Play at the Plate

The 1970s Pittsburgh Steelers, the 2000-01 Baltimore Ravens, the 2003-04 Detroit Pistons and the 2005 Boston University field hockey team. All of these teams have one thing in common: an impenetrable defense.

While you’ve been eagerly awaiting the start of ice hockey and basketball season, the Terriers have been putting up shutout after shutout. In fact, they’ve put up five in a row. The last time the field hockey team gave up a goal was Sept. 20, more than three weeks ago. And even though they allowed a goal in that game, they still won.

In fact, the Terriers have only lost one game since September began, and that was a hard-fought away loss (3-2) to the now 10th-ranked team in the nation, Northeastern University. The Terriers, who are currently No. 19 in the nation, also played and beat a currently ranked team in No. 17 Boston College during this streak, in which they’ve gone 9-1 and outscored their opponents by a combined score of 29-6.

With a defense that has been lights-out and an offense that can score in bunches, this Terrier team is one that no one wants to see on their schedule.

But this dominant streak has gone basically unnoticed, and not just by the Boston University community.

Even the national field hockey community seems to be ignoring the great job this team has done since its 0-2 start. While the Terriers are ranked nationally, they deserve a higher spot than the 19th position they currently occupy, especially considering they downed the team two places ahead of them, BC. And almost as absurd is that Northeastern University, who barely beat the Terriers in overtime at Jack Barry Field, is ranked 10th.

While it’s true that the Huskies have a better record than the Terriers, it has to be considered that they’ve only played two ranked teams, while the Terriers have played four, constituting all three of their loses. Also consider that two of these three losses were in overtime, meaning the game could have gone either way. It is unfair to punish the Terriers for two losses to begin the season in a tough tournament against two currently ranked opponents and not reward them for their current hot streak.

The team also deserves a better ranking because of its borderline unfair schedule in terms of home and away games. The Terriers have only played three home games this year, while they’ve had to play seven away games and two at neutral sites – all three of the losses came away from Jack Barry.

Unfortunately, the Terriers’ schedule doesn’t even out this disparity. They’re back home (if you can call it that – the team plays at MIT because Nickerson’s NexTurf surface is too slow for field hockey) for their next two games, but after that, have only one home game and three away games left, meaning they will end their season with 10 away games and only six home games.

The only reasonable excuse for keeping this team at the 19th spot nationally is that they play in a relatively weak conference. But when you haven’t allowed a goal in five games, I think your team has transcended the weak conference argument.

And while this team has been stiffed by the national field hockey body, it’s also been given the cold shoulder by its own campus. Without playing on campus, there’s almost zero visibility. In fact, if someone didn’t read the sports pages, they might have no idea that BU even has a field hockey team, or that it is doing so well.

But with multiple America East championships in addition to an NCAA Final Four appearance (in 1985), this team as established itself as a premier field hockey program and one of the best programs here. BU needs to push student awareness of the team, through an ad campaign and through a shuttle to games. The Massachusetts Avenue bridge gets too windy to walk in the fall, anyway.

Because this Terrier team has a chance to end its season with something else to defend: a championship.