Richmond has done it again. For the second straight year and the fourth time since 2018, the Spiders downed UMass in the Atlantic 10 title game, this time by a score of 14-13.
Grace Muldoon paced the Spiders on Sunday with four goals, two assists, six draw controls, two ground balls and a caused turnover. Alexis Morton netted four points on an assist and three goals, including the game-winner.
Jordan Dean led the game with 15 draw controls, and Kassidy Morris finished with four goals and one assist for UMass. The loss ended the Minutewomen’s 12-game winning streak, which included a 13-12 win over the Spiders to close the regular season on April 27.
Richmond, which beat Marquette in the first round of last year’s NCAA tournament, will learn its opponent tonight during the Selection Show on ESPN2 at 9 p.m. UMass sits at No. 25 in RPI. The Minutewomen made the NCAA tournament as an at-large last season, but that’s not a guarantee this spring, a wild one in Division I women’s lacrosse.
Richmond grabbed an early 6-1 lead, but UMass closed the half on a 5-1 run, including each of the final three goals of the second quarter, to trim the margin to one, 7-6, at the break.
The momentum continued to swing in the Minutewomen’s favor in the third quarter. A pair of goals from Charlotte Wilmoth in the opening five minutes of the half tied the game and gave UMass its first lead, 8-7, at 10:03. Skylar Simmonds completed a string of six unanswered goals and an 8-1 run overall with a tally that extended UMass’ edge to 9-7 at 6:43.
The game of runs ended there, as no team could string together more than two straight goals the rest of the way. One of those instances came when Morton scored from the 8-meter, and Colleen Quinn followed to put Richmond in front 13-12 with 5:56 left. But a Simmonds goal 37 ticks later tied it at 13.
UMass controlled the ensuing draw, but Caroline Murphy caused a turnover and picked up the ground ball. The Spiders cleared it, and Morton circled from behind the net and beat UMass defender Audra Tosone falling down to give Richmond a 14-13 edge with 3:15 to play.
UMass got one shot off in the closing minute — a Wilmoth try that Abby Francioli stopped with 43 ticks left. Leah Kenny was there for the ground ball scoop.
The final score marked the fourth time since 2017 that the two teams have been separated by one goal in the conference tournament final. UMass won 13-12 in 2017, with the Spiders claiming a pair of overtime victories in 2018 and 2019. Richmond returned to the title game for the first time since 2019 last year, upending UMass, again the top seed, 20-13.
