Pouring rain and an early deficit couldn’t slow down the Boston University field hockey team at Jack Barry Field in Cambridge Saturday.
Three Terriers scored en route to a 3-1 victory over Brown University. BU picked up its third win of the season, leveling its record at 3-3.
Brown (1-4) scored the first goal of the game with 18 minutes left in the first half. The Bears’ Kristen Vincent took advantage of a penalty shot by firing the ball past BU sophomore goalkeeper Erin Prediger into the upper right corner of the net.
The Terrier attack, though, got right down to business from the start. BU fired 14 shots in the first half, but it was only able to tie the score, 1-1, with freshman Sarah Shute’s second goal in as many games.
Though the Terriers didn’t take the lead until late in the second half, their first-half efforts put them in command early in the game.
“We had a very good passing game and we really took control,” said BU coach Sally Starr.
Second-half shots were fewer in number but more potent for BU. Sophomore Ashley Parker put the Terriers on top with her first-career goal – a blast from the top of the circle off a penalty corner.
Parker said “it was great” to score a goal, especially after coming close in previous games and working all summer on that particular shot. It was the first time since early in the 2002 season that a Terrier scored directly off a penalty corner.
Senior Jen Joyce added to the Terrier lead with an unassisted goal several minutes later. With 10 minutes left, the Bears never found a way to get themselves back into the game.
Attack throughout the game fulfilled Starr’s predictions of improvement for her team from earlier in the year.
“We’re a really young team,” Starr said. “We just keep getting better and better each game.”
Parker agreed. She said she believes the Terriers have been able to win the past two games because they “have been developing” their players and skills.
It was 55 degrees and pouring rain for all 70 minutes of play, but the Terriers didn’t mind the severity of the conditions.
“If anything, I think it helped out,” Parker said. “We love playing on wet turf.”
Of course, everything is better in moderation.
“We definitely like the field to be a little wet,” Starr said. “But it rained a little more than we needed it to.”
No matter how the weather affected each player, the Terriers were at the top of their game.
“They were awesome,” Starr said. “I’m so proud of them.”
The Terriers venture to Middlebury College on Wednesday to take on the University of Vermont in BU’s first America East showdown. The Terriers return home for the weekend to take on Dartmouth College Saturday.
