The Boston University men’s lacrosse team will make the short trip down to Providence, Rhode Island to take on Providence College in a non-conference matchup. The game was originally scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, but was postponed until Wednesday.
The Terriers (2-1, 0-1 Patriot League), who won their first two games of the season in convincing fashion over Mercer University on Feb. 7 and Canisius College on Feb. 14, will be coming off a defeat for the first time after they dropped an 10-9 contest to No. 20 Lehigh University in Patriot League play Saturday.
BU coach Ryan Polley said he is confident his team will be able to bounce back against the Friars (1-1).
“It’s great after a loss just to get back out and play, especially since I am really pleased with how we responded in the second half against Lehigh,” he said. “I’m just really excited to get back out there, have a good practice on Monday, make some adjustments and have the guys ready to go on Tuesday.”
While the Terriers have a tall task ahead of them, their efforts will be significantly boosted by several freshman players who have quickly adjusted to the pace and physicality of the collegiate game.
In the narrow defeat to Lehigh (2-1, 1-0 Patriot League), freshman attack Ryan Hilburn and freshman midfielders Greg Farris and Hayden Ruiz greatly contributed. The trio tallied two goals apiece, and Hilburn added an assist on Farris.
Now, with all three rounding into form, the Terriers have players who can take the offensive burden off the usual suspects of sophomore attack Adam Schaal and sophomore midfielder Cal Dearth.
“We had a lot of points from the midfield, and any time you can have a balanced attack, you’re going to be difficult to defend,” Polley said. “I was really happy for Greg [Farris] since he is from the Lehigh Valley, put together a really strong game with great decisions and was one of the better players on the field. I thought Hayden was one of the better players on the field too. He did a great job dodging, made a couple big shots and created a few opportunities for our offense.”
On the defensive side of things, a familiar face, as opposed to a newcomer, has been off to a roaring start. Sophomore defenseman Greg Wozniak, who was in and out of the starting lineup in 2014, has two goals and one assist to his name.
Wozniak is also second on the team with 13 ground balls. In doing so, Wozniak has cemented himself as one of the Terriers’ defensive leaders and has helped BU allow only 8.3 goals per game.
“Greg has stepped his game up to a whole different level this year,” Polley said. “He was effective last year, but we challenged Greg to be more offensive-minded in his play when he causes a turnover, gets a ground ball near midfield or has the ball in our clear. We want him to press the action, try to create transition and make defenses respect him.”
Looking toward the Terriers’ opponent, the Friars are coming off their first win of the season after they defeated the University of Vermont 12-9 on Saturday. Looking for their second win of the year, the Friars will surely lean upon that momentum when they take on BU.
Leading the charge for Providence will be goalkeeper Peter Badgley, who has burst onto the scene for Providence this year. Through two games, Badgley has a respectable 9.5 goals against average and has made 32 saves.
With Badgley in the cage, Polley said he is aware that getting the best of the Providence defense will be no easy task.
“He is playing at a really high level right now, takes up a lot of the net and moves really well,” he said. “We have to shoot smart, pick our spots, execute our offense and finish off our high quality opportunities.”
On the other end of the field, Providence has yet to jump out of the gates offensively. They are led by midfielder Greg FitzMaurice, attack Will Mazzone and attack Buck McClure, who have combined for 11 goals and six assists.
While the Friars’ attacking options are not as diverse as BU’s, Polley said he still expects Tuesday’s contest to test his team, especially considering Providence’s penchant for intense performances.
“We expect them to be much like their head coach [Chris Gabrielli], who is tough and gritty,” he said. “During these midweek games, you don’t have a ton of prep time, so a lot of it is who is going to make more plays, be tougher on groundballs and who is going to clear the ball better. We expect them to come out and fight like mad, play a great game, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it is a one-goal game.”
Jonathan's a New Englander who writes about sports, features and politics. He currently covers men's hockey at BU, worked as Sports Editor during the spring 2016 semester and is on the FreeP's Board of Directors. Toss him a follow on Twitter at @jonathansigal.
