The Boston University field hockey team’s inaugural season in the Patriot League came to a close at the Patriot League Tournament this weekend in Washington, D.C.
The Terriers (13-7, 5-1 Patriot League) entered the conference tournament as the No. 2 seed. Host American University, Bucknell University and Lafayette College (6-12, 3-3 Patriot League) filled the first, third and fourth spots, respectively.
BU faced Bucknell (8-10, 4-2 Patriot League) in the semifinal round Friday afternoon, defeating the Bison 1-0, but then fell to American (14-5, 6-0 Patriot League) the next day by a score of 3-0 in the championship game.
In an intense tilt where the Terriers were actually outshot by an 11-7 margin, BU came away with a win to punch its ticket to the finals in its first season in the Patriot League.
BU broke through against Bucknell in the 26th minute on an unassisted goal by senior fullback Ysi Schieb. The Australia native dribbled around the Bucknell defense while she made her way into BU’s attacking third, firing a swift backhanded shot off from the top right of the circle as she fell to the ground. The ball sailed past the Bison goalkeeper Erica Perrine and found the netting to put the Terriers up 1-0.
Schieb’s score was the only goal BU would need as junior goalkeeper Valentina Cerda Eimbcke added another shutout to her résumé in a seven-save performance.
“[It was a] tough-fought game against Bucknell,” said BU coach Sally Starr. “They were an outstanding opponent, and we competed well, and we competed hard and we came out with a very good victory against a very good team.”
BU came into Saturday’s contest looking to beat the odds. The No. 1 seed in the Patriot League had won the title in nine of the last 10 tournaments coming into the 2013 final, favoring top-seeded American.
Both teams tallied nine shots, but the Eagles earned eight attack penalty corners to the Terriers’ two. The Eagles used these chances to net their trio of goals, as each of the three tallies was the direct result of a penalty corner.
American scored in the 31st, 35th and 53rd minutes of the game, with two goals from midfielder Shelly Montgomery and one from forward Alex McMackin.
Looking to gain an edge on the field, BU pulled Eimbcke with 16 minutes left in the game but was unsuccessful in its attempts to get on the board, falling 3-0 to the Eagles.
“It was a really even match on the hockey field,” Starr said. “They definitely took advantage of some of the corners that they got. I was really proud of our team. We competed, even at 2-0, 3-0, we competed to the very last second … This team never had any quit in them, they never gave up. They really believed they could win the game until that last whistle blew.”
Closing the book on a season like this one has been tough for the Terriers, due in part to the fact that the program is graduating eight seniors who, according to Starr, have more than made their mark on the team.
“It’s a senior class where they impacted this program on the field and off the field,” Starr said. “We had quite a few seniors that really didn’t see a lot of playing time but were huge members of this team and great leadership. And the girls who were playing, they played hard, and they played well … They’re a team that really played for each other and supported each other. They worked hard and really had an outstanding season in every way.”
Although the Terriers are still in the “grieving process,” as Starr put it, a light still shines for the future the Terriers in its young players, who showed this season that they were ready for action every game and ready to deliver in every game.
The top three points leaders on the team were freshman forward Amanda Cassera, who had 16 points on eight goals, sophomore midfielder Sofi Laurito, who recorded 16 points on eight goals as well and freshman midfielder Hester van der Laan, who collected 13 points on four goals and five assists.
“If you really look at, not only the freshmen but the sophomores that we have, [they’re going to] be the nucleus of the team for the next two years,” Starr said. “With that talent on top of the legacy that our seniors just left about hard work and being healthy in the locker room and loving each other and supporting each other, I think our future’s very bright.”
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