University of Richmond
Massachusetts
Women's Lacrosse Holds Off Massachusetts 10-8
05/01/2005 | Women's Lacrosse
May. 1, 2005
AMHERST, Mass. - After a see-saw first half, the Richmond Spiders scored two early second half goals to pull away and hold off a late UMass surge for a 10-8 win in the women's lacrosse season finale at Garber Field on Sunday afternoon.
Ashley Friend scored three goals and assisted on two other Richmond tallies to lead the Spiders (7-7, 5-2 A-10), while Caroline McGuire, Morghan Vahue and Kristen Habicht each netted two goals.
Richmond jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first 2:22 of the game as Claire Cunniff and Friend each scored goals. Cunniff's game-opener came after a costly defensive turnover by UMass.
The Minutewomen responded with a blast just over a minute later, but the Spiders came back with a goal as Friend recorded her second assist when she found a cutting Vahue for the goal to push the lead to 3-1.
Back-to-back goals from Massachusetts tied the game at 3-3 and the teams traded goals on ensuing possessions.
Richmond registered consecutive goals by Friend and Habicht, scored less than a minute apart, to regain a two-goal lead, 6-4.
Massachusetts ended the half scoring a goal with 88 seconds left in the opening period.
The Spiders came out firing in the second half, scoring two more goals to go up 8-5 within the first three minutes of play. Friend scored first on a free position shot before Habicht tallied an unassisted goal just 45 seconds later.
The Minutewomen got back within one at 8-7, but McGuire, held scoreless to that point by the UMass defense scored twice in the closing half of the period to give Richmond the win.
UMass lead nearly every statistical category on the day including a 42-27 advantage in groundballs and a 12-8 advantage in draw controls.
Richmond's defensive pressure in the midfield caused UMass to only convert 15-of-24 clear opportunities which gave the Spiders the advantage on their offensive end.
Turnovers and shots were nearly even for both teams, but Richmond placed 20 of their 22 shots on goal, while UMass was able to fire just 15-of-24 on target.
Rubin went the distance in her only start of the season making 10 saves in the cage - just two shy of her career-high (12) set on March 9, 2004 against New Hampshire. Jackie Swansburg for Richmond made seven saves and recorded three groundballs in the win.
With a 5-2 record in the Atlantic 10, Richmond advances to the conference tournament which will they will host next weekend in Richmond, Va. Duquesne, George Washington and Temple also qualified for the four-team tournament.
