The Massachusetts women’s lacrosse team claimed victory in the Mid-American Conference tournament over Akron on Saturday. The Minutewomen (17-2, 7-0 MAC) defense and goaltending held the Zips (12-6, 6-1 MAC) to just three goals in a 15-3 win on Saturday.
Bayley Duffy offered a strong presence in net, making five saves on eight shots to secure a .625 save percentage. Two of the shots on goal by Akron were made by Sienna Hinchcliffe the MAC attacker of the year. In their last contest against one another, the Zips attacker had six goals.
Less than two minutes into the second quarter, Hinchcliffe gained entrance into the defensive zone. Despite heavy coverage by the UMass defense, the junior opened up a lane between her and the goal. Duffy deflected the ball with the shaft of her stick, redirecting it from harm’s way.
Katie Baumer, the MAC midfielder of the year, was also stifled from converting on her seven shots as the Minutewomen’s goaltending held the Rochester, N.Y. native to zero goals.
With 8:31 remaining in the third quarter, Lil Hancock was given a green card for offside, giving Baumer a free position opportunity. As the midfielder ran towards the net, Duffy got in the way of the shot, making the save.
“[Duffy] is such a leader down there,” head coach Jana Drummond said. “Being a redshirt freshman, you can’t even tell. The team really rallies around her and executes so well. They use her, they talk with her, they ask her what she is seeing. So, they play in that system, which is really fun to see.”
Duffy ended the regular season ranked No. 5 with a .515 average save percentage.
While UMass struggled with 15 turnovers, a strong defensive performance by the Minutewomen caused a matching 15 turnovers for Akron, contributing to the Zips’ struggle to find the back of the net.
Ranked No. 4 in the NCAA rankings for the most caused turnovers, averaging 13.53 going into the game on Saturday, the UMass defense continued to show its defensive skill as it had nine caused turnovers.
“[They were] just really dialed in,” Drummond said. “With our defense, they communicate so well, they are so connected in all areas, and we saw that come through today. We also had a certain game plan, and I felt like they really executed that game plan well and knew what to do at all moments.”
Bridget Valentine continued to offer strong net-front coverage defense as she contributed three ground balls, three draw controls and two caused turnovers in the game on Saturday.
Valentine was named the MAC defender of the year. On Saturday she recorded 42 ground balls, 29 draw controls and 33 caused turnovers. The junior was also ranked No. 36, tied with Reese Cuviello from James Madison and Jess Leon from Bucknell as of May 1.
With their win on Saturday, the Minutewomen secured its bid for a spot in the NCAA lacrosse tournament. The selection show will be held on May 3 at 9 p.m. and can be watched on ESPNU. The first round of the NCAA tournament will be held on May 8 and can be streamed on ESPN+.
Olivia Pang can be reached at [email protected] and followed on X @OliviaPang18.
