The Boston University women’s lacrosse team fought to the very end, but ultimately came up short Saturday against No. 17 Loyola University Maryland, 9-6.
The Terriers (6-7, 4-3 Patriot League) looked to bounce back from their loss against Colgate University Wednesday but struggled to find the back of the net against Loyola (11-4, 7-0 Patriot League). The game was a back-and-forth affair for the most part, but BU couldn’t seem to get over the hump.
BU struck first Saturday as junior midfielder Jill Horka put the Terriers on the board. But Loyola would respond with one of the top goal-scorers in the conference, senior Kara Burke, as she netted two-straight goals. The Terriers battled back as redshirt junior Mallory Collins tallied two-straight goals of her own to give the Terriers a 3-2 lead with 10:15 left in the first half.
However, that lead would not last as Loyola went on to score the next four goals in the half. Collins would end up scoring her third goal of the game in the final seconds of the first half, making the score close at the half, 6-4.
In the second half, the Greyhounds looked to pull away from BU as it scored the first three goals of the frame, including the lone tally from their leading scorer, senior attack Hannah Schmitt.
But it was stellar defense from sophomore goalie Caroline Meegan that would keep her opponents from scoring for the rest of the game. Meegan tallied seven saves in the second half for a total of 11 on the game. Meegan held Loyola to its lowest scoring total since early March when its 10-game winning streak started.
Meegan continues to prove her worth as one of the top goalies in the Patriot League as her 2015 save total eclipsed the century mark Saturday. She now owns 104 saves on the season.
BU coach Liz Robertshaw said she was happy with Meegan’s play and feels she’s progressed since the start of the season.
“I thought Caroline had a solid game. She was poised, confident and made big-time plays in and outside the cage to disrupt a very potent Loyola attacking unit,” she said. “The biggest area of growth for Meegan has been in her ability to rebound from mistakes or saves she felt she could have had.
“In the Loyola game, there was an open net goal allowed due to a turnover by Caroline. Earlier in the season, that may have sent her in a downward spiral, unlike now where she picked up her game and had great saves in big time moments.”
In the end, the Terriers just couldn’t capitalize on their goalie’s stout defense. BU would only score twice in the second half, but did so only toward the end when the game seemed out of reach.
This is nothing new for the Terriers as they’ve failed to reach double digits in nine of their 13 games played and haven’t scored over eight goals in the past three contests.
Robertshaw said the struggling offense is due to poor shooting, which causes a lack of confidence.
“In this game, it was a combination of wanting to possess the ball for longer sets and some players on our roster struggling with their shooting and scoring production,” she said. “We talked to the attackers about playing aggressive when we had the green light to cage, not holding ourselves back, and while some players took advantage of this, others didn’t. If we want to make a post-season run, this aspect has to change. Players can’t fear taking shots. They have to want that pressure.”
Loyola has been dominant in conference play, as it owns a 7-0 record against Patriot League opponents. In addition, the Greyhounds have won 10 straight contests.
As for BU, the loss dropped the Terriers a game below .500 with just two games left before the Patriot League Tournament.
Robertshaw said she is hoping the team can correct its mistakes and fine-tune its game in its last two contests before postseason play begins.
“We want to work on being a more efficient and potent attack and cleaning up the turnovers that have been unforced,” she said. “It’s simply a matter of a lack of sharpness and focus and preparing for the Patriot League Tournament.”
