Blue-Deviled Dogs

For the No. 14 Boston University field hockey team, it was a weekend of identification. It was a weekend that, in the grand scheme of a season, goes a long way to help define the character of a team and just how hard that team will fight for wins.

The Terriers finished 1-1 on the weekend, netting a 4-1 conference victory over the University of New Hampshire at Jack Barry Field and a non-conference overtime loss to No. 15 Duke University, 3-2.

But walking away from Boston College’s Newton Campus Turf Field on Sunday, there wasn’t an ounce of defeat in the Terriers.

“Regardless of the outcome, we want to be able to walk off the field really feeling like we played our best game,” said BU coach Sally Starr. “Today is a feeling like that.

“We didn’t get the outcome, we didn’t get the ‘W,’ but we definitely played an excellent hockey game,” she added. “We dominated, look at the stats.”

Those stats tell the tale of a game that showcased not only the talent of the equally matched teams, but also players’ conditioning as the 2-2 deadlock went into its 76th minute.

The Terriers (9-3, 1-0 America East) outshot the Blue Devils by an astounding 21-15 margin, and in a sport in which goalies usually average four or five saves per game, BU goalie Kim Kastuk made a season-high nine saves and Duke counterpart Caitlin Williams knocked away 11 BU shots. In the second half alone, BU outshot Duke, 14-4.

But in the end, just putting pressure on the Blue Devils’ defense wasn’t enough.

Opening the second half with a 2-1 deficit, the Terriers came out swinging, and in the 44th minute, senior Sarah Shute scored a highlight reel goal on a pass from Hadley Adams to knot the score at two.

Diving in front of the net to intercept Adams’ pass, Shute redirected the ball to beat Williams for the score.

It was the Terriers’ second extraordinary goal of the game, after Shute and fellow forwards Hayley Hamada and Gabby Hajjar put on a passing clinic in front of the Duke net before Hamada slammed the ball to the boards.

“It’s really being in the right place at the right time, anticipating well and being two steps above the ball in your mind,” she added.

Duke’s three goals came off of corners, and junior sharpshooter Marianne Dickinson scored two, including the overtime game-winner.

After more than 70 minutes of grueling hockey, Starr had some encouraging words for her team. Despite the loss, the Terriers focused only on their accomplishments.

“[I just said,] ‘Hey, you beat them in the second half in everything but the scoreboard, let’s go out and win the [next] game,'” she said.

“I think they’re a very good attacking team,” Starr added. “They have two good kids in the midfield, [Laura Suchoski] and [Dickinson], excellent players. I saw [Suchoski] play against BC Friday night and she just shredded the field. We really did a good job neutralizing her.”

Before facing one of their toughest opponents of the season, the Terriers had defeated UNH handily Friday afternoon.

In a game that featured two goals from senior standout Pam Spuehler and solo tallies from fellow seniors Adams and Hamada, the Terriers showed they are posed to dominate conference play.

It was quite a physical game for both sides, with warnings and green cards being tossed around the field. But when the clock flashed zeroes, the Terriers took home the win.

“Conference is our ticket to the NCAA Tournament and I think it’s a really good result,” Starr said. “Was I really pleased with how we played today? Not particularly. I thought it was kind of a scratchy type of game where we never really got in a rhythm.

“[UNH] played hard, they competed well,” she continued, “but I think that when we had good scoring opportunities, we definitely did a good job finishing them.”