The America East title defense is off to a strong start for the Boston University lacrosse team. The No. 15 Terriers put the right foot forward in yesterday’s season opener, taking down the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, 11-7, at McGuirk Stadium behind four goals from senior co-captain Molly Collins.
BU enters the season with a young squad (nine freshmen), but the underclassmen appear to be on the right track based on yesterday’s performance, as the Terriers never trailed.
“It was a nice first game. You’re always expecting some jitters, but I think the girls did a good job today,” said BU coach Liz Robertshaw.
For the fifth consecutive year, BU opened its regular season schedule against UMass, a team that has troubled the Terriers in the past. Last season, the Minutewomen overcame a 7-5 halftime deficit to knock off the then-No. 16 Terriers.
Yesterday, BU broke a 5-5 tie with 17:03 remaining on Collins’ second goal of the game and never looked back. Collins added two more tallies before the day was done for an impressive opening-day output.
“Obviously, Molly Collins, I was thrilled with, seeing how well she did getting four goals and being a huge defensive player,” Robertshaw said.
A pressing question for the Terriers will be redshirt sophomore Rachel Klein’s move into the starting goalkeeper position, replacing senior Jenna Golden, who left the team for personal reasons. Klein had a strong performance in her first start as the team’s primary goalkeeper, turning away 10 shots and commanding her defense well.
“It was great to see what Rachel could do. She was big-time today,” Robertshaw said. “She made some key saves on some point-blank shots. She did a good job in sending the doubles when we needed to double and making some big plays. There’s obviously some room for improvement, and that’s something that I’m excited for.”
Seven different Terriers registered goals, including sophomore McKinley Curro, who put two shots past UMass goalie junior Krissy Anderson (10 saves). Senior Lauren Morton, junior Stephanie Walker and sophomore Xan Weitzel each tallied a goal and an assist, while sophomore Traci Landy and freshman Mandy Rogers each added goals of their own. BU also got assists from sophomore Erica Baumgartner and freshman Rachel Collins, who registered the first point of her Terrier career.
The Terriers played tight defense against the Minutewomen, limiting their opportunities throughout the afternoon. Junior Kaytlin McCormick chipped in with three goals for UMass, while classmate Holly Drown had three points (two goals, assist).
“[Freshman] Katie Nichols marked up on their big-time player, McCormick, and she did a great job on her,” Robertshaw said. “Yes, she did score three goals, but I thought she was very good [and] very solid.
The Terriers forced seven of UMass’ 17 turnovers, and outshot the Minutewomen, 29-25. BU lost the battle on the ground, as UMass finished with a 15-11 edge in ground balls.
“They showed a lot of poise, and that was something I was happy for,” Robertshaw said of her younger players. “It gets me excited to see what [the freshmen] are going to do as they get better and more comfortable with the game.”