UMass Scrapes by Spiders to Clinch Conference Honors

It seemed only fitting that the final day of conference action would see the University of Richmond women’s lacrosse team host the University of Massachusetts in a tangle for first place in the Atlantic 10 conference. Unfortunately for the upset-minded home side, however, it was the Minutewomen who eked out a 13-12 win on April 27.

The Spiders kept a tight lid on UMass’s high-powered offense through the first quarter, as the Minutewomen netted only two goals in what would be their most contentious conference game of the season. Between UMass scores, it was senior attacker Marymargaret Quinn pacing the Spiders off of a feed from junior midfielder Grace Muldoon to end the first quarter 2-1.

Offense in the second quarter exploded as shots nearly doubled. UMass benefitted from this uptick first, pulling out to a 4-1 lead after just five minutes. A gritty solo effort from Muldoon, however, took back momentum for the Spiders, as she fired in UR’s second goal just forty seconds removed from the Minutewomen’s fifth.

The teams continued to trade blows winding down into halftime as UMass struggled to keep the Spiders at bay. Sophomore attacker Juliana Stanley cashed in from the free position, while another blindingly quick unassisted effort – this time just twelve seconds from the draw control, courtesy of junior midfielder Caroline Murphy – cut further into the lead. Muldoon’s second goal of the game capped the 3-1 run with four seconds until halftime, taking just a one-score deficit into the break.

Muldoon and the Spider offense continued to roll in the third period of play, setting up scoring opportunities from all angles and taking advantage of softer coverage behind the net. Muldoon converted twice more with contributions from junior attacker Colleen Quinn and sophomore attacker Alexis Morton, though UMass managed to stay just ahead of all four UR goals without once surrendering their lead. 

The upset still loomed large into the final frame, as mounting pressure from UR’s offense forced increasingly brilliant saves from the UMass goalie.  Even as the Minutewomen struck first, UR’s response – and Marymaragret Quinn’s second of the contest – was again just seconds behind. UMass kicked its offense back into gear from a slumping third quarter, though the Spiders stayed right on their heels, matching shot totals, clears and turnovers.

Despite an hour of stubborn, unwavering play from the home side, the Spiders’ final goal with three seconds left only put them within one of the Minutewomen, who had done just enough to clinch their twelfth straight regular season title, and fifth straight undefeated conference campaign.

“[We’ve] got to keep pushing one game, one day at a time.” UR Head Coach Anne Harrington said in a postgame press conference after playing George Washington University. 

Though falling to a 7-2 conference mark, the Spiders nonetheless locked up the second seed for the Atlantic 10 tournament with their head-to-head tiebreaker against Davidson College.

The Spiders are set to begin tournament play at 3 p.m. May 2 in Amherst, Massachusetts, facing the winner between third-seeded Davidson and sixth-seeded George Mason University.

Contact sports writer Scott Valentine at scott.valentine@richmond.edu