The No. 17 Boston University field hockey team returns to New Balance Field on Saturday to meet Bucknell University following a tough series of wins and losses.
The game follows a back-to-back weekend on the road for the Terriers (10-5, 5-0 Patriot League), which started well with a shutout 3-0 win at Lehigh University and finished with a difficult 5-0 loss against No. 2 University of Connecticut.
However, the Terriers walk onto their home field leading the Patriot League in wins and armed with sophomore back Allie Renzi’s Corvias Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week award, distributed Monday. Renzi played a pivotal role in leading BU to its win over Lehigh (3-11, 0-4 Patriot League) on Saturday, aggressively defending the goal. She also took one of four shots on net and made two defensive saves against the Huskies (15-0) the next day.
BU coach Sally Starr credited Renzi’s hard work and marked improvement for her accolade.
“She showed a lot of improvement this past weekend, and I’m just happy for her that she was able to get this award because it’s a testament to the hard work that she’s putting in,” Starr said. “She’s a young kid who’s working hard to get better.”
Renzi was not the only player to stand out in last weekend’s games, with senior midfielder Sofi Laurito scoring two of the three goals against the Mountain Hawks, securing her place as BU’s top goal-scorer with a total of eight scores this season.
Junior midfielder Hester van der Laan also stood out last weekend and will be critical to a win against Bucknell (7-8, 3-1 Patriot League) on Saturday. Van der Laan almost scored for BU against the Huskies on Sunday, only to be stopped by a defensive save.
The Terriers will not be the only team stepping onto New Balance Field with accolades, though, with the Bison snagging two awards this week. Senior Kiersten Sydnor was named Corvias Offensive Player of the Week and freshman Nicole Rupnik was named Corvias Rookie of the Week, following two standout performances last weekend by the pair.
Sydnor was exceptional in Bucknell’s games last weekend, scoring four goals in two contests. Rupnik was too, in propelling the Bison to victory against the College of the Holy Cross with two tallies of her own.
Starr is focused on home-field advantage this weekend, in hopes of securing New Balance Field as the site for the Patriot League Tournament with a win Saturday.
“One of our goals is to go undefeated in the Patriot League and one of our goals is to host the Patriot League Tournament, and that is totally in our control on Saturday, against a very, very good Bucknell team,” Starr said. “We have our work cut out for us. They’re playing excellent hockey as well and they’re playing for the opportunity to host.”
This weekend’s match also marks Senior Day for the Terriers, which Starr believes will be an emotional, but motivational afternoon for the team.
“We only have one game to concentrate on, and it’s a big game to concentrate on, so it’s great that we’re home,” Starr said. “It has our total focus, and [we’re] looking forward to a great contest against a good Bucknell team.”
