The 2007-08 Boston University sports scene features a mixture of seasoned veterans and highly touted newcomers. Four teams (men’s and women’s soccer, field hockey and men’s hockey) enter their respective seasons without a proven goalie, while the women’s ice hockey and lacrosse programs each boast a duo of netminders hoping to land the starting nod. On the hardwood, the men’s and women’s basketball squads look to improve on last winter’s subpar seasons, and the talent-laden softball team is eyeing a repeat last year’s dominance in America East.
Men’s Soccer: BU returns 15 letter winners and five starters from the 2006 squad, including its top three goal scorers in juniors Petur Sigurdsson (8), Jin Oh (5) and Neil Hlavaty (4). Coach Neil Roberts also introduces a nine-member rookie class ranked nationally in the Top 40 by CollegeSoccerNews.com. The site also named back Matt Bauchle-McFarland one of the Top 100 rookies to watch this season. The Terriers, picked second in the America East Preseason Poll, are coming off a 10-4-5 campaign that ended in a semifinal-round loss to Binghamton University in the conference tournament. Anchored by senior back Zach Kirby and senior goalkeeper Zach Riffett, BU’s defense allowed just 12 goals last season while notching eight shutouts. But an inconsistent offense plagued the Terriers, as BU dropped six one-goal decisions.
Season Outlook: The 2007 squad promises to be more balanced than its predecessor, with senior co-captains Paul Mignogna and Derek Puerta leading the defensive unit in support of Hlavaty, Oh and Sigurdsson. Riffett’s absence, though, could spell trouble as BU searches for a viable replacement in net.
Women’s Soccer: The Terriers enter the 2007 season with great expectations, but preseason hype is nothing new to coach Nancy Feldman’s crew. For the fourth straight season, BU was tabbed the favorite in America East’s Preseason Poll, this year with a unanimous selection. Last season’s conference Rookie of the Year, Farrell McClernon, and Midfielder of the Year Marisha Schumacher-Hodge are among eight returning starters who helped garner an NCAA Tournament berth last fall. The 2006 squad rolled to a 13-5-3 overall record and became just the second team in conference history to receive an at-large NCAA bid. Feldman’s recruiting class, named America East’s best by Soccer Buzz Magazine for the sixth time in seven years, includes seven newcomers expected to help fill the void left by BU’s most productive ’07 graduates, forward Lauren Erwin and goalkeeper Stephanie Dreyer.
Season Outlook: Like their male counterparts, the Lady Terriers’ shaky goalkeeping situation is a major factor heading into the season. The efforts of the inexperienced keepers, coupled with the contributions of McClernon and Schumacher-Hodge, will decide the Terriers’ fate.
Field Hockey: One year removed from a 14-7 season and an NCAA Tournament appearance, the America East preseason favorites have been awarded a daunting schedule this fall. Led by tri-captains Hadley Adams, Sarah Hudak and Pam Spuehler, BU plays five NCAA Tournament teams in 2007, including national semifinalists Duke University, the University of Connecticut and the University of Maryland. The tri-captains boast 178 games of experience over the past three seasons for coach Sally Starr’s two-time defending America East champions. BU returns eight players who combined to score 46 of the team’s 56 goals last season. Starr also welcomes a trio of rookies this year, including heralded goalkeeper Kim Kastuk. With the graduation of four-year starter Erin Prediger, Kastuk is expected to compete for a starting position.
Season Outlook: The presence of returning scorers Hayley Hamada and Sarah Shute lessens the possibility of prolonged scoring droughts, but how long it takes for Kastuk to adjust to the collegiate level will dictate BU’s success.
Men’s Hockey: It’s impossible to ‘replace’ a great player, never mind an iconic one. Instead, goalies Brett Bennett and Karson Gillespie will attempt to forge their own legacy this season after the graduation of legendary netminder John Curry. And while the goaltender battle may be the most intriguing storyline of the upcoming season, there are several other areas of concern given the departure of players not named Curry. Coach Jack Parker addressed those needs in the offseason, signing seven recruits to complement his returnees, including touted defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, who was selected by the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of June’s NHL Draft. BU’s challenging schedule features a two-game set against non-conference rival the University of Michigan at Yost Arena in late October before the Terriers invade Madison Square Garden on Thanksgiving Weekend for a much-anticipated tilt against Cornell University. In addition to Curry, BU lost stalwart defensemen Kevin Schaeffer and Sean Sullivan from last year’s 20-10-9 squad that earned an at-large NCAA Tournament berth.
Season Outlook: Unlike last season, the Terriers cannot afford to rely on goaltending and must provide consistent offensive support for Bennett or Gillespie, both of whom have yet to play regularly at the collegiate level.
