The No. 13 Boston University field hockey team was not in its usual form Thursday night against Harvard University at New Balance Field. The Terriers (7-3, 1-1 Patriot League) fell to the Crimson (5-4) for the first time in eight tries, suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat.
This was the first time all season BU was shut out, as the team has averaged 2.80 goals per contest thus far.
“I think Harvard is an outstanding team,” said BU head coach Sally Starr. “They’re much improved from last year. Their RPI is I think 21, so they’re legit.”
The first half featured a strong effort from both sides. The Terriers brought the offense in the first frame, outshooting Harvard 6-3.
The first chance occurred for Harvard a little over six minutes into the half on a penalty corner opportunity from senior Kyla Cordrey. Senior goalkeeper Cammy Jensen was able to make a big save to deflect the ball up and over the BU net.
“Jensen’s performance was huge,” Starr said. “She’ll even say that she struggled against [the University of Connecticut], so I was really pleased to see her get back tonight with confidence, with poise, and come up big for us. She kept us in the game at times. I’m really proud of her resilience to bounce right back after a tough outing on Sunday.”
Just under five minutes later, the Terriers received a penalty corner opportunity of their own, but junior midfielder Kali Shumock was unable to convert due to Harvard’s grittiness.
Harvard had two more scoring opportunities that narrowly missed thanks to an effective BU defense. With just over 12 minutes remaining in the first half, Crimson midfielder Ellie Cookson brought the ball down the right side of the BU circle, and passed across the net trying to find a teammate. Jensen was able to hold the fort down, and Harvard was unable to get off a shot.
“I really thought we played a lot of reactive hockey today,” Starr said. “We were waiting for someone else to make a big play as opposed to getting engaged and involved.”
In the second half, the Crimson offense took over, sending shot after shot towards the BU goal. Harvard outshot BU 6-1 through the final 35 minutes, and had four penalty corner opportunities in the half. The Terriers, on the other hand, were held to none.
In the 52nd minute, Crimson freshman Bente van Vlijmen netted the first and only goal of the game on a penalty corner. Van Vligmen tallied her fourth goal of the year after receiving the pass from midfielder Emily Duarte. Van Vligmen, a native of the Netherlands, is second on the team in points with eight.
The Terriers put forth their best comeback effort, but the Crimson defense held strong. With just under three minutes left in the game, BU pulled Jensen for an extra attacker in sophomore forward Kara Enoch, but it wasn’t enough.
“I loved how we played after they scored,” Starr said. “We pressed really well and we created a lot of turnovers. I thought we created a lot of legit opportunities in our attacking third after that, and I started thinking that I wasn’t really going to have to pull the goalie because I thought we were going to score.”
Although this is the Terrier’s third straight loss after starting the season a perfect 7-0, Starr remained optimistic and preached patience.
“I know that this team will find the answers,” Starr said. “We just have to keep working hard and believe, and we will find the answers.”
Ranya currently covers field hockey and women’s hockey for the Daily Free Press. As a Biology major at BU, she spends much of her time buried in her Chemistry textbook with the occasional trip to the piano practice room to rehearse her favorite piece, Debussy’s "Claire de Lune." She is an avid ice hockey fan and a proud supporter of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
