Just five games into its season, the Boston University women’s lacrosse team (3-2) has already dealt with its fair share of adversity.
First and foremost, BU hasn’t played a single game at Nickerson Field all season. The Terriers played their home opener yesterday at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Their next four games, all of which are at “home,” will be played at Boston College and Harvard University.
“We haven’t even had a field to practice on even in the cold,” said BU coach Sue Murphy.
Second, BU has played one of the toughest schedules in the nation. They’ve already played James Madison University, the University of North Carolina and Dartmouth College, all of which are ranked as top 12 squads in the country. The Terriers are 1-2 against ranked opponents but undefeated against those unranked.
“The disadvantage probably went to [Dartmouth yesterday] because they haven’t had any games in 17 days where we’ve been playing to the top in the nation, so I would have expected us to come out a little stronger and that was disappointing,” Murphy said.
Third, the Terriers have been without one of their most prolific offensive threats in junior midfielder Kristin Abruzzese. Abruzzese was lost to a shoulder injury against North Carolina and did not play last weekend despite injuries. Fortunately, the Terriers won both games.
But that isn’t to say BU has had its share of bright spots. Senior attacker Chrissy Lombard has been the Terriers’ most deadly offensive weapon. Last year’s America East Player of the Year scored at least two goals in each game this season and 15 goals overall. Her senior leadership is exactly what Murphy said she is looking for.
The Terriers have also been anchored on the defensive side of the field by junior netminder Brooke Barrett. She made 56 saves in her first five games. Barrett is saving about 11 shots per game while giving up less than eight goals per contest.
BU went into yesterday’s game ranked sixth in the nation, the highest ranking ever attained by a BU women’s lacrosse team. Yesterday’s loss should not drop the Terriers too much, since Dartmouth is the No. 12 team in the nation.
“This probably won’t hurt us that much,” Murphy said. “It really won’t affect us, NCAA-wise.”
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