University of Richmond Athletics
Top A-10 Teams Meet in WLAX Home Finale
04/18/2014 | Women's Lacrosse
Richmond women's lacrosse will host its final home game of the season and celebrate its three outgoing seniors Saturday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. against No. 11 Massachusetts at Robins Stadium. The game is in effect for first place in the Atlantic 10 Conference standings, as the Spiders and Minutewomen are the last two undefeated teams in the league to this point. The winner also officially clinches a spot in the A-10 Tournament at the start of May. The two teams played to a 12-11 thriller in double overtime last year, with Massachusetts prevailing at McGuirk Stadium in Amherst.
Richmond enters the weekend 9-4 overall, 4-0 in the A-10. The Spiders have won a season-long five games in a row. Massachusetts is 13-1 overall, 4-0 in league play. Those four conference wins represent their four-game winning streak. Both Richmond and Massachusetts have allowed exactly 20 goals total in the four league games, tying for the top defenses in the league to this point.
The Spiders finish the regular-season home schedule with a 6-1 home mark. Seniors Taylor Blazer (Berlin, Md.), Hayley Ross (Annapolis, Md.) and Allie Ware (Alpharetta, Ga.) will be honored in a pregame ceremony before the opening draw. Blazer needs 15 caused turnovers in the final three weekends to become the school's all-time career leader in that category, while Ross has scored a career-high 22 goals so far this season. Ware rounds out the class with an amazing ratio of a 50 percent goal-scoring rate on shots taken in her career. The three seniors have won 12 combined
Richmond is 8-0 this season when scoring 10 or more goals, and have held its last seven opponents to a 5.2 goals-per-game average. The Spiders feature the ninth-ranked defense in the country. Saturday's contest represents the last of a season-long four-game home stand. Four Spiders have scored 20 or more goals this season.
Junior Emily Doyle (Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J.) leads the team with 51 points, which includes 28 assists. She is ranked 11th in the NCAA in assists per game, and with her next helper will sit alone in fifth in school history for both single-season and career assists.
The Minutewomen enter this weekend with 25-straight Atlantic 10 Conference regular-season wins, and 31 consecutive wins over A-10 teams, including the tournament. Massachusetts leads the nation in scoring margin, and is third in caused turnovers, scoring defense and win percentage.
Katie Ferris leads the conference and is ranked fifth in the country in assists, with 33. The league's second-leading goal scorer is senior Sam Rush, with 51 this season.
The Spiders and Minutewomen are the top two teams in the league-only stats in goals against average, draws won, turnovers and caused turnovers.
The Spiders will have one last road weekend next weekend ahead of the conference championships, which will take place at Robins Stadium May 2 and 4. Seedings and pairings will be determined over these last three league contests.
