After solidifying first place in the America East Conference last weekend, the women’s lacrosse team will host fourth-seeded Stony Brook tomorrow in the opening round of the conference tournament.
As the No. 1 seed in the conference, BU earned the right to host both rounds of the America East Conference Tournament. No. 2 University of New Hampshire will take on No. 3 Vermont in the second game at Nickerson Field. There is a lot at stake in the playoff games, as the conference champ earns an automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament.
The Terriers would love that spot, but they know they’re going to have to keep up their strong play to get it. BU was an unstoppable force as the regular season drew to a close. The team finished the year on a program-record 10-game winning streak.
While the team will carry the momentum of that streak into tomorrow’s game, their record will be wiped clean. Everyone enters the playoffs on equal footing and BU will once again have to battle its way to the top.
‘It definitely adds a little more urgency,’ said head coach Liza Shoemaker.
The chances of BU coming out on top are very good. The team hasn’t lost in over a month and it doesn’t seem ready to start any time soon. The last time the Terriers faced off against Stony Brook, they came away with a 19-5 victory on the road. Freshman attacker Mary Beth Miller paced the offense with a career high eight-point effort.
The Stony Brook victory, however, was the result of multiple contributions, not just Miller’s. Coach Shoemaker has stressed the importance of teamwork all year, and the Stony Brook game was a prime example. Ten different players scored goals for the team and 13 of the 19 goals were assisted. The victory came about because everyone stepped up and did their part.
The weekly awards BU players have been honored with all seasons speak volumes for the team.
‘We’ve had a number of different people win these awards and that really shows a lot for our teamwork,’ Shoemaker said.
This past week, sophomore midfielder Alyssa Trudel, sophomore goaltender Anne Sheridan and freshman attacker Lindsay Lewis were all given weekly conference honors.
Trudel was honored as Co-Player of the Week for the fourth time this season. The Vermont native led the league in both points and assists and finished fourth in goals. She leads BU in draw controls, ground balls and is tied for the lead in caused turnovers.
Sheridan was named the America East’s Defender of the Week for her strong play in net for BU. She made 12 saves in the victory over New Hampshire last weekend that clinched the America East regular season title for the Terriers. She also led the league in both goals against average and save percentage.
Lewis earned her first weekly honor when she was named Rookie of the Week. Lewis had eleven points for BU last week, including a career-high seven-point effort against Vermont. She is third on the team in the scoring and seventh in the conference.
Lewis hasn’t been the only rookie to play a big role in BU’s success. The team starts every game with a number of freshmen playing key roles. While a young lineup could have been a liability for the team, the talented freshman class has been one of Shoemaker’s key assets. They have accounted for more than half of the team’s goals this season.
‘The freshman class has really stepped up all season,’ Shoemaker said.
If BU hopes to enjoy any success in the post-season, the entire team must continue the strong effort on both offense and defense. The two-way play of the team was a key component of their winning streak.
Over the course of that streak, BU went from a struggling 2-4 team to a dominating 12-4 powerhouse. They’ve dealt with adversity and battled Mother Nature. The team has also had to overcome injuries to key players.
‘The team leadership helped us through the injuries,’ Shoemaker said. ‘The team has shown a lot of heart and guts to overcome some of these injuries.’
The Terriers now emerge from the regular season ranked No. 20 in the IWLCA poll. It is their highest ranking since week one of last season.
Thursday at 1:00 p.m., however, the records and No. 20 ranking disappear. Fortunately for the Terriers, the lessons they learned and the confidence they gained from their winning streak can’t be wiped clean.
Shoemaker says her team is going into the game both confident and excited.
‘I think we’re playing at a high level and if we continue that, then we’ll be happy with the outcome,’ she said.
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