Junior backer Bea Baumberger Altirriba had five career points coming into the 2015 season for the No. 19 Boston University field hockey team. She has already matched that total through four games this year, posting two goals and an assist in two starts.
Altirriba, a native of Barcelona, Spain, had a game to remember over Labor Day Weekend against Hofstra University. She had a hand in the Terriers’ (3-1) opening salvo when she assisted on junior forward Amanda Cassera’s eighth minute tally. Less than five minutes later, Altirriba would add a goal of her own, making the score 2-0 and providing the lift BU needed en route to a 6-3 victory.
Altirriba’s first goal of the season came during the Terriers’ lone loss Aug. 30 to the University of Massachusetts Amherst. After receiving a penalty corner insert from senior back Rachel Coll, Altirriba unleashed a powerful shot, netting BU’s only goal in a 2-1 defeat.
According to BU coach Sally Starr, the key to Altirriba’s offensive explosion has been her versatility in moving between positions.
“We’re moving her around a lot this year,” Starr said. “Last year she played predominantly left-side back. This year she’s playing there as well as the midfield. She has a very good attacking skill set and a very attacking mentality. We’re really trying to utilize that more this year.”
Underclassmen learn from the best
BU has long boasted a tradition of talented upperclassmen at the top of its roster, and 2015 is no different.
Seniors like Coll, Sofi Laurito and Katie Bernatchez, and juniors such as Altirriba, Cassera, Hester van der Laan and Taylor Blood are setting examples for underclassmen who find themselves getting lots of playing time in 2015.
Laurito, this year’s Patriot League Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, along with fellow All-Patriot Leaguers Cassera and van der Laan have each logged game-winning goals in 2015. These clutch performers are no strangers to big moments and have helped BU snag last-second wins over the University of New Hampshire as well as the University of Maine.
While the upperclassmen may lead admirably, Starr is quick to credit her team’s depth and bench presence for its hot start.
“Even when we scored six against Hofstra [(2-3)], there were four different goal-scorers, so we just have a lot of different people who can score goals for us,” Starr said. “That speaks to the depth of the team. They’re scoring goals from the striker position and from the midfield position. When we attack well, we can be a very dangerous team. We’ve got a lot of different people that can score goals for us.”
Madeline McClain, Ally Hammel highlight weekend with first collegiate goals
Caught in a 0-0 slugfest at halftime Monday against the Maine Black Bears (3-1), the Terriers received a boost from an unexpected source to begin the second period.
Junior forward Madeline McClain, starter of just three career games, broke the game open in the 47th minute for her first career goal in a scarlet and white uniform. Her goal proved crucial, as just under 14 minutes later, Maine fired back with a goal of their own. BU would go on to win the contest 2-1 in overtime, thanks in large part to McClain’s initial blow.
Career firsts were the theme of Labor Day Weekend as freshman forward Ally Hammel also cracked the stat sheet for the first time. Facing Hofstra, Hammel erupted for two goals in her debut role in the starting lineup, the first and second of her collegiate career.
Starr believes more young Terriers will see their careers blossom in 2015, lending another nod to the team’s reserve corps.
“Maddie McClain scored a huge goal for us,” Starr said. “We really struggled against Maine and she came in off the bench and scored a great goal. Ally Hammel [has scored] as well along with different people. There’s so much depth. If somebody gets tired on the field, we can put a new, fresh body and they can still be very productive for us.”
