George Mason University Athletics

Lacrosse Hosts No. 19 UMass on Friday in A-10 Home Opener

George Mason Athletics Women's Lacrosse 4/7/2016 12:32:00 PM

FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason women's lacrosse team rides a hot streak as it returns home.

Waiting for the Patriots will be a team that hasn't lost a conference game in nearly six years.

Mason welcomes in No. 19 Massachusetts at 6 p.m. on Friday in its Atlantic 10 Conference home opener at George Mason Stadium for the Mason Game of the Week. Both the Patriots and Minutewomen enter on five-game winning streaks and share the top spot in the A-10 with perfect 2-0 marks in league play.

UMass (9-1, 2-0 A-10), however, remains the team to beat in the A-10. The Minutewomen have won 38 straight conference games, tying them for the longest mark in NCAA history as Northwestern also won 38 consecutive league games from 2005 to 2011. UMass, the seven-time defending conference champ, last lost an A-10 contest on April 18, 2010.

The Patriots, who joined the A-10 before the 2014 season, are 0-3 all-time against the Minutewomen. Two of those losses came last year, including a 12-3 setback in the semifinals of the Atlantic 10 Tournament.

This season, Mason (7-2, 2-0) is off to its best start since 2008. The Patriots have also won their first two conference games for the first time in 16 years. They are led by a balanced scoring attack in Jacquelyn Spalding (21 goals, nine assists), Alexa McGovern (21 goals, two assists), Chachi Kelehan (20 goals, seven assists) and Brooke Lorber (13 goals, 11 assists).

Mason ranks second in the A-10 in assists per game (5.44) and third in goals per game (12.22). The defense has also been stout, allowing just 8.44 goals per game for third-fewest in the conference. Their .465 save percentage is also third-best in the league. On Monday, defender Kira Greer was named the A-10 Defensive Player of the Week and goalkeeper Elizabeth Benedetto was tabbed the Rookie of the Week.

UMass is paced by senior Nicole Troost, who was named the A-10 Co-Player of the Week on Monday. Troost leads the conference with 33 goals in 10 games. Senior Erika Eipp tops the A-10 with 23 assists. The Minutewomen average league-best 13.7 goals while allowing a league-low 6.1 goals a game.

After Friday's tilt, Mason will welcome in Davidson (4-5, 1-1) at 12 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free to both games at George Mason Stadium this weekend.

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