Common sense dictates that anyone looking for answers concerning the Boston University lacrosse team’s recent struggles should look either to the offensive or defensive end of the field. However, if Saturday’s loss to Syracuse University was any indication, perhaps it’s the middle of the field that’s giving the team the most trouble.
BU had a difficult time gaining possession in the heart of the pitch all day on Saturday. Syracuse won 17 of the game’s 30 draw controls. That meant that regardless of which side directed the faceoff, the Orange were more often than not recovering the ball, giving them a quick opportunity to attack the BU defensive end.
Once the Terriers were able to gain possession in the midfield, they didn’t do a very good job retaining the ball. BU had 18 turnovers on Saturday, with most of those coming between the 30s.
“I definitely think that was our weakness,” said senior midfielder and defensive stalwart Jenny Martin. “Defense isn’t done until it gets into our attackers’ hands across the opposite 30, and I think that’s where we were struggling. We’d come up with our big stop on defense. We’d get really excited about that but almost a little too excited, and we wouldn’t take care of it all the way down the field. That’s definitely something we need to take more responsibility for.”
Tough schedule
On the surface, the BU doesn’t look like it’s having a very good season. The Terriers (5-6, 1-0) have had their worst start to a season in the four-year coaching career of coach Liz Robertshaw.
Chalk that stat up to an extremely difficult non-conference schedule, though.
BU has played the 12th most difficult schedule in the nation&-the most difficult of any America East team&-at this point in the season. By comparison, last year’s squad, which ended the year 15-4, had only the 19th-toughest schedule.
Of the Terriers’ six losses, five have come to ranked opponents. Four of those five teams&-No. 5 Duke University, No. 7 Dartmouth College, No. 9 Syracuse and No. 10 Vanderbilt University&-are currently ranked in the nation’s top-10.
The Terrier’s only “bad loss” came at the hands of Yale University, who also sits with a 5-6 record, in an 11-9 defeat at Nickerson Field on March 24.
Robertshaw recognized that her team has faced and struggled against the difficult competition thus far and is now looking forward to the easier part of her team’s schedule &- the conference portion.
“Let’s be honest, we just played the [then-] No. 8 and No. 9 teams in the country in Syracuse and Dartmouth,” Robertshaw said. “We just need to keep playing on our game and focus on conference.”
Seniors scoring
When the Terriers have been able to reach past the midfield and into the offensive zone, the bulk of their scoring has come from the senior class, and that was no less evident on Saturday. Of the Terriers’ 11 goals, nine came from senior attackers Traci Landy (6) and McKinley Curro (3).
On the year, BU seniors have 58 of the team’s 105 goals and 88 of their 153 points. That equates to 55 percent and 58 percent of the respective totals.
Robertshaw isn’t too worried that the other three classes will eventually step up on their end of the scoring, though.
“I’m happy for the seniors to be stepping up and doing what they need to do very well,” Robertshaw said. “The older girls will continue to do their job and score. They will allow the younger ones to get those looks as well. It’ll happen. I have faith and confidence [that] it’s going to happen.”
Even Landy, who leads the team with 27 goals, knows that all the goals by her and her fellow seniors mean nothing if they don’t come in wins.
“Personally, [six goals] is what I know I’m capable of, but it means nothing when there’s no W,” Landy said.
