Field Hockey, Sports

No. 15 field hockey defeats Harvard in tune-up for Patriot League Tournament

PHOTO BY OLIVIA NADEL/DFP FILE PHOTO
Senior midfielder Sofi Laurito racked up five points vs. Harvard, notching two of the three Terrier goals. PHOTO BY OLIVIA NADEL/DFP FILE PHOTO

In the 31st matchup between the two schools, the No. 15 Boston University field hockey team captured a 3-2 decision at Harvard University on Wednesday night.

BU (12-5, 6-0 Patriot League) followed up its dominant performance against Bucknell University with another convincing win against its rivals from Cambridge.

Even though the score indicated a close game, BU was in control the whole time, shutting Harvard (7-7) out until the last minutes of the game. Senior midfielder Sofi Laurito left her imprint on this one, contributing on all three goals in the victory.

The Terriers came out strong, scoring two goals in the first half while blanking Harvard on the defensive side.

BU’s leading goal-scorer, Laurito notched her first goal of the game 12 minutes into the contest, and later assisted on junior forward Sara Martineau’s goal at the 26:37 mark.

BU coach Sally Starr said she believes in Laurito, calling her one of the best players in the country.

“She’s dangerous,” Starr said of the Patriot League Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. “I really think she’s one of the best players in the country and with the horrific conditions, she really came up big with her two goals and a beautiful assist.”

Another goal did not arise until ten minutes were left in the contest, as both defenses stymied the opposition.

Even though the BU defense had shut out Harvard most of the game, Starr said her team was not as crisp on the defensive side in the second half.

“I thought our defense played pretty well,” Starr said. “We gave more chances in the second half because we were up, we let up and we had a lot of unforced turnovers.

“I think Harvard taught us how to manage at the end,” Starr added. “The struggles in the end will help us close teams out in the postseason.”

Late in the second half, Laurito would score her second goal of the game and 11th on the season, giving the Terriers a 3-0 cushion.

Junior goalkeeper Cammy Jensen followed up her Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week nod with another strong performance against the Crimson. Jensen tallied three saves and shut Harvard out until the final three minutes of the game.

With the game seemingly put away, Harvard senior Elizabeth Jacobson scored at the 67:01 mark, followed by forward Marissa Balleza’s score at the buzzer.

However, the Crimson’s sudden scoring burst wouldn’t matter as BU gathered its 12th win on the season. While this game marks BU’s second win in a row, Harvard saw its fourth loss in a row as its struggling play continues.

Next up for BU is No. 5 Wake Forest University on Sunday, as it looks to head into the Patriot League Tournament on a high note.

But Starr said she is wary of looking past a solid Wake Forest (12-4) team.

“We’re really focused on Wake Forest,” Starr said. “We’ve played tough against the other ACC teams this season, the difference here is it’s not a back-to-back, so we’ll be well rested.

“It’s another measurement for us,” Starr added. “We’ve learned lessons in the [No. 2 University of Connecticut], [No. 1] Syracuse [University], [No. 12 Boston College] games, and these are the games that’ll make us better. If we’re fortunate enough to win the Patriot League Tournament, this Wake Forest game will help us in the national tournament.”

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