Boston University’s field hockey team took on their turnpike rivals, Holy Cross, on Friday in a close-fought 3-2 game, claiming their first win in Patriot League play.
Head Coach Sally Starr said she was impressed with the team’s resilience, as they kept finding ways to win.
“We really regrouped well between the first and second quarter and just came out and played the way we’ve been playing,” Starr said.
The Terriers (4-5, 1-1 PL) dominated possession at the start of the game, but the Crusaders (4-5, 0-1 PL) fought back, getting a shot off early that just missed the goal.
Holy Cross earned a corner early, threatening the Terriers. But junior goalkeeper Sophie Ortyl made two big back-to-back saves to stop the potential early goal.
With just under four minutes left in the first quarter, the Crusaders scored off their third corner of the game. Defender Megan Schienbein hit a powerful shot from the center of the circle, putting the Crusaders up 1-0.
The Terriers got their second shot that went wide with just two minutes left in the first quarter, ending the first quarter stronger than in the beginning.
BU started the second quarter off more dominantly, striving to push back against the Crusaders. The Terriers created more chances, putting pressure on their opponents. Junior fullback Bella Bergner hit a strong shot at the beginning of the second quarter, forcing the Crusaders’ goalie to make a crucial save.
With five minutes left in the half, senior forward Natalie Epperson scored the equalizer off a corner, making the score 1-1. Senior forward Caroline O’Brien made the assist — her fifth of the season.
BU earned three corners in a row at the end of the second quarter, but Holy Cross goalkeeper Mia McCloskey made big saves to keep it 1-1.
Starting the second half, freshman forward and midfielder Molly Driscoll made a great lift to get the ball in the back of the goal after contact with the goalkeeper, putting the Terriers up 2-1.
Just as it looked like BU was going to keep its lead, forward Kendall Brady made a shot off a Holy Cross corner to tie it 2-2 with eight minutes remaining in the third quarter.
While the game was tied, both teams fought hard for the win. With two minutes left in the third quarter, Holy Cross earned a corner — but missed the opportunity, keeping the score tied at the end of the third.
With seven minutes left in the game, O’Brien made a clutch shot off a corner, putting the Terriers up 3-2. BU looked to prioritize defense for the rest of the game to secure the win.
Junior midfielder Maggie Driscoll made a big defensive save with three minutes left to play, stopping the Crusaders from scoring off another corner. Right after, BU went down the field and earned a penalty shot off a foul. Driscoll took the penalty, but McCloskey made a big save — her 13th of the game.
With one minute left, the Terriers did their best to kill time, trying to thwart any Holy Cross attempts at an equalizer. BU got a last-minute corner with 30 seconds left to seal the hard-fought win.
“Just a great team win today, a gritty team win, on the road, and I’m just really proud of how we came together, especially after the first quarter,” Starr said.
Starr’s Terriers went on to lose to the New Hampshire Wildcats 6-7 on Sunday, but they look to rebound at their next match against Lehigh University on Oct. 4.