The winningest field hockey team ever to play at Boston University was the scrappy 2007 squad that went 18-6 and advanced to the NCAA tournament's quarterfinals. That team set the standard for BU field hockey, but they didn't go 4-0.
This year's team has, and with their most recent wins against Providence College and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, they have tied the best start in program history, going 4-0 for the first time since 1987.
"I've said to anybody who wanted to listen to me, even from last season, that we had a really talented team returning this year," BU coach Sally Starr said. "If we can stay healthy and focused and continue with the really good work ethic and make sacrifices and have the discipline that you need to have, I anticipate us to have an outstanding season this year."
The No. 15 Terriers defeated the Friars (0-4) by a score of 3-0 on Saturday after their original match on Friday had to be postponed due to Hurricane Earl. The impenetrable goalie tandem of senior Amanda Smith and sophomore Julie Collins combined for its second shutout of the season through three games, and senior forward Allie Dolce tallied a goal and an assist in her final game playing in her home state of Rhode Island.
"A lot of our goal scoring has come from our pressing," Starr explained. "The other team has the ball and we're setting up a trap and we're successfully winning the ball and transitioning into our attacking end. [Dolce]'s just in the right spot at the right time. She's moving with energy and urgency and intelligence and because of that, she's finding herself in the right place at the right time, defensively and offensively."
After Dolce's tally in the third minute of the game, BU deflected another shot past Friar sophomore goaltender Kathi Weidman just under 10 minutes later, off the stick of senior midfielder Maryette Stuart. A final goal in the 56th minute by junior forward Andrea Greene chased Weidman from the game and gave BU a solid cushion heading into the final minutes of the contest.
The Terriers' most recent game against UMass (1-3) was closer than their match with the Friars, as the Terriers managed to turn away a flurry of late scoring opportunities and hang onto a 2-1 lead for the win. As in Saturday's game, BU came onto the field with energy, this time scoring at the 50-second mark on a Dolce-Greene hookup five yards in front of the net. The goal gave Dolce her seventh and eighth points and Greene her team-leading 10th on the season.
Like clockwork, the Terriers scored a second goal 10 minutes later, reminiscent of their work against the Friars. This time, the goal came from the stick of Jacinda McLeod, her first of the season.
"Jacinda is a very gifted athlete and a tremendous hockey player," Starr said. "She's a gamer. She understands what it takes to compete successfully. She's a tremendous presence on the field, and she's only a sophomore right now. She's somebody who is going to make an impact for Boston University this year and in years to come."
With a 2-0 lead heading into the second half, BU looked poised to cruise to their fourth straight victory. But UMass came back in the second half with a flurry of shots and corners. They eventually cut the Terriers' lead in half with a redirected goal by senior forward Katie Kelly in the 42nd minute. It was the first goal that Collins allowed on the season.
The pressure continued to mount as the Minutemen earned six penalty corners in the second half, compared to only one in the first. They outshot BU 6-4 in the second half and had them on their heels. A couple of key saves by Collins and a timeout, however, helped to regroup the team and saved the win, the team's fourth in a row.
"UMass is much improved from last year," Starr said. "They're very athletic. They're very fast. They compete hard. Watching the game on the sideline, it felt like we just hung on with our nails. But having watched the game [on video] a little bit I actually felt like we created a lot of scoring opportunities after our timeout. I really think we settled down, and they did not cross our 50 for another 10, almost 12 minutes. So we kind of settled there a little bit."
They settled in and secured a victory that only two other Terrier teams could get, leaving them undefeated and with a chance to secure a 5-0 record for the first time in team history when they face off against Boston College on Friday.</p>
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