Strong midfielders lead Terrier field hockey

Boston University field hockey coach Sally Starr could not definitively say what the team’s strength was at the beginning of the season.

At first, it seemed as if it was in the attacking third, with the great scoring output the team had in its first game. A scoring drought ensued following that game, making the defense and junior goalkeeper Valentina Cerda Eimbcke stand out as they kept the Terriers (11-6, 4-1 Patriot League) in several games.

Now the midfielders are the ones leading the way for Starr’s team as it wraps up the regular season.

This could be seen during both of the Terriers’ games this weekend. Against the University of California Fridayafternoon, it was the midfielders leading the way on offense.

While it was senior backer Ysi Schieb who scored the first goal in the game, it was freshman midfielder Hester van der Laan with a pass off the corner to set up Schieb’s goal in the 13th minute. Van der Laan did the same thing to set up another midfielder, sophomore Sofi Laurito, who was fortunate enough to have her shot deflect off of a California player and into the goal.

Less than a minute after earning her second assist of the day, van der Laan converted a penalty stroke. Those three goals that van der Laan helped produce were more than enough for the Terriers to defeat a struggling Bears (6-10) team.

The following day against Duke University, it was Laurito taking over and scoring an impressive backhanded goal after weaving through defenders, scoring her seventh goal of the season. Unfortunately, that was the Terriers’ only goal, as they struggled in the second half.

“[Laurito] came up really big in that first half,” Starr said. “And I think all of the midfielders attacked very well. I think in the second half we just got ourselves bogged down and we kept going into them, almost like a moth into a light, just banging into them as opposed to going to the open side of the field with good ball pace and good off ball running.”

The statistics say it all. There is no doubt that BU’s midfielders have an immense amount of skill, but they are leaders on the field as well.

As the game against the Blue Devils (13-4) got underway Sunday, senior midfielder Madeline Hackett was noticeably vocal on the field. Not only was she outspoken to start the game, she maintained possession of the ball, trying to set up her teammates in the attacking third.

“It’s something we’ve been wanting to happen all year,” Starr said. “I really feel that when the volume is high on the field, they’re really locked into the play and their hockey. So we’re working on it in practice, good teams are loud and when you’re playing consistently well, you’re loud. When we’re struggling, we’re quiet. So we definitely want the senior leadership to pump up and we really need everyone talking out there.”

Despite the midfielders being an impressive group for Starr’s team, they still have quite a bit to work on, as the Terriers head into their final games of the 2013 season trying to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time in six years.

“Just staying disciplined, keeping the ball moving and recognizing when you need to carry, when you need to make the extra pass,” Starr said about working on the midfielders as the season comes to a close. “I’m really working on the midfield transfer.”