Coming off its third America East Tournament Championship in as many years, the No. 11 Boston University field hockey team learned last night it will play No. 5 University of Iowa on Saturday in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament in Connecticut.
The Terriers (17-5) were rewarded for their conference tournament victory by getting a first-round game close to home against the Hawkeyes. The Terriers will likely play in the second game of the day at the University of Connecticut. Official times will be released this morning.
“I’m very excited we’re staying close to home and only going to Connecticut,” said BU coach Sally Starr. “It bodes well for traveling and convenience for our fans and players as well. This stage of the season, there is no easy game and Iowa is a very good team.”
No. 4 UConn and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, which won its play-in game yesterday in an upset over Princeton University, will play the other game on Saturday.
The Terriers are 0-5 this season against higher-ranked teams, but Starr hopes those losses have taught her team important lessons.
“I think that the whole season plays into our preparation for each game,” Starr said. “This is a team that really learns from the lessons taught to them in previous games and gets better and better and better.”
Starr said winning the conference tournament against a quality team like the University at Albany sets up the Terriers for NCAA Tournament success.
“I said to the team that I was really pleased [the University at] Albany was such a formidable opponent,” she added, “because that intensity helps us to be prepared for Iowa this Saturday.”
Terrier back Laura Dean gets an added wrinkle to her NCAA Tournament experience this year, as her younger sister, Tricia, is a sophomore midfielder for the Hawkeyes.
“It just makes it a very difficult game for the Dean parents,” Starr said. “I know they didn’t enjoy it when we had to play Iowa last year during the regular season. I think that this was probably the one game they were hoping wouldn’t come across the TV screen. But for us as a team, it’s a non-issue.”