With a 5-4 record, the No. 17 Boston University field hockey team looks to be having an average season so far to the casual observer, yet many of their losses have come from highly ranked teams, with the most recent coming on Sunday from No. 5 Syracuse University.
The Terriers plan to use the 3-2 loss to the Orange as a building block for the upcoming conference schedule, which begins this Saturday with a game against the University of Vermont.
Offense. . .
With America East Conference play beginning this weekend, the team is on track to surpass its offensive output from last year. The Terriers have more shots and goals than their opponents this season and are ranked 17th nationally in scoring average and 14th in scoring margin. With a total of 28 goals, the Terriers are on target to surpass the 35 goals they scored in 2010.
“The offense is definitely a strong point compared to last year,” said BU coach Sally Starr. “Lots of people are scoring, not just one person.”
Roughly half the team has contributed to the offense, with 12 different Terriers scoring and 11 assisting in those goals.
One of the strongholds in the Terriers’ offense this season has been junior midfielder Macey Gaumond. The 5-foot-10 Terrier has a team-high seven goals on 24 shots, including 21 shots on goal. Compared to her sophomore season, in which she started 18 contests and scored one goal with one assist, Gaumond has come a long way, a change Starr attributed to her new position on the offensive line.
“It was a good move,” Starr said. “She is a talented athlete and goal scorer.”
BU has averaged 3.11 goals per game, a number almost three times the goals per game of their opponents (1.32).
. . .And Defense
The Terrier defense, led by freshman goalkeeper Valentina Cerda and senior fullback Kate Murphy, ranks 12th in the nation in goals against and tied for 10th in shutout percentage.
Yet Starr believes there is room for improvement.
“Our corner defense is excellent,” Starr said, “but we’ve been giving up too many corners due to undisciplined tackling.”
Cerda is now 7-4 on the season and has let five goals reach the backboard. Her 1.08 goals against average ranks 7th in the NCAA and she has a team-high 27 saves, ranked first in the NCAA with a save percentage of .844. Fellow goalkeepers, senior Julie Collins and junior Jess Maroney, both contribute to the defense as well.
“All three are great kids,” Starr said. “They respect each other and have fun together. They compete, but it is a healthy situation. They encourage and push each other.”
Corners, Corners, Corners
Converting penalty corners into points is something the Terriers struggled with last year and it is something they are focusing on again this season. The 2010 Terriers earned more penalty corners than their opponents by a significant margin of 116 to 71, but they were unable to convert those corners into goals.
“The field last year was in poor condition,” Starr said of team’s “home” field at MIT. “You need a smooth surface. We have the components to get better.”
In an attempt to improve their corner game, the team dedicates 20-30 minutes to corners every practice. This year, the Terriers have 42 corners while their opponents have 53, a disparity due in large part to the 12 corners Syracuse earned on Sunday. That said, the Terriers have scored just two goals on their 42 corners.
She passes, she scores!
Starr emphasized the importance of opening up the passing lanes and using less time to dribble when bringing the ball up the field after the Terriers’ 1-0 loss to Boston College. Two weeks later, the team passed efficiently in their 3-0 win against the University of Massachusetts, but its approach broke down in its 3-2 loss against Syracuse.
“We are not doing what we need to do,” Starr said. “We need to do more in less space and less time and we will be working on that in practice this week.”
No place like home
While the Terriers only have seven home games compared to 11 away games this season, traveling either to Harvard University or Boston College makes the team harder to access for the fan base.
Yet, the members of Terrier Nation have managed to make it to the home games so far. With a total attendance of 809, which is on its way to beating last year’s season attendance of 840, the fans remain an important presence for the team.
“It’s great to see the other athletes that come to support as well,” Starr said. “College field hockey is nothing like high school field hockey – it’s a combination of soccer and hockey and is very fast-paced.
“The next two home games, we’re playing a conference team and a nationally ranked team. They’re huge for us, so it would be great to have some support from students. BC is a great venue with an intimate field and a great environment.”
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