At the end of the first quarter, Boston University junior defenseman Logan Styles found junior midfielder Donald Varnerin wide open. With an empty net waiting on the opposite end and Dartmouth freshman goalie Max Becker far away from the crease, Varnerin had a choice to make: shoot or pass.
He shot from three-fourths of the way across the field, burying the ball for BU.
And that just about described BU’s game, as the Terriers (2-1, 0-0 Patriot League) took down the Dartmouth Big Green (0-1) 13-5 Sunday at Nickerson Field.
Fresh off a dominant 23-7 rout of Siena, the Terriers carried the same intensity into their next matchup, controlling possession and tempo from the opening whistle.
By halftime, BU had built a commanding 7-0 lead, setting the tone for another wire-to-wire performance.
Spearheading a shutout first half was sophomore goaltender Connor Phillips. The Bethesda, M.D. native asserted himself physically on BU’s token ten-man ride, providing defensive coverage outside of his home crease to prevent Dartmouth from effectively clearing the ball.
“Connor might be the best goalie we’ve ever had out of the cage,” said BU Head Coach Ryan Polley.
That’s no easy feat to top. Last year, BU started goaltender Will Barnes in all 16 games. Barnes ended his senior campaign with Inside Lacrosse All-American honors.
Phillips tallied just over 11 minutes last season — and as BU’s starting goaltender this year, he has absolutely smashed expectations following his relief position last season.
During the Terriers’ “seminal run” in the first half, the sophomore netminder kept BU’s lead comfortably afloat.
“The fact that he was able to make those quality saves just allowed us to kind of take control of the game by halftime,” Polley said.
Phillips closed out the game with a .667 save percentage, another marker of his steady trajectory upward. His numbers have climbed over his last three outings, and his confidence in the clearing game has only become more evident.
BU went 28-for-34 on clears while denying 13 of Dartmouth’s 28 attempts. The Terriers’ ten-man ride smothered the Big Green, and their disciplined coverage eventually forced Dartmouth to abandon its own 10-man look in favor of a more traditional clearing approach.
Most of the Big Green’s offensive opportunities came from the X, where BU’s leading FOGO, sophomore Madden Murphy, did not play.
“Without Murph, you know, we battled at the X,” Polley said. “I thought our wing play could have been a little bit better with finding the ball … but overall, I was just really impressed with the way we were able to get to loose balls.”
BU’s ground-ball effort was commanded by senior defender Connor Kehm — who set new career-bests with five caused turnovers and 10 ground balls.
“Every time the ball hit the ground, he came up with it,” Polley said.
Aside from Kehm, the rest of BU’s defense dominated the Big Green’s attack. Polley added that Dartmouth looked to generate offense inside and draw slides to create space, so containing those actions “had been an emphasis all week [in practice],” he said.
Though Dartmouth pushed in the third quarter, when it strung together four consecutive goals, the Terriers’ overpowering first-half lead kept BU’s chances safe.
“When pressure hits, you root back to your training, and we had really good training leading up,” said freshman attack Peyton Forte. “We have a great coaching staff that puts the pieces together and helps us stay calm.”
Forte delivered a career-high five goals, matching his total output from his first two collegiate games combined. He punctuated the performance with a buzzer-beater to close the third quarter.
He spent most of the afternoon running alongside senior attack Jimmy Kohr and sophomore attack Timothy Shannehan, and the trio clicked for a combined 14 points. Their chemistry has been obvious — and for Kohr and Forte, it’s nothing new.
The two played for the same club program before donning the scarlet and white at BU.
“I’ve always kind of looked up to him,” Forte said. “He’s always been a guy that I knew, and loved his game.
Mix that in with Shannehan — who was recently named to the Tewaaraton Award Watch List — and the line becomes a ready-made engine.
Shannehan’s unselfish playmaking was on full display. He posted six points — two goals and four assists — and generated several grade-A chances that Becker managed to turn aside.
“[Shannehan] has taken it on himself to make sure he gets everybody involved,” Polley said.
Six different Terriers found the back of the net, underscoring Polley’s belief that BU is at its best when the ball moves and everyone is contributing.
“Just pleased with our effort, our preparation,” Polley said. “That’s a very good team.”
The Terriers will next travel to New Haven, Conn. to face Yale on Feb. 21.