The No. 11 Boston University lacrosse team will look for its 10th straight win when it hosts No. 14 Dartmouth College tonight at 6 p.m. on Nickerson Field in this year’s Nick at Night game.
The Terriers (11-3) will take a break from their conference schedule to host the annual game against the Big Green (7-5). The Terriers have won the last two matchups against Dartmouth, as well as the last two games played against the Big Green on Nickerson, dating back to 2005.
Although Dartmouth is coming off of a 14-4 loss to No. 7 Princeton University, the Big Green should not be underestimated, especially in the offensive zone. Dartmouth has scored 12 or more goals in four of its last six games, including a 17-8 rout of Fairfield University and a 16-1 domination of Brown University.
‘We’ve been preparing for a very aggressive attack that [Dartmouth] has,’ BU coach Liz Robertshaw said. ‘Our defenders have been watching some film and really getting ready to slow them down.’
Judging by the way the Terrier defensive unit played recently, it should be able to stop the Big Green. The Terriers have held their opponents to under 10 goals in five of the last six games. Redshirt junior co-captain Rachel Klein has lowered her goals against average to 10.05 and raised her save percentage to .460.
‘It’s a credit to both the entire defensive unit because of how well they’re playing, but it’s also a credit to the assistant coaches, Anne [Sheridan] and Katie [Linnertz],’ Robertshaw said. ‘They watch game film, they look at scouting reports and they get the girls ready to play. [Senior co-captains] Kelly Munroe and Rachel Klein have done a nice job of taking what they’re learning from the coaches and making sure the entire team does that during the game.’
On the offensive front, the Terriers are domineering. Senior co-captain Sarah Dalton leads the way with 64 goals and 73 points. Her 64 goals currently stand tied for first in the nation.
But Dalton, along with the other Terrier top scorers, must be able to solve Dartmouth’s goalkeeper, junior Julie Wadland. Wadland has an 8.84 GAA and a 4.73 save percentage. She was just named as a Tewaaraton Award nominee, the award presented annually to the top collegiate lacrosse player in the United States.
‘From an attacking standpoint, we want to make sure that we go hard to cage and get some shots,’ Robertshaw said. ‘They have a U.S.-caliber goaltender in their cage and it’s something that we have to make sure we’re prepared for.’
Dartmouth is the fourth ranked team the Terriers have faced this season. The Terriers fell to the first three ranked opponents they saw, then-No. 5 Syracuse University, then-No. 12 Vanderbilt University and the then-No. 5 University of Pennsylvania, but then rallied to beat the then-No. 18 University of New Hampshire, 9-8, at the beginning of April.
The Terriers hope to gain experience from facing yet another ranked team in anticipation of a potential NCAA Tournament bid.
‘This is a huge game against Dartmouth,’ Robertshaw said. ‘This has big implications for postseason play for both Dartmouth and us if we’re lucky enough to get through the conference. It’s always a huge battle with us and Dartmouth, whether they’re ranked or not, and we know it’s going to be a big game.
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