In its inaugural season in the Mid-American Conference, the Massachusetts women’s lacrosse team has dominated conference play. Saturday, the Minutewomen (8-2, 3-0 MAC) continued that run, winning 18-6 against Robert Morris.
The day was filled with anticipation as Kassidy Morris was on track to break the program record for career goals. The red-shirt senior did just that, making six goals to set the record at 213.
Behind an outstanding Morris show, Dylan Lyons stood out. The junior recorded four goals on the day to lend a hand in the win.
To end the game, Lyons scored the final goal of the contest with 40 seconds on the clock. The Orange, Conn., native received a pass from Lil Hancock in the face of Colonial’s (3-8, 1-2 MAC) goalkeeper Katrina Bottomley’s net. After controlling the ball in her stick, Lyons shot over Bottomley’s shoulder to end the contest.
Lyons’ hat-trick goal was scored with 6:26 remaining in the third. Receiving a pass from Ava Connaughton near the eight-meter arc, she controlled the ball while running up near the crease, shooting over goalkeeper Lucy Carney’s shoulder to put UMass up 14-6.
The attacker’s first two goals came in the first and second quarters, respectively. She scored in the second while a woman up and was unassisted. In the first, Katie Onderdonk, who ended the day with two assists, factored in on Lyons’ her goal.
“[Lyons] just has really bought into the system of the offense,” head coach Jana Drummond said. “I think for her, she won’t force a shot or force a look, it’s patience with ‘OK, this is my take, I need to take here, this is when I want to shoot this here,’ and just doing a really good job of playing in a system and [being] selfless.”
While the Minutewomen will be bringing the win home back to Amherst, the first quarter started slowly for them, tying the game twice before taking hold of the lead with Lyons’ first goal.
With turnovers leading to a three-goal run for Robert Morris, Drummond pinpointed working on causing fewer as something to take away from Saturday’s matchup. On the day, the UMass squad had 16 to the Colonials’ 14, the Minutewomen’s most since their game against Vermont on Feb. 14.
To close out a three-goal run to go ahead of UMass, 3-2, Gabi Puzevic scored with 3:34 left in the first. From an overpassed ball on a Minutewomen press, Robert Morris moved the ball downfield. She received the ball from teammate Taylor Burkett just outside of UMass goaltender Bailey Duffy’s crease. Turning, Puzevic shot over Duffy’s shoulder and into the bottom corner of the net.
Madison Prietz and Samantha Brothers scored the first two goals of the Colonials’ run. Burkett provided an assist to Brothers’ shot, ending the day with four.
“I think for [Saturday] we need to clean up our turnovers and our green cards and just our cards in general,” Drummond said. “A lot of that is just very controllable and disciplined from our end. So, if we can do that, being patient while playing fast … is going to be really important.”
On the day, the Minutewomen received six cards. Four were green, and the remaining two were yellow.
UMass will face Bryant back in Amherst next on Wednesday, April 1. The first draw is scheduled for 3 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+.
Emma Bensley can be reached at [email protected] and followed on X @emmabensley4.
