MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. - The 2026 MAC Women's Lacrosse Championship is coming to Moon Township as No.4 RMU (6-11, 3-4 MAC) is slated to open up the championship against No. 1 UMass (14-2, 7-0 MAC) on Thursday morning in the first semifinal game of the day. First draw is slated for 11:00 a.m. in Joe Walton Stadium, and the contest will be streamed live on ESPN+.
RMU LATELY
The Colonials clinched the No. 4 seed in the tournament after closing out the regular season with a 15-5 win over Detroit Mercy at home last Saturday.
In the win, RMU posted a season-high 15 goals, led by Mia Berthoff with four. Samantha Brothers, Taylor Cadeau, and Madison Prietz all recorded hat tricks in the win, each securing three goals apiece. Greta Burns and Amanda Dolis wrapped up the scoring, each posting one goal in the win. In the assist department, Lea Otts continues to dominate, with Otts posting a career-high six assists in the win over the Titans. Otts leads RMU with 26 assists on the season.
As a team, the Colonials took 35 shots on the afternoon, with 24 coming on goal. RMU was also nearly perfect in clears, going 21-for-23 on the afternoon.
In goal, Lucy Carney secured her fifth win of the season, moving to 5-6. Carney recorded seven saves in the win while allowing just five goals. RMU will head into the championship on a two-game win streak.
REGULAR SEASON IN REVIEW
RMU finished the regular season with a 6-11 overall record and a 3-4 mark in the MAC. The Colonials are currently ranked fifth in the MAC for goals per game, with Mia Berthoff leading the way for RMU with 32 goals. Berthoff also leads the Colonials in points with 44 on the season and is just two shy of 100 points for her career. RMU is also top-five in the conference in assists per game, with RMU currently ranked fourth after posting 3.71 assists per game, led by freshman Lea Otts, who has a team-leading 26 assists as mentioned earlier.
This season, the Colonials had three players earn weekly honors in the regular season, with Anabel Kreydt being named the MAC Defensive Player of the Week on April 21, Lucy Carney being named MAC Goalkeeper of the Week on April 7, and Berthoff earning MAC Offensive Player of the Week honors back on February 23.
RMU AND UMASS HISTORY
This will be just the second meeting between the pair, and the first in the postseason, with UMass taking the first matchup 18-6 in Moon Township on March 28.
LAST DRAW
Taylor Burkett had a big day for the Colonials, recording five points on four assists and one goal on the afternoon. Samantha Brothers and Madison Prietz each recorded a pair of goals, while Gabi Puzevic tallied one. Prietz also recorded four groundballs, three caused turnovers, and four draw controls. Jenna Evans recorded a team-high six ground balls while Emma Hawks had five. In goal, Lucy Carney got the start and was tagged with the loss, allowing 15 goals while recording three saves in just over 42 minutes of action. Katrina Bottomley came in as relief, recording three saves while allowing three goals.
Looking at team stats, the Colonials were outshot 37-17 by the Minutewomen, with 12 of RMU's shots coming on goal. UMass recorded 16 turnovers compared to the Colonials 14 on the afternoon. The Minutewomen controlled the ground balls (39-27) and draw controls (17-8).
For UMass, Kassidy Morris led the Minutewomen with six goals in the win, followed by Dylan Lyons with four goals and two assists. Bayley Duffy went the full 60 in the net for the win. Duffy allowed six goals while making six saves.
SCOUTING UMASS
The Minutewomen are coming into the tournament as the No. 1 seed after securing the regular season title, with UMass posting a perfect 7-0 record against conference opponents. UMass is currently the second-best scoring offense in the country, behind North Carolina. The Minutewomen are averaging 17.19 goals a game, led by Kassidy Morris, who is ranked fifth in the country for goals per game with 3.94 per game and a total of 63 on the season. The Minutewomen will head to Moon Township on a 10-game winning streak dating back to March 10.
CHAMPIONSHIP INFO
RMU is slated to host the 2026 MAC Women's Championship in Moon Township from April 30 through May 2 at Joe Walton Stadium. Championship information can be found here: LACROSSE CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND
