University of Connecticut Athletics
Huskies Defeat UMass in Season Opener
2/28/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
AMHERST, MA (February 28) – The University of Connecticut women’s lacrosse team opened its season with a 8-7 victory over the University of Massachusetts, behind the strong play of Heather Bliss (Tully, NY) and April Pollock (North Syracuse, NY) on a chilly Friday afternoon in Amherst, MA. The Huskies stand at 1-0, while UMass hold a record of 1-1 on the early season.
The Huskies and Minutewomen battled back and forth through the entire game with leads changing hands several times. UConn and UMass were tied at 4-4 at the half, with Bliss tallying both her goals. Abbey VanDeusen (Fayetteville, NY) started the Huskies scoring tying the game at one apiece, while Bliss and Kelly Feeley (Colingswood, NJ) broke the tie consecutively two other times in the half. Bliss put the Huskies ahead for the first time in the game, raising the score to 4-3 in UConn’s favor. Tracy Drown gave UMass another chance tying the game with 1:38 left on the first half clock.
UMass broke the tie 4:07 into the second half when Drown posted her second goal of the game to push the Minutewomen ahead, 5-4. The Huskies came back to even the game when Tammy Michel (Baldwinsville, NY) scored at the 7:20 mark. Massachusetts and UConn traded goals for much of the second half, making the score 7-7 with less than eight minutes to play in the game. Junior Hope Zelinger (Ellicott City, Md.) tallied both of the Minutewomen’s goals down the stretch, while Heather McHugh (Bel Air, MD) and Tracy Mullaney (Cockeysville, MD) helped the Huskies. UConn broke the tie when Allison Tyminski (Kirkville, NY) scored the game-winning goal with 3:34 left in the game.
UConn stayed in the game in large part to the solid play of senior keeper Pollock, who notched 11 saves in net, allowing seven goals. UMass keeper Cyndi Doyle stopped 10 shots.
Connecticut will play host to New Hampshire on March 8 on the Storrs campus at 1 pm.
