After months of practice and 18 regular season games, the Boston University field hockey team will travel to Baltimore on Saturday to face the University of Baltimore, Maryland County in what could potentially be the final game of the season for the Terriers (8-10, 2-3 America East).
If BU wins, they clinch the fourth and final spot in the America East conference tournament. If the Terriers lose, then they will have to rely upon the University of Maine to defeat the State University of New York at Albany, who is currently tied for fourth with BU. The Terriers have the tiebreaker advantage after defeating Albany 9-1 on Oct. 1.
‘We’re at a situation where every game is potentially our last game of the season,’ said BU head coach Sally Starr. ‘We’re definitely there right now. If we don’t beat UMBC and Albany wins, it’s our last game and we’re done. We’re playing for our season.’
The Terriers will travel to Maryland with the weight of four consecutive losses on their backs, but this statistic alone can be deceiving. All four losses came against teams ranked in the top 20, and BU took conference-leading Northeastern University into overtime before losing 1-0.
This BU squad has also faced a difficult schedule, because eight of the 18 opponents so far currently ranked in the top 20. According to redshirt freshman Erin Prediger, the tough schedule has prepared the team for games like the one on Saturday.
‘Any time you come out and play a team ranked higher than you, you learn so much from those games. Right now, the team is really excited. We want to get out there and show everyone that we can play and that we can win. And we will win,’ she said.
Prediger, the current America East Rookie of the Week, was pulled at halftime during Wednesday’s 4-0 loss to Harvard University, but she and the rest of the team have rebounded from that effort with a fierce determination, according to the coach. Starr pointed to Prediger’s request for extra drills following Thursday’s practice as a sign of the Terriers’ intensity.
‘I’m proud that she came and asked for a special workout. She also had an excellent practice and some players stayed after to help her get some more work,’ Starr explained. ‘It’s a matter of everybody pulling together at the same time. The younger players are tremendous competitors and the seniors don’t want this season to end. Against every opponent, this team is going to be ready to play.’
Although the schedule appears to favor the Terriers, with their opponents listed last in the America East at 0-5, Starr says BU needs to enter the playoffs coming off of a win. Albany has to contend with Maine, a team currently placing third in the conference.
‘Maine could beat Albany, but we don’t want to come in the back door. We want to get confidence from the UMBC game go into the America East tournament with confidence and focus,’ Starr said.
The Terriers will be led by senior forwards Celeste Hubbard and Lindsey Domers, who lead the team with a combined 46 points, and Prediger, who will set the tone for the BU defense.
”Hopefully, I’ll be able to set the defensive attitude. The extra session was just for myself, but they know I’m working hard and hopefully, everyone will work hard for Saturday,’ she said.