It was back to the daily grind yesterday afternoon for the Boston University lacrosse team, one day removed from its snowed-out game against Harvard University, in preparation for Saturday’s tilt at Stony Brook University (8-1, 1-0 America East).
Wearing different numbers, as has been routine since the team’s loss to Yale University back in mid-March, the Boston University lacrosse team (4-4, 1-0 AE) was met with a different set of instructions from coach Liz Robertshaw and her staff as it warmed up around the midfield circle.
“As far as the jerseys are concerned, the girls sort of switch if they feel like switching,” Robertshaw said. “But today, we made a point of putting the numbers of the players we are going to go against, like Kaitlin Leggio, who is number 22 on Stony Brook, on one of our girls so that the defenders get used to seeing the number and get used to marking it up in practice.”
Retaining the aggressive and vocal approach that has helped register two consecutive wins at Nickerson Field, Robertshaw focused on improving the team’s communication and execution on the field by throwing in a few more variations to each drill.
“We did a lot of one-handed stuff today on all sides of the ball,” Robertshaw said. “It was a big change for the girls. We like to make things more creative and get the girls out of their normal styles.”
Robertshaw tried to put a focus on getting away from committing sloppy fouls. In their recent two-game stretch dating back to a March 28 dissection of Boston College, the Terriers have been whistled for a total of 24 team fouls, 15 of which have come in the defensive zone.
On paper, the sloppy physical play has yielded just one free-position goal — University of Maryland-Baltimore County sophomore Kara Dorr’s tally at the 26-minute mark of last Saturday’s contest.
“It’s something that we talked about to the girls because we saw it against Northwestern [University],” Robertshaw said. “They did a great job of capitalizing on our turnovers and fouls. We are trying to limit those mistakes because we are starting to see that we are giving away goals on the fast break.”
Of the Retrievers’ seven goals, four came off of unassisted dodges from the restraining line, while the other three were the result of Terrier turnovers. Robertshaw attributed the goals partly to BU’s lack of discipline.
“The girls have done a much better job of being disciplined, but it has hurt us in the past,” Robertshaw said. “At times when we turn the ball over or make a bad foul, we don’t get back in time and it leads to easy goals. Our defenders struggled with their communication and let [the opposition] walk in open toward the net.”
To make her team practice discipline, Robertshaw implemented a drill Thursday afternoon that forced the players to hold their sticks with only their non-dominant hand.
With a focus on body positioning, each 1-on-1 dodge was designed to pinch the driving midfielder to one side of the field. Imitating Stony Brook — specifically, Leggio’s midfield attack — Robertshaw ordered her defenders to shade the inside shoulder of the midfielder with their sticks and use the opposite shoulder to body the offender off the dodge.
“The big thing with our defenders is when they lead with their sticks and end up getting beat down the field,” Robertshaw said. “Today, the one-handed drill forced them to slow the ball down with their bodies – to get their feet in the right place and push the midfielder to the side. They have a tendency to swing and check to stop the ball, but you can’t swing and make a good check with one hand.”
Shortening the field to just 60 yards, the drill not only challenged the defenders’ physical tendencies but also forced the offense’s passing to be more precise.
“It sharpens the defense because they have to call everyone into position faster, but the fact that the attacking unit has to time to rest forces them to go harder and faster after goals and make sure they protect the ball and be more accurate in their passing,” Robertshaw said. “It makes [the team] really aggressive.”
The Terriers will need every bit of the speed and discipline this weekend against a Stony Brook team that is boasting one of its best records in program history.
“They are a threat,” Robertshaw said. “They aren’t ranked in the national poll, but right now, their 8-1 record is best in program history . . . . They have a ton of confidence, and if we are going to defend our title, we need to get to every team. This is another chance to make sure we do that.”
