Duke University is known for basketball. Simple as that.
But Sunday, the field hockey version of the Blue Devils will take on No. 14 Boston University on Boston College’s field. Before BU’s much-anticipated bout with No. 15 Duke, it will take on a difficult University of New Hampshire (6-4) team today at Jack Barry Field.
The Terriers (8-2) have plowed through their opponents lately, extending their winning streak to five after a 3-0 victory over the then-No. 15 University of Virginia last weekend. Senior midfielder Pam Spuehler earned America East Player of the Week honors two weeks ago and senior midfielder Hayley Hamada garnered the same award Monday. Contributions from the two standout Terriers are a large part of the reason why the team has won five in a row.
“It could really be anyone,” said BU associate head coach Tracey Paul. “Everyone is stepping it up well.”
Though Hamada and Spuehler had the statistics to back up their awards, there were other players who exhibited exceptional performances.
“The goals have really been a result of good team hockey,” Paul said. “They don’t pick players without stats, but there are some players who are the ‘unsung heroes.’ Everyone is stepping it up for UNH.”
The Wildcats are just one of many foes standing between BU’s quest for America East supremacy and a ticket to the NCAA Tournament.
“We definitely want to take care of our conference,” Paul said. “Winning conference games is a good way to compete for the automatic NCAA bid.”
The competition will definitely be fierce, as UNH brings a highly skilled team to Boston. Goalkeeper Margaux Shute has done her best brick wall impression between the posts this season, posting a 281-minute shutout streak that ended in a 6-0 loss to Michigan State University. Shute, who boasts a 1.75 goals-against average per game, has a 6-4 record in 10 appearances this season.
On the other side of the field, the forward tandem of Sarah Craigue and Shauna Sellenger will try to hand Shute a lead to protect. Craigue, who leads the Wildcats in goals and points, has found the perfect counterpart in Sellenger, who leads the team in assists and trails Craigue by one point for the team lead.
While the Wildcats are a polished team, the true test for BU comes Sunday, when the Terriers face a team directly on their heels in the national polls.
Duke, which began the season ranked fourth nationally, has fallen into a tailspin, plummeting to 15th in the polls following losses to University of North Carolina, Old Dominion University and Wake Forest University — all top-20 teams. After rebounding with a win over Richmond University, the Blue Devils are poised to turn a corner in their season.
Junior midfielder Marian Dickinson, who paces the Blue Devils in points with six assists and two goals for 10 points, will look to spark an offense that has been Duke’s weakness all season.
There is no clear weakness in net for Duke, as Caitlin Williams has played all 700 minutes this season. The senior has an impressive 1.63 goals-against average and .778 save percentage to go along with three shutouts.
Facing tough goaltending all weekend, a change in BU’s offensive strategy might seem necessary, but don’t count on it. The Terriers have outscored their opponents, 31-12, on the season, averaging 3.10 goals per game.
“We are continuing to focus on scoring low in the circle,” Paul said. “We have to expect nothing and work for everything.”
They’ll certainly have their work cut out for them this weekend, but the Terriers aren’t ready to focus on the big picture just yet. As is customary for two-game weekends, the Terriers will worry about today’s game, putting the Blue Devils out of mind until after the UNH contest.
“We want to focus on UNH right now,” Paul said. “Right now we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves.”
