UMass will take on Temple on Friday at 2 p.m.
UMass field hockey coach Carla Tagliente is hoping to lead UMass to an Atlantic 10.AMHERST – In most sports, a top 25 ranking gets you an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.
That is not the case for the 19th-ranked University of Massachusetts field hockey team, according to coach Carla Tagliente, as they prepare to host the Atlantic 10 semifinals and finals this weekend at Garber Field. Tagliente believes her team needs to win this weekend’s tournament to get a berth in the NCAAs.
“We have a very strong schedule, but so do a lot of the teams that we’re going to be on the bubble with,” Tagliente said. “We’re looking at this like we need to win it.”
After defeating No. 1 Syracuse on Oct. 11, the Minutewomen went 6-0, shredding most of the Atlantic 10.
“I think a switch hit for us after the Syracuse game,” senior defender Thando Zono said. “I think we’ve had very good momentum, winning games and actually having things come together.”
The team’s lone conference blemish, a 1-0 defeat, came at Richmond on Oct. 6. That ultimately cost UMass the chance to be the No. 1 seed this weekend on its home turf. The Minutewomen ended up with a 6-1 conference record, 12-8 overall.
UMass will play No. 3 seed Temple at 2 p.m. Friday, with a potential rematch with No. 16 Richmond looming Saturday if both teams take care of business. The Minutewomen beat Temple 4-1 at Garber Field last Friday, and although they’ve been cautioned about looking too far ahead, senior forward Nicole Cordero said what lies ahead is on everyone’s minds.
“Carla told us that we just need to take one game at a time. I know a lot of people are looking toward Richmond, but we can’t get there unless we beat Temple,” Cordero said. “We really just need to focus, but I know it’s on my mind. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thinking about going to the (NCAA) tournament.”
Senior midfielder Kim Young, senior defender Thando Zono and sophomore defender Lauren Allymohamed, along with Cordero, were named first-team All-Atlantic 10 selections Thursday. Allymohamed was also named the conference’s defensive player of the year.
Tagliente said the return of Zono, who missed all of last season with a torn ACL and parts of this season with a concussion and a death in the family (which required her to travel to her native South Africa), has made a clear difference in her team’s play.
“Having her back consistently has been helpful,” Tagliente said. “She’s an outstanding player. She does whatever we need in the game. She can score goals, really top quality international goals, but she can also be a really outstanding tackler.”
The team will need everyone to chip as it aims this weekend for the Atlantic 10 championship.