the last four years under Head Coach Justine Sowry. The title is the Minutewomen's 12th all-time and advances them to an NCAA play-in game vs. Stanford that UMass will host at Garber Field on Tuesday at 1 p.m. The winner of that game advances to the NCAA Championship field of 16.
The Massachusetts field hockey team knows the position of the underdog tournament host. It was in that position just last season when it hosted No. 1 seed Richmond. Read the full preview in the Daily Coellgian.
The Daily Collegian's Adam Miller has a great story on how the field hockey team's season has been the best sports story at UMass this fall. Miller talks about his trip to Philadelphia to cover Justine Sowry's team's 2-1 victory at La Salle on Sunday to end the regular season with its ninth-straight win and claim the regular season Atlantic 10 title.
Also check out the Collegian's Nick O'Malley's video wrap-up of the game, embedded above.
This weekend the Minutewomen head back to Philly for the Atlantic 10 Championship at Temple's Geasey Field on Friday and Saturday. Top-seed UMass is looking to claim its 12 A-10 Championship and third in four years under Sowry.
In his story, Wood points out that though the Minutewomen are 5-0 in conference and the A-10 Championship is just a week away, they are still focused on this weekend's opponents.
UMass has won seven-straight games, the fourth-longest streak in the country, and haven't lost in over a month. Also check out the UMassAthletics.com weekend preview.
It was a big weekend for the UMass field hockey team as it improved to 5-0 in A-10 play and ran its winning streak to seven with wins over Temple (1-0) on Friday and Saint Joseph's (4-1) on Senior Day on Sunday. Below is all the coverage.
Sitting atop the Atlantic 10 standings, the UMass field hockey team (9-6, 3-0 A-10) faces two tough conference tests this weekend in the final two home games of the season at Garber Field.
On Friday, the Minutewomen take on Temple at 3 p.m. at Garber, while on Sunday it will be Senior Day as UMass faces Saint Joseph's at noon.
The Daily Collegian has a recap of the field hockey team's thrilling double-overtime 5-4 victory at Dartmouth on Tuesday afternoon. After trailing 1-0, UMass scored three goals in a five minute span before allowing two Big Green goals to tie it. The clubs then traded late second-half goals to send the game to overtime where Katie Kelly scored the game-winner in the 88th minute. The Minutewomen are 7-6 and over .500 for the first time this season.
Under the lights at Garber Field on Saturday, the UMass field hockey team (6-6) started Atlantic 10 Conference play on the right foot by defeating Saint Louis in convincing fashion, 4-0. The Minutewomen outshot the Billikens, 28-0, the first time in over a decade UMass held an opponent without a shot.
The Minutewomen close non-conference play on Tuesday with a 3 p.m. game at Dartmouth. They then return home to host new A-10 member Lock Haven on Friday at 3 p.m. before heading to Richmond on Sunday.
The field hockey team (5-6), fresh off a 2-0 victory over No. 8 Syracuse last weekend, begins Atlantic 10 play this weekend when it hosts Saint Louis on Saturday night at Garber Field in a 6 p.m. start.
The Daily Collegian's Michael Wood previews the matchup with the Billikens, including pointing out how players like Nicole Cordero and Nikki Panciocco have lifted their games as of late.
The Collegian's Peter Vasquez has a story on the Minutewomen focusing on A-10 play this year after getting off to a slow start in conference play last season.
Adam Miller of the Daily Collegian has a great column on field hockey goalkeeper Alesha Widdall and how she has led the Minutewomen to two victories over top 10 teams this season (1-0 vs. #4 UConn on Sept. 11 and 2-0 vs. #8 Syracuse on Oct. 3), and how the team will rely on her throughout conference play.
"She is always outstanding," Head Coach Justine Sowry said following the Minutewomen's 2-0 win over the Orange. "With a quality goalkeeper back there, we can play more aggressive, and having her back there really gives the team great confidence."
Widdall and the Minutewomen begin A-10 play on Saturday night when they host Saint Louis at 6 p.m. at Garber Field.
On Head Coach Justine Sowry's birthday, her UMass field hockey team gave her the gift of a 2-0 shutout victory over No. 8 Syracuse at Garber on Sunday. The win was UMass' second over a top 10 team this season (No. 4 UConn, Sept. 11) and first victory against the Orange since 1998. Below are stories on the win:
The Daily Collegian has two stories on the UMass field hockey team's big home matchup with No. 8 Syracuse on Sunday at 2 p.m. Mike Wood has the preview of the game, while Pete Vazquez writes on how the Minutewomen's composure and determination will be tested in Sunday's game.
