University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
3-2
#25 University of Massachusetts
5-1
A Tale of Two Halves: Second Half Propels No. 25 UMass Past UConn
3/4/2023 4:35:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
STORRS, Conn. – A dominant second half for the UMass Minutewomen propeled the No. 25 nationally ranked team past UConn on Saturday afternoon in Storrs, CT, 16-12.
The two teams played an even first quarter, but UMass scored the first two of the afternoon as Audra Tosone and Amy Moreau found the back of cage at 10:40 and 8:51. The Huskies answered right back as Grace Coon scored on a free position attempt just 10 seconds later and Susan Lafountain scored her first of two in the first quarter to even the score. The UConn junior closed the first quarter with a goal and the Huskies scored the first two in the second quarter to take a 5-3 lead.
A UMass goal halted the run at 9:06, but senior Kyra Place and grad student Lia Laprise went back-to-back for a 7-4 lead, UConn's largest lead of the game, at 4:19. UMass senior Kylee Bowen put two on the board at 3:22 and with 57 seconds left to pull the Minutewomen within 7-6. UConn would get the final strike of the half as sophomore Rayea Davis let go a laser of a shot on a free position chance with 25 seconds to send the Huskies to the locker room up 8-6.
The Minutewomen turned up their defense in the third quarter, holding the Huskies to just a pair of goals while putting five on the board to take their first lead since the first quarter at 11-10. Alex Finn scored twice, and Bowen added one to complete hat-tricks, with the duo closing the quarter out going back-to-back to give UMass a one-goal lead heading into the final quarter.
Finn ran the UMass run to four-straight by opening the fourth quarter with her fourth goal of the game just 51 seconds in. The Huskies ended the run and got their first goal since the 10:23 mark of the third on sophomore Kaitlyn Tartaglione's first of the day, cutting it to 12-11.
But UMass would answer with four-straight, two on the stick of Charlotte Wilmoth, to pull away on the way to the win.
UMass goaltender Catrina Tobin played the second half and made three saves, while allowing just four goals to earn the win. The Minutewomen held a 36-26 edge on shots.
UConn returns to action next Saturday, March 11th when they close a three-game homestand at Joseph J. Morrone Stadium, hosting the No. 22 nationally ranked in-state rival, Yale Bulldogs.
