So far this season, playing a complete 70 minutes has been the biggest challenge for the Boston University field hockey team.
Last night, the Terriers walked away from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst (3-4) as 2-0 winners despite, according to BU coach Sally Starr, only playing to their potential during the final 35 minutes of the game.
“I was really disappointed in the first half,” Starr said. “We didn’t play well in any facet of the game and then it’s just a tale of two teams.
“In the first 10 seconds of the second half there was a completely different energy, a different collective courage and really just a different mentality out on the field.”
Although they may not have put forth their best effort in the first frame, the Terriers (4-2) certainly turned it on in the second, pushing them back into the win column.
Redshirt freshman Amanda Smith picked up her first career win in her second career start despite not having to make a single save in the game – the product of staunch defense up the field.
“I think the defense played really well in front of her,” Starr said. “There were definitely a couple of scrambles around the net in the first half that they cleared out, and that was a highlight in that first half. The defense made sure [UMass] didn’t get any quality looks.”
On the offensive side, leading scorers senior midfielder Pam Speuhler and sophomore forward Gabby Hajjar tallied the scores for the Terriers – netting both goals within a three-minute span halfway through the second. Both goals came off penalty corners, an aspect of their game on which the Terriers have been working to capitalize this season.
Speuhler’s goal in the 55th minute was unassisted. After inserting the ball, Speuhler charged the net and deflected the shot past UMass goalie Becky Letourneau for her fourth goal of the season.
The Terrier offense then forced yet another penalty corner in the 57th minute, and this time Hajjar was there to capitalize. Redirecting a shot off the stick of junior midfielder Holly Wiles, Hajjar sent the ball to the boards to pick up her third score of the year.
“Both [Speuhler and Hajjar] are very aggressive players and are doing a good job taking advantage of their opportunities,” Starr said. “Gabby is much improved from last year and really worked hard this summer in Boston. And Pam is just such a talented player that she’s taking care of her opportunities as well.
“Both of the goals were off of corners – they were far-post tip-ins – and [Speuhler and Hajjar] were both just where they needed to be position-wise and they got the job done.”
Aside from the goals, BU’s second-half statistics tell the whole story of the game. In a first half in which the Terriers were outshot, 6-2, they allowed the Minutewomen three corners while only garnering two of their own. Conversely, after finding their energy in the second half, the Terriers pelted Letourneau with 10 shots and forced five penalty corners.
Although the Terriers may not have played a complete 70 minutes, their second-half effort provided a glimpse of the team they could and want to be.
“What we need to do is remember what we did well in the second half and build on that,” Starr said. “I’m not sure what really happened in the first half, if we were still on the bus or what, but the second half is the way was can play and we need to sustain that more completely.”
