Cade Belisle/Collegian
For the first time since 1984, the Massachusetts women’s lacrosse team will take part in the second round of the NCAA Tournament when it faces Penn State at 1 p.m. on Sunday at the Penn State Lacrosse Field.
How they got here: The Minutewomen (18-2) come into Sunday’s matchup riding high on the heels of a convincing, 14-10 victory over New England rival Connecticut on Friday. After enduring a 90-minute weather delay, UMass came out of the break hot and finished the first half on a 5-2 run to open up an 8-4 halftime lead. While the two sides traded goals for much of the second half, UMass was never in danger of losing its lead and cruised to a victory to advance to Sunday’s second round. The Minutewomen were led offensively by Sam Rush and Katie Ferris, who each scored four goals for the game.
Penn State’s path to the second round was not as comfortable, barely squeaking by Canisius, 14-13. With a slim lead going into the half, the Lady Lions (13-6) found themselves trailing midway through the second half and had to play catch-up. After taking a 14-12 lead with just under a minute remaining, Penn State surrendered a late goal to cut its lead to only one, but held on to advance into the next round. Continue reading
