Field Hockey preps for conference match against Colgate

The No. 20 Boston University field hockey team will wrap up its regular season at home Saturday with a conference clash against Colgate University.

The Terriers (10-7, 4-1 Patriot League) have struggled this season with consistency, a result of their young roster. However, of late, BU has gained momentum, winning six of its last eight contests.

“Two weeks ago, I told them that we’re no longer a young team,” said BU coach Sally Starr. “Our freshmen are now sophomores, our sophomores are now juniors and our juniors are now seniors. Right now, we’re playing like a veteran team.”

The two most recent triumphs were especially impressive for Starr’s squad. Facing Patriot League defending champion American University on the road Oct. 24, the Terriers emerged victorious, taking the match 3-1. Locked up in a tie with the Eagles (8-8, 3-2 Patriot League) in the conference standings going into the game, BU took sole possession of second place and clinched a berth in the Patriot League Tournament.

In the second game of the same weekend series, the Terriers met up with No. 13 University of Virginia at New Balance Field. After a 2-0 shutout by the Cavaliers (12-7) in the teams’ most recent matchup in 2012, the odds were not in BU’s favor.

However, the Terriers flexed their muscle against the national contenders, scoring two first-half goals for the second game in a row. Junior midfielder Sofi Laurito notched her fourth and fifth goals of the season, and senior goalkeeper Valentina Cerda Eimbcke shut out UVA for 70 minutes before the Cavaliers stole a score off a penalty attack corner as time expired.

“It was a huge win for us,” Starr said. “It helps boost our confidence. We could easily have 14 wins right now if we had finished some games against some quality teams like Northwestern [University] and [Boston College]. Finally getting a victory against a great team is huge.

“And overlooked about Virginia, other than their ranking, is that they finished first in the ACC. For them, it’s huge, but for us, it is too, because we got a convincing win against a fantastic team, and we really did outplay them.”

Despite the Raiders’ record (5-10, 3-2 Patriot League), they present a formidable challenge for the Terriers. In order to continue the late-season momentum, Starr said her team will need to remain vigilant in a potential trap game.

“We want to build our momentum going into the tournament,” Starr said. “We need to respect all of our opponents. We didn’t do it as much in the first half of the season, but we’re doing much better with it in the latter half.”

Colgate has struggled in recent games, losing four of its previous five games, including two blowout losses against American and conference-leader Bucknell University.

However, in the Raiders’ most recent matchup, a non-conference battle versus Siena College, they looked worthy of their Patriot League Tournament berth. Tied 1-1 after the first half, Colgate scored four second-half goals en route to a 5-2 victory. Its five goals scored in the game represent its largest single-game total for the season.

The Raiders are paced offensively by senior Eliana Brown, who leads the team and places third in the conference with 17 points. Not far behind Brown is fellow attack Whitney Jones with 14 points and a .222 shot percentage.

“I’m happy with how we’re developing the attack in the attacking third of the field,” Starr said. “We’re staying aggressive, getting into good scoring spots and following up shots. They have a very athletic goalie and an experienced defense, so we just have to keep grinding and keep the pressure on them.”

A win over the Raiders would prove crucial for the Terriers’ confidence as they move into the playoff push. With the postseason looming, Starr said she knows her team will be ready when it arrives.

“They’re a very focused bunch,” Starr said. “The best part about this team is that I don’t need to motivate them. They always work extremely hard and stay focused during the week. Our goal is to make our practices more difficult than our games, and in recent weeks, we’ve done that.”