The only thing entering Erin Prediger’s cage Saturday was rain. As the last trace of Tropical Storm Tammy worked its way up the mid-Atlantic, the rain-soaked Boston University field hockey team cruised to a 6-0 victory against the University of Maryland-Baltimore County.
Terrier goalie Prediger earned four saves as the No. 19 Terriers (9-3, 2-0 America East) recorded their fifth consecutive shutout. The Retrievers, who were limited to just four shots, fell to 1-9, 0-2 in conference play. “Considering the conditions, I think we played really well,” said BU coach Sally Starr.
The Terriers took a season-high 27 shots en route to their ninth consecutive regular-season conference victory. Their last conference loss came on Oct. 24, 2003 in a 1-0 overtime match against Northeastern University.
Junior Amy Seaman started the scoring for the Terriers, netting her first of two goals in the 10th minute. In the closing minutes of the first half, Seaman struck again. Sophomore Sarah Hudak took possession of the ball on a penalty corner opportunity and dished it Seaman to give the Terriers a 2-0 lead. The goal was Seaman’s fourth of the season. The forward has collected nine points so far this season, after earning just seven all of last year.
“We moved her position this spring,” Starr said. “In a tight space, she’s really able to make things happen and she’s very creative as well. We felt that as a striker she would be able to utilize her skills to the fullest. She’s improving with each day and she’s getting more dangerous every day.”
Both teams were quiet to open the second half. BU controlled the ball offensively, but was unable to score for the first 17 minutes after the break. Ashley Parker ended the drought by driving past UMBC defenders to score an unassisted goal. Less than three minutes later, she did it again, giving BU a 4-0 lead with 15 minutes left to play.
The Terriers only added to their lead in the game’s final minutes. After one of the team’s 15 penalty corner opportunities, sophomore Sarah Shute passed the ball to Colleen McClay for the goal.
Shortly after, it was McClay’s turn to earn the assist. Her pass to freshman Lauren Alfaro set up the final goal of the game, 6-0.
The six scores mark a season high for the Terriers. Their previous high came Sept. 24, when the squad netted five against Fairfield University.
“We’re developing more,” Starr said. “Our attack is getting better. I think we’re getting closer and closer to scoring a bunch of goals every game, and I think we’ll continue to have a stingy defense.”
UMBC goalie Ashley Benitez recorded a career-high 13 saves while allowing five goals. She was replaced with Kathryn Tag, who earned two saves and allowed one goal.
Prediger has not allowed a goal since Sept. 20 against UMass-Amherst. The third-year starter has allowed seven goals over 10 games this season, posting five shutouts and an .854 save percentage. She earned six in 20 games last season. Currently, Terrier opponents have a scoreless streak of 404:45.
“Our three captains – Erin Calamari, Caitlyn Cassara and Colleen McClay – have all been playing extremely well,” Starr said. “They have been playing with a lot of heart and a lot of competitive fire. Those are things that make a good defense.”
The Terriers continue their season this weekend with a pair of home games at Jack Barry Field. On Saturday, they will face off against the University of Vermont. They will follow that match-up with a non-conference game against Princeton University on Sunday.
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