May 11, 2011

AMHERST, Mass. - No. 13 UMass makes its fifth all-time trip to the NCAA Tournament as the Minutewomen will face 5th-ranked and 6th-seeded Loyola on Saturday afternoon at the Ridley Athletic Complex in Baltimore. The Minutewomen are the three-time defending Atlantic 10 Champions making their second NCAA Tournament in the last three years, while the Greyhounds are coming off their first-ever Big East Championship title earning the programs first berth to the NCAA Tournament since 2004 (14th overall). 

Saturday’s First Round match-up will pit two of the nation’s top offensive and defensive units against each other. UMass ranks 4th overall in offense (15.05 goals/game) and 8th in defense (8.42 goals allowed/game), while Loyola ranks 12th offensively (13.83) and 11th defensively (8.67).

The game will also feature three of the nation’s most prolific scorers in Loyola’s Grace Gavin (3rd with 88 points) and UMass’ duo of Jackie Lyons (12th, 72 pts) and Katie Ferris (15th, 70 pts).

On the strength of 17 wins this season, 2nd most in school history, a 10-game win streak, an undefeated record in road games (10-0), two Atlantic 10 Tournament wins and the win over Canisius in the NCAA Play-In game, UMass jumped to No. 9 in the May 9th NCAA RPI.  

UMass won the first-ever NCAA sponsored women’s lacrosse national title in 1982. The Minutewomen followed that with a pair of semifinal appearances in 1983 and 1984. It would take 25 more years until UMass returned to the Big Dance.