They’ve shown what they can do against some of the top teams in the country. Now, the Boston University lacrosse team is showing its strength against conference opponents.
The No. 16/15 Terriers (6-2, 2-0 America East) flexed their muscles in the first weekend of conference play, posting a 19-8 victory at Binghamton University (3-7, 0-2) Friday before traveling to the University at Albany (4-4, 0-1) to lay down a 15-2 throttling of the Great Danes Saturday.
A challenging early schedule of nationally-ranked teams tested BU’s mettle, leaving the team well prepared for the beginning of the conference slate. The Terrier attack got production from a variety of sources this weekend, with 11 different players finding the back of the net during BU’s 34-goal scoring binge.
“Both teams tried to slow [our offense] down a little bit, but we had good ball movement down the field. We took some risks and chances, which I liked,” said BU coach Liz Robertshaw. “They’re on the right path to getting better.”
If there is still room for improvement on the offensive end for the Terriers – and Robertshaw said she believes there is – opponents could be in for some serious trouble against BU’s flashy attack. The Terriers’ explosive weekend bumped their goals-per-game average over 14, while the team’s shooting percentage is now a robust .693.
Junior Sarah Dalton, who led the Terriers with 52 goals last season, missed the first two games of the year with an ankle injury, leaving the offense without one of its centerpieces. But since her return, the team has been much sharper on the attack, moving the ball well and producing scoring chances with ease.
“[Dalton] is using her speed and her quick first step to her advantage and turning defenders. It’s hard to mark her,” Robertshaw said. “The biggest thing for her is that we have other scoring threats. We don’t have to have only Sarah shooting to score goals and win. Teams have to mark out everyone, which makes it harder for them to focus on her.”
Dalton led BU with four goals against Binghamton – including her 100th career goal – as the Terriers pulled away during a 30-minute stretch in which they outscored the Bearcats 13-2. Dalton’s scoring was accompanied by three goals apiece from senior co-captain Lauren Morton and sophomore Traci Landy, while sophomores Jenny Taft and Caitlin Defliese and freshmen Rachel Collins and Alyssa Kovach each scored their first goals of the season.
BU pushed its winning streak to three games against Albany on Saturday, holding the Great Danes scoreless through the first half. Dalton and senior co-captain Molly Collins paced BU with four goals apiece, while junior Steph Walker added three scores of her own. The Terriers blew past the Danes before the first period was over, heading into halftime with a 7-0 lead before adding two goals just 10 seconds apart in the second frame to push the lead to nine.
Sophomore goalkeeper Rachel Klein had her best performance of the year in net Saturday, allowing two goals while stopping 10 Great Dane shots. In her first year as a starter, Klein is growing into her role as the team’s lone keeper.
“[Klein] is seeing the ball very well,” Robertshaw said. “She’s very vocal, and the more communication she has with our defenders, the more she knows where shots are going to come from.”
With the offense scoring at a blistering pace and Klein coming into her own behind the aggressive BU defense, the Terriers are in good shape following their first conference test. After winning the America East title for three straight seasons, two dominant victories in the opening weekend of conference play make a four-peat seem reasonable, but Robertshaw knows one weekend doesn’t make a champion.
“We don’t talk about defending the America East title, because last year is over,” Robertshaw said. “We’re looking to take the ’08 title, and that’s something we have to work hard for. It’s not our title. It’s an open title to win.”