Sophomore attack Danielle Etrasco and senior midfielder Corcoran Downey of the Boston University lacrosse team both performed well last week, earning the America East Player and Defensive Player of the Week awards, respectively.
Etrasco scored four goals in each of two wins over Yale University and Binghamton University last week, adding to her already impressive totals on the season. Her 26 goals place her second in the conference in that category, and her 3.56 points per game is good for third in the conference.
“She has taken her role as the leading goal-scorer for us very seriously,” said BU coach Liz Robertshaw. “She had a couple games in that stretch two weeks ago where she wasn’t scoring as many, but I sat her down and said ‘Listen, we need more from you,’ and she has responded very well this week.”
Downey’s seven ground balls and six draw controls last week were impressive along with her stellar defensive effort. She helped the Terriers hold their opponents to a combined 11 goals in two games last week, a figure the offense topped in each of the victories. The senior from Ellicott City, Md. also scored her third goal of the season in the game against Binghamton.
“She, I believe at the Binghamton game, really set the tone defensively and got the girls to be really aggressive,” Robertshaw said.
Baum-ing a ride into the record books
Senior attack Erica Baumgartner passed her way to the top of the record books on Saturday after totaling six assists last week to raise her total to 108 career assists. This ties Mary Beth Miller (’06) for the program’s all-time assist lead with seven games remaining in her senior season. Baumgartner has matched this record despite missing last season due to injury.
“I’m excited for Erica. It’s something that she has worked extremely hard for,” Robertshaw said. “That’s why she was brought in, to replace Mary Beth Miller from an assisting standpoint and she has done a great job of doing that.”
Freshmen coming up big
Now that the season is more than halfway over, freshmen are starting to step up and create their roles on the team. One of the biggest stories for the Terriers this season has been freshman goalkeeper Christina Sheridan, who has gotten the majority of the playing time recently. Sheridan leads the team with a 9.51 goals against average, and a .458 save percentage.
“There aren’t enough good things to say about her, because she has done so well,” Robertshaw said.
When sophomore midfielder Kristen Mogavero went down with injury at Yale, freshman midfielder Sydney Godett moved in to fill her role. The Boxford native has collected four points this season, including a goal and an assist in her only start of the season against Binghamton.
“She has been getting in and getting some minutes, and now she is a major factor in our midfield line,” Robertshaw said. “She is really stepping up to the challenge.”
Defense first
BU has been improving how many free position shots it has allowed as of late, only allowing two in its win over Binghamton, neither of which resulted in a goal. With the strength of their defensive play and their low totals of free position shots, scoring goals on the Terriers has become increasingly rare for opponents.
“We have really limited the amount of shots our goalkeepers are seeing,” Robertshaw said. “We’ve made changes in how we practice. We’ve made changes in the footwork as well as how we defend attackers, and I feel like they can play their defense without worrying about penalties.”
Next time at Nickerson Field…
With the America East schedule ahead for the Terriers, BU will now focus on its bid for a conference championship. Its next test is against University of Maryland-Baltimore County on Saturday at Nickerson Field.
“Every single game from here on out is going to be a challenge,” Robertshaw said. “The way that Albany is playing right now, the way UMBC is playing, even UNH, they are getting it done. They want the title and I think we have to prove that we do as well.”
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