With its postseason dreams on the line, the Boston University field hockey team takes on No. 7 Northeastern University tomorrow afternoon at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Jack Barry Field.
After two months of ups and downs, the Terriers’ season comes down to 70 minutes against the Huskies, the pre-season favorite to win the America East Conference.
With a win, BU will vault into second place in the conference, since it will own tiebreakers over Northeastern and the University of Maine. A loss will leave the Terriers out of the America East Tournament for the first time since its inception 13 years ago. Without a spot in the tournament, BU’s season will end far short of its preseason goal of returning to the NCAA Tournament.
‘It’s a do-or-die situation, and we know that,’ said Coach Sally Starr. ‘I hope and pray we play up to our potential because when we do we’re an outstanding team.’
Currently, BU is in fourth place in the conference, with a 2-2 league record. The University of New Hampshire, Northeastern and Maine are all at 3-1, while the University of Vermont is a game behind the Terriers with a 2-3 conference record. Should BU and Vermont end the season tied, the Catamounts would hold the tiebreaker over the Terriers courtesy of their 2-1 victory last weekend.
The Huskies, who won the America East championship last season, are just as strong this year, and are not the ideal opponent for such a crucial game.
‘They are an outstanding team,’ Starr said. ‘They’re aggressive and well-coached, and we know it’s going to be a tough game.’
Northeastern is 14-3 on the year and the favorite to repeat as conference champions. Liane Dixon and Mari Creatini, a pair of sophomore forwards, lead the Huskies’ offensive attack. Dixon has 14 goals and an assist for 29 points, while Creatini has only 10 goals, but six assists for 26 points.
Despite coming off a 1-0 loss to Harvard University on Wednesday, a game in which the Terriers registered only two shots, Starr is confident the offense will get back on track tomorrow.
‘The problems Wednesday were with our attack,’ she said. ‘We already broke down the game tape and the problems are very fixable.’
Tomorrow will also mark the last regular season game for senior captain and goalkeeper Susan Harrington. Harrington will start her 62nd consecutive game in net for the Terriers tomorrow. She has been the one constant all season for the team, especially early on when the offensive was struggling.
‘I can’t say enough about Susan this year,’ Starr said. ‘I would give her an A+ for the year, on and off-the-field, with her leadership and play.’
Neither Harrington nor her teammates and coaches want this to be the way she ends her career.
‘This team really enjoys each other, they love each other, and they don’t want this to be Susan’s last game or their own,’ Starr said.
If the Terriers do go down tomorrow, ending their season, it will not be from a lack of effort.
On Wednesday night, only hours after the game, the defense, which played a solid game, was already looking at the game film. Yesterday morning, the offense was up at 8 a.m. watching the tape, in the hopes of rediscovering the touch that disappeared on Wednesday.
As usual, the Terriers will look to juniors Dalinda Banuelos, Celeste Hubbard, and Lindsey Domers to ignite the offense. Sophomores Lauren Vendetti and Meredith Long will look to anchor a strong defense which has improved all season.
After 19 games and an 11-8 record, the Terriers’ season comes down to one game against the top team in the America East. The team will need contributions from both sides of the field and from more than a few players to beat a team like Northeastern.
‘We need everybody to play to their best capabilities,’ Starr said.
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