The Boston University lacrosse team will try to extend its three-game winning streak on Wednesday against University of New Hampshire on the road.
The Terriers (6-4, 2-0 America East) are in first place in America East with their undefeated in-conference record. They will travel to UNH (5-5, 0-1 AE) to try to earn the program’s first four-game winning streak since the 2009 season, when they won 13 straight.
“This is a team that, if we are going to be successful, it can’t come down to one or two players,” BU coach Liz Robertshaw said. “Every single person that we haven’t talked about in the papers yet, I need them to come and play a big game.”
UNH brings a good defensive team to play against BU, but the spark plug on both ends of the field for the Wildcats has been junior Kate Keagins. The All-America East midfielder leads the team in points, goals, assists, ground balls and caused turnovers
“We need to slow her down,” Robertshaw said. “She is a dynamic player, she is fast and she is aggressive in the midfield. She is definitely someone we have our eyes on.”
BU senior defender Corcoran Downey has played particularly well on defense for the Terriers and has been recognized for her play by the league once again. Downey received her second consecutive AE Defensive Player of the Week honors last week, her third this season. With four ground balls, three caused turnovers and a goal in last week’s game against University of Maryland-Baltimore County, Downey has been a key component for the Terriers as of late.
“She has been essential for our success,” Robertshaw said. “We want to keep her healthy and we want to keep her playing at this level. She is marking up against some of the best players in the conference, which is not an easy job.”
Sophomore and senior attacks Danielle Etrasco and Erica Baumgartner have been impressive so far into the season as well. Etrasco leads the team with 31 goals and 38 points, while Baumgartner leads the team in assists with 19, and is only second to Etrasco in points on the season with 29. Baumgartner is currently tied for the program’s career assist lead with Mary Beth Miller (’06) with 108 assists in her career.
“[Baumgartner] was caught up in a lot of different things against UMBC,” Robertshaw said, “but she has to get back to doing what she does best and that’s feeding the ball. I want to get her to break that record and get over the hump.”
BU lost midfielder Kristen Mogavero to injury three games ago, and she will not be returning this season. With Mogavero’s presence in the midfield missing, freshman midfielder Sydney Godett has started in her place.
“[Mogavero] has an injury that will end her season, which is unfortunate,” Robertshaw said. “[Godett] obviously is a little bit newer so she is still trying to learn both the attack and the defense, but she has done a good job in there and I think the team has supported her really well.”
Freshman Christina Sheridan will get another start in the cage for the Terriers, coming off of her previous three victories in as many games. Sheridan has stepped up as the consistent starter so far this season, but still has sophomore Kim Elsworth pushing her to keep that starting job.
This game against UNH will be the final of three consecutive AE opponents on BU’s schedule before it faces cross-town rival Boston College at Chestnut Hill on April 13. The Terriers will look to keep their in-conference record perfect with a win over the Wildcats.
“There is not an easy game in our conference, and there is not an easy game for the rest of our schedule,” Robertshaw said. “We want to come out of it with a win, but we also want to keep playing our best lacrosse.”
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