The Minutewomen and Orange square off on Sunday at 2 p.m. at Garber Field.
Adam Miller of the Daily Collegian writes on the UMass field hockey team, who despite being under .500 (4-6), has played one of the toughest schedules in the country and is primed to begin Atlantic 10 play.
As Miller points out, "during the 2007 season, the Minutewomen got off to a 5-6 start, then went 6-1 during the A-10 schedule, won the conference tournament, defeated Princeton during the play-in game and made the NCAA tournament."
Pete Vazquez of the Daily Collegian also takes a look at the field hockey team, analyzing the difficult schedule, the recent scoring woes, and the Minutewomen's second-half prowess.
Join us at this week's UMass Sports Luncheon Wednesday at 12:15 p.m., in the Campus Center Room 1009. Football coach Kevin Morris will be the featured speaker along with field hockey coach Justine Sowry. Athlete of the Week Jonathan Hernandez will be recognized for his big game at Michigan.
Check out the first edition of Plays Of The Week for this fall! There was plenty to choose from as UMass teams went 5-0-1 over the weekend, but these are the plays that made the cut.
The field hockey team knocked off two previously unbeaten opponents this weekend in No. 4 UConn and Yale. The UConn win is the Minutewomen's first over the Huskies in 10 years. Sunday's win at Yale was a come-from-behind overtime thriller.
The UMass field hockey team went 1-1 over the weekend in a pair of road games in Boston. On Friday, the Minutewomen defeated Northeastern, 2-1, and on Sunday they fell to Boston University, 2-1. The Daily Collegian has a recap of the weekend and a preview of the Minutewomen's season. The Daily Hampshire Gazette also has wraps on Friday's win and Sunday's loss. UMass (1-3) returns home to host No. 5 UConn on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Check out the recap in the Daily Hampshire Gazette as the field hockey team couldn't snap its seven-game losing streak against its in-state rival, but despite the 1-0 loss to No. 9-ranked Boston College Friday, the Minutewomen left their season opener encouraged.
Check out Dick Baker's story in the Springfield Republican about the UMass field hockey team and their season opening game vs. Boston College.
Check out the opening about senior Katie Kelly, a senior captain from Dedham, earned a spot on the Atlantic 10 All-Conference first team last season after leading the Minutewomen in scoring with 11 goals and six assists for 28 points.
Matt Vautour of the Hampshire Gazette has a nice preview of the UMass field hockey season. The story covers the Minutewomen's focus on fitness in trying to avoid the injuries that plagued the team last season. Vautour also highlights two alums coaching against UMass this weekend (BC's Ainslee Lamb and Indiana's Amy Robertson) and Northampton's Mika Black making her debut in Maroon & White.
Awesome new graphic banners commemorating the history of UMass field hockey and men's lacrosse are being hung at Garber Field today in preparation of the 2010-11 seasons. Check them out.
The Gloucester Times has a story on field hockey alum Katelyn Orlando being hired as an assistant coach. Orlando is a Mansfield, Mass. native and is already hard at work with head coach Justine Sowry and assistant coach Kelly Dostal preparing for preseason camp, beginning Aug. 11.
Former field hockey player Deborah Jackson is featured in the Boston
Globe. Jackson, now 59 and serving as Salem's chief city assessor,
this past weekend pushed her physical limits even further as part of a
12-member team participating in The Jimmy Fund's Mass Dash, a 206-mile
running relay race across Massachusetts from the Berkshires to Boston.
Less than a week after Zowie Tucker was named the head coach at Holy
Cross, another UMass alum took over as a head coach. Tara Jelley
Danielson was named
head coach at Stanford last week. Since 2005, Danielson has served
as the Chief Executive Officer of RUSH Field Hockey, Inc., a non-profit
public benefit corporation committed to fostering the growth and
development of field hockey in the Southern California region. She
graduated from UMass in 1994 with a degree in sport management. A
four-year letterwinner in field hockey and team captain during her
senior year, she helped guide the Minutewomen to a pair of Atlantic 10
championships and four NCAA Tournament berths, including a
record-breaking 1992 campaign that resulted in a trip to the national
semifinals and the program's winningest season in school history.
UMass field hockey players Jaime Bourazeris, Katie Kelly, Alesha Widdall, and Kim Young, along with assistant coach Kelly Dostal
will be playing for the North squad at the 2010 USA Field Hockey
Women's National Championship on June 20-26 in Virginia Beach, Va. Also
competing against elite competition that week will be four incoming
Minutewomen in the National Futures Championship (U19), while one will
be competing in the Junior High Performance Championship (U21).
