University of Massachusetts Amherst: Women's Lacrosse Notebook: UMass takes down George Washington in impressive fashion

Devin Lippman Daily Collegian (2025) Behind big performances from Kassidy Morris and Tessa Shields, the Massachusetts women's lacrosse team took down the George Washington Revolutionaries with a final score of 15-6. Marking their fourth straight win, the Minutewomen (6-3, 4-0 Atlantic 10) remain unbeaten in A-10 conference play, wearing the title with the Saint Joseph's Hawks. Ava Connaughton broke the seal for UMass, making a stealthy cut from behind the net to catch Revolutionary's (5-5, 0-4 A-10) goalkeeper Gabi Greth off-guard. A shot fake from high-to-low found its way into the back of the net for an early 1-0 lead. Leading 2-1 to close the first quarter, the Minutewomen emphasized their game in the second. In the first minute after the break, the Revolutionaries made a costly turnover on their half of the field. Connaughton with a pass to herself over the defender led to a two-on-one situation with Morris. Morris shot the ball, giving UMass a 3-1 lead. The Minutewomen forced 23 turnovers in the game. UMass scored six unanswered goals to take command of the game in the second period. Morris scored three of her five goals in the 15-minute block, her fifth hat trick so far this season. Spearheading the powerhouse offense, the A-10 goal-scoring leader has been nothing short of a force to be reckoned with so far in conference play. The five goals during the contest gives her 35 goals while also having 11 assists. Morris is second on the team in points, just behind leading scorer Fiona McGowan. While Morris has 79 points this season, McGowan has put up 88 points. The Minutewomen outshot the Revolutionaries 42-19 in the contest, leading the A-10 in shots per game. Shields notched her fourth hat trick of the season, playing a major role in Sunday's game. Shields made her presence known at the offensive end of the matchup, knocking in three of her nine shots on goal. Connaughton also continues to impress in the offense for the Minutewomen. Tacking in a pair of goals and assists, Connaughton has surpassed her total goals from last season through nine games. The sophomore has totaled 20 goals this season compared to 14 goals last season. Senior forward Jordan Dean was the unsung hero for UMass in this matchup. On Sunday afternoon, Dean controlled 12 of UMass' 17 draws, playing a massive role in the win. The Minutewomen hold the most average draw controls in their conference with 16 per game. For the goalkeepers, it was a busy day for Revolutionaries goalkeeper Greth, saving 13 of 28 shots. On the other side, UMass goalkeeper Catrina Tobin stood tall in net for the maroon, saving seven of 13 shots for the Minutewomen. Tobin has taken most of the load in net for the Minutewomen, playing nine games during the season. In 512 minutes played, she has allowed 96 goals against with a .392 save percentage through that tine. After starting the season 2-3, UMass has had four straight wins to start A-10 conference play. However, Wednesday, March 26 will put the Minutewomen's streak to the test against the Saint Joseph's Hawks. The matchup will give the winner the top spot in the conference. Face-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. in Philadelphia and can be streamed on ESPN+. Mehrob Fatemi can be reached via email at [email protected] and on X @MehrobFatemi.