Brown, Siena Pull Off Big Wins for First-Year Head Coaches

Brown is off to the races in the Katrina Dowd era.

The Bears are 2-0, with their marquee win coming against UMass on Saturday despite losing a four-goal lead in the fourth quarter. The Minutewomen fought back to tie the score at 14 with less than four minutes left.

UMass brought the pressure in the fourth quarter, Dowd said, but her team didn’t cave.

“Every timeout, [we said], ‘What can we do? What’s the next play?’” Dowd said. “The energy was really positive, excited.”

The Bears hung on for a 15-14 win punctuated by a goal from Greta Criqui with less than three minutes left. The victory over UMass, a team that’s annually ranked or on the cusp, was one of last weekend’s marquee upsets — and marked an emphatic start to Dowd’s tenure.

Hired in June 2023, Dowd had fall ball and the offseason to get to know her team. Still, her first game as Brown’s head coach felt “surreal.” She said it was meaningful to watch her players rush the field and share the moment with her assistants, who had “worked tirelessly” to prepare the Bears.

Brown was dynamic on offense, as senior attacker Mia Mascone tallied five goals and seven different players found the back of the net. Dowd said she was proud of the dangerous, sharp way they played attack and how they shared the ball.

But Dowd was most excited about the Bears’ spirit and togetherness.

“We were focused, determined and brought that electricity to show each other and everyone what we’re capable of,” Dowd said.

When she spoke to her team after the game, Dowd emphasized how proud she was of their performance and team play.

“The main message was when you’re together, you believe in each other and you put that fight out there, you can do big things,” Dowd said.

SIENA EARNS PROGRAM-BEST WIN

It was a big weekend for statement wins — from Notre Dame taking down then-No. 1 Northwestern to the Bears’ win over UMass.

Siena was among the teams to get in on the fun, earning its first-ever ranked win by taking down Army 12-11.

“We want to make sure this isn’t the only storyline of our season,” coach Danielle Schwan-Tetrault said. “We want to stay hungry and get ready to attack our next opponent. But a game-winner like that — there’s nothing like those emotions to end a game.”

The victory came after a tough contest against then-No. 14 Johns Hopkins on Feb. 11 in which the Saints fell 17-9 after entering the third quarter tied at 6.

Schwan-Tetrault walked away from that game knowing her team needed to put together a full 60 minutes of lacrosse.

“The game spiraled away from us,” Schwan-Tetrault said. “Moving into the week [before Army], we were concentrating on the controllables and making sure we were doing our jobs, staying consistent.”

It took a full four quarters for Siena to pull off the upset against Army. The Saints’ defense was staunch, led by a 12-save performance from Sabrina Krasner. Their scoring was well-distributed, as seven players netted goals — including four from Taryn Asselin, who also tallied 12 draw controls. Schwan-Tetrault said she was especially proud of Asselin’s play, as she had a career day after the early parts of her career had been marred by injuries.

Multiple freshmen scored, including Elizabeth Wamp, who hit the go-ahead goal with less than three minutes left.

The victory was also Schwan-Tetrault’s first as head coach after being elevated to the position in August 2023. The win meant a lot for her given her seven-year history at Siena. But she feels the Saints are just getting started.

“I’m just excited for the season ahead,” Schwan-Tetrault said. “We have a lot of potential.”