AMHERST, Mass. – Second-seeded Massachusetts exploded for four goals in the second and third quarters to defeat No. 3 Lock Haven in the Atlantic 10 Field Hockey Championship semifinals Thursday at Gladchuk Field Hockey Complex.
 
The homestanding Minutewomen (15-5) advance to the title game to face top-seeded Saint Joseph’s Saturday at noon. It will mark the 25^th appearance in the championship final for UMass, which will be seeking its 17^th title. It will also mark the sixth straight year the host institution has played in the final.
 
Trialing by one midway through the second quarter, Paula Lorenzini placed a perfect ball in the stick of Jess Beech who guided it into the back of the right corner of the goal following a penalty corner insertion in the 25^th minute. Less than four minutes after assisting on the equalizer, Lorenzini gave UMass the lead off a penalty corner with help from Steph Gottwals and Emilie Kiej to give the Minutewomen a 2-1 lead heading into halftime.
 
Lock Haven’s Jazmin Palma had given the Bald Eagles the early lead, putting a penalty stroke into the left corner of the goal to beat Massachusetts’ Myrte van Herwijnen and put LHU up one in the 16^th minute.
 
Palma repeated the penalty stroke feat in the 40^th minute for Lock Haven’s second goal, pulling the Bald Eagle within one after a Gottwals goal in the 33^rd minute off a pass from Aisling Murray extended the UMass lead to two goals.
 
But just over a minute after Palma pulled LHU within one, UMass struck again when A-10 Rookie of the Year Mali Herberhold sent a pass to a waiting Mia Smith in the middle of the circle to give the Minutewomen their final tally.
 
Shots taken by both teams were nearly identical with SJU holding a 13-12 lead. Lock Haven had 11 corners, but were unable to convert any of them to goals, while the Minutewomen scored twice off their six corners. Van Herwijnen made six saves for UMass, only allowing the two penalty stroke goals. Kelsey Feelix made two saves for LHU (12-7).