The Boston University lacrosse team has played at home only once so far in the 2012 season, something it will be doing again on Wednesday when the Terriers host Yale University.
The game was originally scheduled as BU’s home opener on Feb. 29, but snow forced postponement to this Wednesday.
“Once we knew that Yale game was cancelled three weeks ago, we put the scounting reports away and moved on to the next opponent,” said BU coach Liz Robertshaw. “We literally started from scratch [getting ready for Yale after spring break]. We get new and updated film. We look at some of the different tendencies that [Yale] is doing and then we bring that back to the team.”
The Terriers (3-4) instead played their first and only game of the season thus far at Nickerson Field two Saturdays ago, losing to University of Notre Dame, 14-11.
Last weekend, the team spent its spring break in Northern California. The Terriers beat the University of California, 14-13, on Wednesday and Saint Mary’s College, 18-9, on Saturday. The win streak is BU’s first of the season, but Robertshaw was quick to downplay it.
“We as a coaching staff really tried to hit home that this was a big week for us,” Robertshaw said. “For us, every game is its own thing and so we’re focusing on playing Yale and nothing in the past matters.”
In the game against Saint Mary’s, senior attack Catie Tilton set the program single-game record for assists with nine, more than doubling her season total. Tilton leads BU with 16 assists on the year.
Junior attack Danielle Etrasco has stepped slightly ahead of freshman attack Mallory Collins, becoming the Terriers top goal scorer with 26, four more than the rookie. Collins, who has 22 goals, earned America East Rookie of the Week honors for her play over the weekend.
Etrasco also leads the team in draw controls by a wide margin with 18, eight more than any other member of the team. Junior defender Monica Baumgartner is the only Terrier aside from sophomore goalkeeper Christina Sheridan in double digits for ground balls with 10. In front of the net, Sheridan has picked up 24.
Sheridan earned Defender of the Week honors from the America East Conference for her play last week in California, where she made 15 saves and allowed 20 goals. Junior goalkeeper Kim Elsworth also saw some playing time on the trip, and Robertshaw expressed confidence in her backup goalkeeper.
“Kim is ready to go whenever we need her, whether it’s Christina stumbling or whether it’s that I just feel I need Kim in cage, and I’m going to make that change,” Robertshaw said. “So, I think she’s doing a nice job, but I’m still looking at Christina as the starter [against Yale].”
Yale (2-3) is currently on a two-game slide after losing 12-6 to the University of Pennsylvania and 15-9 to the University of Notre Dame last week. Besides the Fighting Irish, the Bulldogs share only one other common opponent with BU: Dartmouth University. Yale lost to the Big Green 9-8, and BU shared a similar fate in a 13-6 loss.
Senior Caroline Crow and freshman Cathryn Avallone share the title of the Bulldogs’ leading goal scorer at nine goals apiece. Junior Devon Rhodes follows them with eight goals and freshman Kerri Fleishhacker has seven.
Freshman Christina Doherty has won 16 draw controls and picked up 10 ground balls, leading Yale in both categories. She does, however, share her title in the latter category with Avallone and sophomore Ashley McCormick.
Goalkeeper Whitney Quackenbush has started three of the past five games, in which 45 goals have made their way past her and she has made 28 saves. Sophomore goalkeeper Erin McMullan has seen action in three games, allowing 14 goals and making six saves over the course of 82:30 in front of the net.
Overall, Robertshaw sees a strong threat from the Bulldogs.
“I think from Yale’s perspective, they’re going to be hungry for a win,” Robertshaw said. “They’ve played some very good competition, to be honest with you, from Penn to Notre Dame. I think Yale wants to come in here and get a win.”
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