The University of Massachusetts men’s lacrosse team lost to No. 3 Richmond, 11-7, in the Atlantic 10 Semifinal on April 30. The match took place in Richmond, Virginia. Massachusetts ended its season with a record of 10-6, while Richmond advanced to the conference title game at 13-1.
This game was significant as it marked the end of the season for Massachusetts and allowed Richmond to move forward in pursuit of an Atlantic 10 championship.
Freshman Thomas Bagnall led Massachusetts with three goals. Sophomore Jack Turowsky contributed two goals and one assist, while senior Zach Auble collected five ground balls and caused two turnovers. For Richmond, Aidan O’Neil recorded seven points with three goals and four assists. Joe Sheridan, Gavin Creo, and Daniel Picart each scored twice for the Spiders.
Richmond started strong by scoring three quick goals within the first few minutes of play before Turowsky put UMass on the board midway through the first quarter. O’Neil continued his scoring run for Richmond into the second quarter as part of a stretch that pushed their lead to five at halftime.
In the second half, both teams traded goals but UMass was unable to close the gap despite narrowing it early in the fourth quarter after scores from Bagnall and freshman Colin Coyle. However, Richmond’s defense prevented further comeback attempts and added insurance tallies late in regulation.
Statistically, Richmond finished with a substantial advantage in shots (38-29) and ground balls (32-24). UMass went scoreless on extra man opportunities but successfully defended all five man-down situations faced during play. In goalkeeping performances, sophomore Owen Salanger made 17 saves for UMass while Connor Knight stopped 13 shots for Richmond.
As Massachusetts concludes its season following this semifinal defeat, attention turns toward next year’s campaign.
