The Boston University field hockey team hopes to rebound Saturday from a difficult conference loss to the University of New Hampshire, as it faces Dartmouth College (0-4) in a non-conference matchup.
After trailing the Wildcats for nearly 66 minutes Tuesday, the Terriers (4-3, 0-1 America East) scored two goals in the final four minutes but failed to net the equalizer in a difficult 3-2 loss that sent BU to the bottom of the America East standings.
‘I think [after the New Hampshire loss] we started off very frustrated,’ said senior midfielder Lindsey Domers. ‘We’re looking for answers, and we hope to find them Saturday afternoon.’
The BU offense has shown signs of potency, scoring six goals against the University of Massachusetts, but the Terriers are averaging only 2.14 goals per game this season. On three separate occasions, BU has failed to score more than one goal, including a 1-0 double-overtime loss to Boston College.
The Terriers have been plagued by inconsistency on the offensive end, but after the late rally against the Wildcats, the team is beginning to believe it is capable of offensively dominating an opponent for an entire game, according to Domers.
‘I hope we can prove we can play 70 minutes of good hockey,’ she said. ‘We want to prove to other people we can do that, and we hope to do it on Saturday.’
The field hockey team is more than one-third of the way through its regular season schedule, and as the team searches for an identity, the veterans on the squad are stepping up to leadership roles, Domers said.
‘People lead in their own way,’ she said. ‘Right now, [the seniors] are doing whatever we can to pick up the team.’
On the other side of the ball, the Terrier defense has been led by the play of redshirt freshman goalkeeper Erin Prediger, who is allowing an average of only 1.57 goals per game.
Against the Big Green of Dartmouth, the Terriers will face a team that has been struggling with its own offensive problems. Through four games this season, the Big Green have scored only four goals.
Only three players have recorded a single point for Dartmouth this season. Seniors Caitlin Barrett and Lauren Talbot have two and one, respectively, while freshman Audrey Knutson has tallied two.
According to Domers, however, BU cannot afford to take any team lightly at this point in the season.
‘Especially after a tough loss, we’re not worried about who the opponent is,’ she said. ‘We just want to put a ‘W’ on the board.’
After playing Dartmouth on Saturday, the Terriers will resume conference play when they face the University at Albany on Oct. 1.
The game is scheduled to begin at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H. at 2:30 p.m. at Dartmouth’s Scully-Fahey Field.