After a week of heartbreak against local rivals, a game against Sacred Heart University (1-6) was just what the doctor ordered for the Boston University field hockey team, as the Terriers dominated the Pioneers in a 7-0 thrashing Saturday at Jack Barry Field. BU followed up the trouncing with a 1-0 victory at Dartmouth College Sunday.
The offense peppered the opposing net with 27 shots while the defense gave the BU (3-5) goaltenders, junior Amanda Smith and redshirt freshman Julie Collins, a virtual day off by not allowing a single shot.’
BU coach Sally Starr stressed the defensive performance as the most positive factor to take out of the game.
‘What I liked most about today is that we worked hard on our defense,’ Starr said after the game.’ ‘To not give up any shots or penalty corners, you have to be pleased with the defensive energy.’
Having dropped a pair of 4-3 decisions to Boston College and Northeastern University the previous weekend, BU set out to control the match from the beginning. Ten minutes of offensive assault finally resulted in freshman back Jacinda McLeod’s first collegiate goal, scored off a penalty corner. Junior midfielder Allie Dolce made it 2-0 off a goal-mouth scramble three minutes later, and freshman Nicole van Oosterom increased the lead with 30 seconds to go in the half with another successful penalty corner execution.
The game was put out of reach with three goals in the first five minutes of the second half, all off penalty corners. Seniors Nikki Lloyd and Haley Robinson, along with van Oosterom, all scored, proving how dangerous the Terriers can be off corners. Another penalty six minutes from the end of the game resulted in McLeod’s second goal of the contest to make it 7-0.
‘We have a lot of different weapons, as was highlighted today,’ Starr said.’
The large lead allowed Collins to make her first appearance of the season in net. She finished off the work started by Smith with 27 minutes of spotless play. The two girls combined for their first shutout of the season.
Six different Terriers registered shots on goal in the game and five got on the score sheet. Dolce (1 goal, 3 assists) and McLeod (2 goals, 1 assist) led the team with five points each in the game.
‘I like how we just played hockey for 70 minutes,’ Starr said. ‘We just want to keep getting better every day.’
The next day, the team headed to Hanover, N.H. to face off against a Dartmouth team that the Terriers historically have had success against. Five straight victories and an 8-1 all-time record against the Big Green had to have Starr’s women feeling good about their chances. A tense affair followed, however, as the Terriers outlasted Dartmouth, 1-0, off a goal by sophomore Giovanna Monaco ten minutes from game’s end.
BU’s defense again dominated, allowing only four shots in the game and one in the second half, but the offense was also tempered by the Big Green defense and their goalie Meagan Vakiener.’
Finally, in the 61st minute, a shot off the top of the circle by McLeod rebounded right in the reach of Monaco, who tapped in for the easy score. Smith was in goal for her first complete shutout of the season, and second in a row for the team.
‘Don’t look at our record right now,’ Starr said.’ ‘We have had the sixth toughest schedule in the country before [Saturday’s] game. This team could just as easily be 7-1 right now.’
Indeed, BU will look to even their record the following weekend with games at the University of Virginia and Old Dominion University. One can hope that the past two dominating performances can be the start of a long winning streak. Starr said a good, hard week of practicing was one of the main causes of the team’s success.
‘We had good synergy on the field, mixing speed and finesse,’ she said. ‘We are also a very young team so the best is yet to come.’
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