With arguably the toughest possible road in front of them to their third consecutive America East title, the No. 20 Boston University lacrosse team will travel to Stony Brook University tomorrow in the first round of the America East Tournament.
Set to take on the University of New Hampshire (7-9, 4-2 America East), the Terriers look to continue their remarkable level of offensive production from this past month. Registering a conference-best 125 goals in April, the Terriers (11-5, 5-1) capped their season on a 9-1 tear, dating back to the team’s early-season loss to Northwestern University.
“Because we are a young team and we have so many freshmen, it took time to teach the college game,” said BU coach Liz Robertshaw. “Yes [the freshmen] have learned how to play, but I think the more important thing is that the girls have really learned to play together. They trust each other and the main goal is to keep getting everyday and it has shown.”
Meeting New Hampshire for the second time in less than two weeks, BU looks to dominate the Wildcat offense the same way they did April 21. Heading into the contest, UNH had failed to reach double-digits on the scoreboard in three of its previous four matchups. The Terriers hopped on the Wildcats early, holding sophomore midfielder Ashley Durepo and senior attacker Alexa Webster to just two goals apiece.
“Our goal is to shut them out,” Robertshaw said. “We know they are a one-on-one team that likes to dodge. They have very good attackers who have speed. We know we need to slow them down and play good team defense. We don’t need to play above ourselves, we just need to stick to our game plan.”
The Wildcats, despite their ineffective offense, held the Terriers in check for most of the contest. Relying heavily on an experienced and physical defensive unit, UNH held BU’s raging offense to its lowest output of April.
Tallying just nine goals on the afternoon, the Terriers scored just two goals in the second period for the first time in eight contests.
“We played on a small field that we weren’t comfortable with,” Robertshaw said. “Their defense packs itself in tight, and our attacks had a tough time with it. We worked a lot on having the girls create space and we know how to address it going into Friday.”
If BU is to repeat as America East champs, the team’s success will depend on the play of junior netminder Jenna Golden. Although she struggled earlier in the season, Golden has settled between the pipes in the past few weeks, garnering America East Defensive Player of the Week honors for her play against the University of Vermont and UNH.
Compiling a .443 save percentage by season’s end, the Suffern, N.Y. native has allowed just 21 goals in the BU’s final three tilts – best in the America East during the stretch.
“Having our [goalkeepers] confident is key,” Robertshaw said. “Their confidence totally corresponds to how our defense plays, and how our defense plays corresponds to how many chances our attackers make. The teams that go on and win the America East and play in the National Championships are the ones that have confidence in their goaltender, and we have that going in.”
The Terriers, for the first time since 2004, will head into tournament play relatively healthy. Plagued by recurring injuries last year, BU entered the postseason with 13 players out of commission. This year, however, just two Terriers will be held from the active roster, as Erica Baumgartner and Courtney Burd are related to the sidelines for the rest of the season because of injuries.
Junior midfielder Lauren Morton, one of the Terriers who battled injuries last year, matched last year’s goal total by the 11th game this season. She has registered 33 goals and five assists while starting all 16 games this year.
“The players who have been banged up know their bodies,” Robertshaw said. “They have been great about getting in their full workouts, and the trainers have stayed on them. The whole team’s known they need to be ready to go the next day.”
With so many freshmen on their roster, the question remains how much Terriers’ youth will affect how they perform in its highest-pressured bout of the year.
“The upperclassmen have relayed what we want to do and what we have done in the past,” Robertshaw said. “Instead of cramming it down their throats, we’ve kept everything relaxed. We’re focusing on the game itself. If they play the way they have been playing and stick to the game plan, we’ll be able to get it done.”