Women’s Hockey: The combination of youth and experience is prized in team sports, and the 2007-08 Terriers boast plenty of both. In its third season as an NCAA program, BU is poised for a banner year after a 19-win campaign highlighted by an upset victory over Frozen Four finalist Boston College and an appearance in the Beanpot final. Coach Brian Durocher returns his talented goaltending tandem of junior Allyse Wilcox and sophomore Melissa Haber, who both saw regular playing time last winter. Despite losing senior co-captain Cara Hendry to graduation, the Terriers’ core unit is otherwise intact. Red-shirt sophomore Laurel Koller, BU’s leading scorer two years ago, is expected to return after sitting out the 2006-07 season due to injury. Durocher also added a trio of rookie forwards over the summer. Junior co-captains Gina Kearns and Sarah Russell lead BU against an impressive slate of opponents this season, including five NCAA Tournament squads. The Terriers, who host this year’s Beanpot Tournament at Walter Brown Arena, make their first-ever appearance at Agganis Arena on Jan. 26 against the University of Maine.
Season Outlook: BU has a bright future, and a successful 2007-08 season would be a major step toward national prominence. Haber and Wilcox are equally worthy of a starting position, but Durocher doesn’t necessarily need to decide on a No. 1 netminder. Instead, he can settle into a rotation to preserve their stamina down the stretch.
Men’s Basketball: Following a mass exodus of scholarship players in recent years, the Terriers are primed for a breakout season thanks to a talented nucleus that took major developmental steps last winter. BU’s gifted group of sophomore guards includes defending conference Rookie of the Year Tyler Morris, All-Rookie selection Corey Lowe and sharpshooter Carlos Strong. As freshmen, the trio combined for 37 points per game, as the Terriers waded through a 12-18 season that ended in the semifinal round of the America East Tournament. Despite losing primary shot blocker Omari Peterkin to graduation, coach Dennis Wolff bolstered the team’s frontcourt depth with the offseason signings of center Matt Killen and forwards Will Creekmore and John Holland. Sophomore forwards Scott Brittain and Valdas Sirutis are also expected to anchor the interior and complement the outside shooting of Morris, Lowe and Strong.
Season Outlook: BU lost its fair share of close games last season with a core comprised of mostly underclassmen. One year later, the experience of Morris, Lowe and Strong should translate to an improved overall record and a run at the America East title.
Women’s Basketball: How exactly do the Terriers account for more than 22 points per game left by departed seniors Erica Kovach and Katie Meinhardt? There’s no easy answer for coach Kelly Greenberg, and a host of candidates will be called on in 2007-08 to supply much-needed scoring. The obvious choice to emerge as the No. 1 scorer is senior guard Cheri Raffo, who matched Kovach with a 9.3 ppg average a year ago. Juniors Kristi Dini and Amarachi Umez-Eronini and sophomore Aly Hinton also enjoyed breakout seasons in 2006-07. BU returns five players – including three starters in Dini, Hinton and Raffo – who appeared in at least 29 games during last year’s 15-15 season.
Season Outlook: There’s no downplaying the loss of Kovach and Meinhardt, but the three remaining starters must carry the load offensively for BU to contend in America East.
Softball: Last spring’s sparkling 34-14 season came to an abrupt conclusion in the America East Tournament, but don’t expect a significant dropoff from these perennial contenders. Sophomore Megan Currier, the defending conference Pitcher of the Year, returns to build on last season’s 18 wins and 2.20 earned-run average. And while the graduation of slugger Chiya Louie may dent BU’s run production, coach Shawn Rychcik welcomes back four .300 hitters in AE Player of the Year Christy Leath, Melissa Dubay, AE Rookie of the Year Rachel Hebert and Shayne Lotito.
Season Outlook: Pitching depth behind Currier is questionable, but Currier herself burst onto the scene last season as a freshman, leaving the possibility of another rookie phenom to emerge this coming spring. Offensively, BU should maintain the success it enjoyed a year ago due to its wealth of quality bats.
Lacrosse: BU’s recent America East dominance has been downright dynastic, and the 2008 squad is poised for an unprecedented fourth straight conference tournament title and NCAA Tournament appearance. Coach Liz Robertshaw lost key contributors to graduation in defender Noelle Hopper and attacker Angie Martin, but BU boasts an array of capable replacements with proven track records. Junior Sarah Dalton, who tallied an America East-best 47 goals during the 2007 regular season, joins senior Lauren Morton and defending AE Rookie of the Year Traci Landy to form a fearsome scoring trio in support of goalkeepers Jenna Golden and Rachel Klein. The Terriers return six of their top seven scorers from last year’s 13-5 squad, while adding nine newcomers.
Season Outlook: Scoring won’t be an issue for this club, but the goalkeeping situation is worth monitoring. Both Golden and Klein showed flashes of brilliance last season, and another year of experience should translate to improved results this spring.
