The Boston University field hockey team boasts veterans at nearly every position and is returning eight starters from the 2006 team that captured a second consecutive America East championship. It should seem the Terriers are in no shortage of experience.
But at the end of last season, there was one looming vacancy in the Terrier net. With four-year starter Erin Prediger graduating in May, the hole in goal was something BU coach Sally Starr had been preparing to face.
Now, just four games into the season, that vacancy has not only been filled, but the rookie between the posts earned the first league honors of the season. Freshman goalie Kim Kastuk was named America East Rookie of the Week after starting BU’s first four contests.
Kastuk, who recorded her first career shutout over the University of Miami (Ohio) on Saturday and then recorded seven saves in the 3-0 loss to Michigan State University the following day, is making a case for herself to get the starting job. Through four games, Kastuk has compiled a 1.14 goals-against average and a .750 win percentage.
“Kim can learn a lot from those goals [MSU scored],” Starr said, adding she believes Kastuk is one of the top five recruits in the nation. “College is very different from the high school game and each week she’s getting better. She made some unbelievable saves in the MSU game.
“She was tested and she showed she is more than capable of being an outstanding goalie for us,” she added.
Kastuk exploded onto the national stage this summer with an outstanding performance at the U.S. National Futures Championship. Playing for the U-19 Syracuse team, Kastuk played well enough to earn herself an invitation to the Olympic Development Select Camp this July.
Summer Shuffle
It was a busy summer for the Terriers, both on and off the field, including a coaching shakeup and players earning national recognition.
Graduate assistant coach Caitlyn Cassara was promoted to assistant coach July 5 after Tiffany Snow resigned. Snow, Starr’s assistant for four years, resigned to focus her time on training with the U.S. National Team for the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Snow scored the first goal in the championship game of the Pan-American Games, but Team USA lost 4-2 to Argentina. The U.S. team must now try to earn a berth in the Olympics next April in one of three six-team qualifiers.
Cassara, a former Terrier captain, takes on a new role this season with more responsibilities, which include recruiting.
As for the youthful Terriers, Kastuk and freshman forward Paige Kelly also participated at the National Futures games as members of the U-19 Boston team that captured the silver medal.
Tri-captain Pam Spuehler also played in the National Championship Tournament as a member of the New England Fire, scoring the team’s second goal in an eventual 3-2 loss to the South team.
Speedy Starters
Sitting at 3-0 heading into the MSU game on Sunday, the Terriers failed to become the first BU squad to open a season 4-0 since the inaugural varsity team in 1978, but they are still out to their best start since 1993.
After playing four games in the first nine days of competition, the Terriers will play just one game over the next nine days of the season when they take on Boston College on Friday at Jack Barry field. The exhausting schedule to open the season could have attributed to the Terriers’ sluggish play against MSU, Starr said.
“We were playing back-to-back games and Michigan State wasn’t, so it may have had something to do with the second half but it’s hard to say,” Starr said. “We’ve learned a lot about ourselves and early in September, and that’s exactly what you want.”
The strong start is not a surprise given the experience and depth of the 2007 squad, something that the America East coaches obviously took note of when picking the Terriers as the preseason favorite to retain their conference crown.