Last season the Minutewomen finished with a strong 16-3 record. All three of their losses came against opponents who were ranked in the final poll of the season. UMass came up short in the A10 championship game losing against Richmond 20-13. They also struggled in their NCAA tournament game against Johns Hopkins falling 19-8.
However, the Minutewomen dominated their regular season schedule posting a 15-1 record including perfect regular season records at home and in conference play.
UMass is currently ranked 20th in the country according to Inside Lacrosse just behind conference foe Richmond who they play in the regular season finale on April 27. Similar to last season, UMass will open up regular season competition against Boston College. The Eagles are ranked second in the country right now and coming off back to back seasons as runner-ups nationally.
The Minutewomen will also have another ranked matchup at home on April 17, against UConn who currently sit at 22nd in the rankings. UMass has won 11 of the last 13 matchups against UConn dating back to 2010.
Attacker Fiona McGowan and defender Audra Tosone both return to the Minutewomen as USA Lacrosse Magazine’s Preseason All-America Honorable Mentions.
McGowan is entering her fifth season as a member of the women’s lacrosse team, but had a breakout season in 2023. McGowan started all 19 games and picked up national attention finishing with 48 assists in the season which was eighth in the entire country. Her 92 points on the season were good for 11th in the country as well. McGowan’s 2.53 assists per game and 4.84 points per game also led the entire A10 Conference.
Tosone was voted A10 Defender of the Year last season. Her numbers held up across the country too as she posted the sixth highest caused turnovers per game as well with 2.32. Tosone has spent four seasons with UMass and picked up a lot of experience starting in 44 of 47 games. She will look to build on an impressive season where she nabbed A10 defender of the week four times.
Last season the Minutewomen had a dynamic tandem in net between Catrina Tobin and Gina Carroll. Tobin led the A10 in goals against average with just 8.01, while Carroll was just behind in 3rd with 9.93.
However, Carroll has now graduated leaving Tobin in sole possession of the starting role in net. Tobin is now in her third season with UMass, but redshirted in 2022. Her stellar play in 2023 awarded her with two-time A10 Rookie of the Week honors and a spot on the A10 All-Rookie Team.
Behind her in the net will be Bridgette Wall and Gianna Cameron. Wall has played in 21 games over three seasons with UMass but only saw action in one during 2023 making two saves. Cameron, a transfer from the University of Oregon did not make an appearance last season.
Another notable player for UMass is defender Jordan Dean. Originally from Canada, Dean has spent three seasons with the Minutewomen and has become one of the best in the country inside the draw circle. Last season her 7.53 draw controls per game were second in the A10 and 10th nationally.
Dean’s tremendous play awarded her with a First Team All Northeast Region selection according to the Inside Women’s Lacrosse Coaching Association (IWLCA). McGowan and Tosone were also awarded with the same honor.
A few other key players include midfielder Charlotte Wilmoth who finished with 46 goals last season and 2.42 per game which was 10th in the conference. Wilmoth will look to continue her role as leading scorer on the team.
Freshman Ava Connaughton is another player who could have an immediate impact this season. Inside Lacrosse listed her as one of the top-100 freshmen nationally going into this season. The attacker is also the sister of former Minutewoman Haley Connaughton who finished her career with UMass in 2022.
UMass will also be welcoming two new transfers to their squad for the 2024 season. First, midfielder Skylar Simmonds. She began her collegiate career at Bryant and started 39 games in her four seasons there. During her time there she scored 100 goals and earned All-NEC Second Team honors twice.
The second transfer, Delaney Rodruigez-Shaw is originally from Longmeadow, Massachusetts but began her career with Duquesne. Rodruigez-Shaw had a very successful 2023 campaign tallying 3.19 goals per game which was tied for best in the A10. She will attempt to fill the hole that Alex Finn left behind for the Minutewomen attack group.
The Minutewomen coaching staff went through changes in the offseason. They brought in Dani Ellis to work with the offense and Lia Laprise to work closely with the defense and goalies.
Ellis comes to UMass after two seasons of being an assistant at Middlebury College where her squad won back to back DIII national titles. While at Middlebury she was a member of a staff that won 2023 Coaching Staff of the Year honors according to the IWLCA.
Laprise is a first time head coach and former standout with UConn. She finished her playing career last season as the all time leader in career points and assists with UConn. UMass will be her first collegiate coaching job.
Overall, the pieces are poised for UMass to make another run at the A10 championship and take another shot at bringing NCAA tournament glory back to Amherst.
