No matter the sport, any matchup between Boston University and longtime rival Boston College is a primetime event. Ever since the Terriers and Eagles first played a hockey game in 1918, both schools’ athletic programs have been intertwined throughout the years, with competitive, hard-fought games expected from every single matchup between the two schools.
The latest chapter in the BU/BC rivalry will take place Wednesday, as the BU women’s lacrosse team is set to take on the Eagles in Chestnut Hill at 4 p.m.
The Terriers (2-3) and Eagles (3-4) may not play in the same conference, but BU coach Liz Robertshaw still expects a heated and competitive game between the two teams.
“It’s been a renewed rivalry over the past five or six years,” Robertshaw said. “It’s something that we have a lot of fun playing in. I think that it will be a tight game, I think it will be a hard fought game, and there’s a lot on the line.”
Boston College has struggled out of the gate, dropping four out of its last five games. However, three of its losses this season came against top-15-ranked teams. In their last game, the Eagles fell to No. 1 University of Maryland, 13-5.
The Eagles have been led this year by sophomore Covie Stanwick, who has recorded 32 points in seven games this season. Sophomore Emily Mata has appeared in every game in goal for BC, owning a 11.57 goals against average and a .302 save percentage.
With a potent offense and a batch of young talent, Robertshaw said she believes the Eagles will be a big challenge for the Terriers.
“BC is a young and aggressive team and are lead by a couple of really good sophomores,” Robertshaw said. “I think they are finding their way and they’re similar to us in a lot of aspects.
“They had a great game against [Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University] that we had the chance to see, and we know we need to slow them down, because they can be a very high-scoring offense.”
The Terriers are fresh off of a big victory last Saturday, in which they defeated No. 15 Ohio State University 16-11.
Senior attack Danielle Etrasco was unstoppable, scoring eight goals and chipping in four assists to finish the game with a school record of 12 points in a single contest. For her performance, Etrasco was named America East Player of the Week.
Senior midfielder Kristen Mogavero recorded six goals in the matchup. Etrasco and Mogavero are the leading goal scorers this season for the Terriers, with 17 and 12 goals, respectively.
The last time the Terriers and Eagles faced off was April 11, when BC defeated BU 18-9.
Robertshaw said her team fell short last year because it was too wrapped up and excited about playing a rival such as BC.
“We were too hyped up,” Robertshaw said. “We were really emotional. We kind of stretched ourselves too thin on defense … Attack-wise, we got a little nervous with some of our shots and we weren’t finishing, and that’s something that we want to take out of the equation this year.”
Despite dropping its last three contests against the Eagles, BU still leads the all-time series against BC with an 11-7-1 record.
For Robertshaw, the biggest key to a Terrier victory Wednesday lies in putting together a complete-game effort.
“For us to win tomorrow, we have to play together for 60 minutes,” she said. “If we can go out and play the style of defense that we want to play, take the chances and find the success that we’re looking for on attack and be really aggressive in the midfield — those three things combined for 60 minutes — I think can get us a win, but it’s going to be tough.”
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