Picked to repeat as champions in the America East Conference, the Boston University women’s lacrosse team has enjoyed a successful start to the 2003 season.
The Terriers (2-1, 0-0) were voted tops in the conference by America East coaches in February, earning four of six first place votes. The University of New Hampshire, BU’s opponent in last year’s conference championship, was picked to finish second.
Second-year coach Liza Shoemaker and the Terriers did, however, suffer a huge setback before they even began the defense of their championship. In a pre-season practice, junior attacker Kelly Trahon tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her knee and will be sidelined for the entire season. The junior was a first-team all-conference selection last year, leading the America East in assists. She will take a medical red-shirt and will return next year for her junior season.
Trahon’s injury forces BU to play with a young lineup led by sophomore attacker Alyssa Trudel. Trudel was a second-team all-conference selection last season and BU’s third leading scorer behind senior midfielders Kristin Abruzzese and Ericka Hergenroeder. With Abruzzese and Hergenroeder, two conference first-team members, graduated, Trudel will assume an even greater role this year.
Joining Trudel in the Terriers’ quest for back-to-back titles are junior defenders Liz Eberhart and Sasha Lang. Both defenders were second-team all-conference selections last season.
Trudel and the Terriers did not disappoint in their season opener on Mar. 5 against Quinnipiac University, trouncing the Bobcats 17-1. Trudel tallied five goals and dished out three assists, tying her career-high for points in a game. Sophomore Anne Sheridan and junior Lauren Beatty split time in goal, combining for four saves on five Quinnipiac shots.
BU then traveled to Chapel Hill, N.C. on Mar. 9 to take on the University of North Carolina, the No. 10 team in the nation. The Terriers were not intimidated by the ranked Tar Heels, trailing only 9-7 with just over 20 minutes left to play.
UNC took control of the rest of the game, however, outscoring BU 8-4 en route to a 17-11 victory. Freshman attacker Lindsay Lewis led the Terriers with four goals, while fellow freshman attacker Mary Beth Miller and Trudel each added two scores. Sheridan, playing the entire game in goal, made a career-high 10 saves.
Both Trudel and Sheridan were honored by the America East on Mar. 11 for their efforts in the first week of the season. After scoring seven goals and handing out four assists in two games, Trudel was named the conference’s player of the week for the first time in her career. It was not her first America East honor, as the sophomore earned three conference rookie of the week awards last season.
Sheridan was named the conference’s top defender of the week after earning her first career victory and recording 12 saves on 29 shots. The conference honor was the first of the sophomore goalkeeper’s career.
With two honors in their back pockets after only two games played, the Terriers traveled even further south to St. Petersburg, Fla. to play Monmouth University on Mar. 13.
BU was all over Hawk goalkeeper Emily Brugger, firing a season-high 42 shots on the way to its 17-4 victory. Junior attacker Caroline Kelleher, who sat out all but one game of last season with a knee injury, notched a career and game-high eight points, scoring four goals and serving up four assists. Freshman attacker Danica Strutt also tallied four goals for the Terriers, who got goals from eight different players.
Sheridan was again impressive in the net for BU, making 13 saves and allowing only three goals. Beatty relieved the sophomore goalkeeper for the final seven minutes and gave up one goal.
On Mar. 17 and for the second straight week, two Terriers were recognized by the America East. Kelleher was the conference player of the week for her career game against Monmouth, while Sheridan was named the conference’s best defender for a second consecutive time.
So after two successful opening weeks in which the Terriers earned two convincing wins, played No. 10 North Carolina very tough and earned four conference honors, BU will face the ultimate test of its young season when it takes on the top ranked team in the nation, Loyola College in Maryland, this Friday in Baltimore.
Loyola is 4-0 on the season with wins over No. 10 North Carolina on Mar. 7 and top-ranked and defending champion Princeton University on Mar. 9. The Greyhounds leaped into first place in the nation after topping the Tigers 9-8 in overtime.
The Terriers have lived up to their predicted first-place conference finish thus far, and a positive performance this Friday against Loyola would only strengthen BU on its way to a second straight America East title.
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