The Boston University women’s basketball team showed it was not ready to give up on its season Saturday, winning a crucial game against the University of Maine, 63-61. But as important as the game was, Saturday was also a day to recognize the importance of two BU players – senior tri-captains Erica Kovach and Katie Meinhardt.
With their parents by their side, Kovach and Meinhardt came to center court before Saturday’s game to be honored for their accomplishments at BU as part of Senior Day. BU coach Kelly Greenberg introduced the two to the audience and presented the co-captains and their families with a personalized plaque and a dozen roses.
“It’s been a great experience coming to BU and it’s been a great learning experience for Erica,” said Joe Kovach, Erica’s father. “And I mean, what else could be better than coming to watch Erica play ball and then see her win on Senior Day.”
Kovach was also joined by Erica’s mother, Karen Kovach, while Kori and Jane Meinhardt came to celebrate their daughter’s career on what was an emotional day.
“It was great. I’ve seen seniors in the past and I knew what to expect,” Kovach said. “But I couldn’t look at my mom or else I would start to cry.”
Meinhardt also said senior day was emotional for her.
“I’ve been here for five years and everyone here has become my family,” Meinhardt said. “It was nice to have the ceremony at the beginning and say goodbye to The Roof . . . even though we have another game here.”
Kovach and Meinhardt have been a key to the Terriers’ success in recent years, in which BU has made it to the America East championship four consecutive seasons. Meinhardt, a fifth-year senior, also helped the Terriers win a 2003 America East title in her freshman year.
“Both of them have such different personalities and they both bring something special to the team,” Greenberg said. “They show up for practice and they are proud to be a Boston University Terrier.”
Not only have they brought the team success, but they have also enjoyed their own personal success at BU. In the past three years, both have consistently ranked in the top four on the team in scoring. In this year’s game against the University of Dayton, Meinhardt became the 15th player in BU history to reach the 1,000-point mark, and in that milestone game, Kovach hit two key free throws with 16 seconds left to ice the win for the Terriers.
Their skills and leadership can be seen on the court and in the record books, but their presence on the team is something that cannot be measured. Junior tri-captain Cheri Raffo knows how important the two seniors have been and knows how much they will be missed.
“I roomed with Erica my freshman year, and I have been real close with the two of them for so long,” Raffo said. “It’s definitely going to be different on and off the court, but I know they will do good things after they leave.”
And despite the Senior Day send-off, the Kovach-Meinhardt era has not ended just yet. BU still has three more conference games left, including one at home against the University of Binghamton, and then it plays in the America East tournament. They still has the chance to add to their legacy, but the fact that their time is coming to an end is always in the back of their minds.
“I don’t approach them differently, but after the game ends, I have more appreciation since I only have three more games and the tournament left,” Meinhardt said. “It’s like, ‘Wow, I’m almost at the end.'”
The end is near, but their footprints on the program will be there next year and beyond. No one knows that better than Greenberg, who has not coached at BU without Kovach and Meinhardt in her lineup.
“Unfortunately, you have great girls and then they graduate, and you just hope that the team that stays behind can take a little bit of the good from them,” Greenberg said. “Both of them are going to do great in life in whatever they do but we’ll miss them.”
With the ceremonies and celebrations over, there is only one thing Kovach and Meinhardt can do now, with their careers winding down, and that’s what they do best – help the Terriers get to a fifth consecutive America East title game and maybe even an NCAA berth.