The Boston University field hockey team completed their 2015 season with a flawless 6-0 Patriot League record, yielding the program’s most wins since 2007, and earning the Terriers a bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The Terriers (15-7, 6-0 Patriot League) excelled in the postseason, where they ultimately won the Patriot League Championship for the second straight year.
Despite their perfect conference record, the Terriers fell to some of the top teams in the country during the regular season.
The team’s first loss came against No. 20 University of Massachusetts Amherst. The Terriers rebounded with a vengeance against Hofstra University and the University of Maine, before falling to their crosstown rivals No. 9 Boston College in overtime.
BU’s next two losses came at the hands of two elite teams: No. 2 Syracuse University and No. 6 Duke University. However, the Terriers did not go down without a fight.
The Terriers dragged the Blue Devils (14-6) into overtime on New Balance Field, with the help of aggressive shots by junior forward Taylor Blood and exceptional saves by junior goalkeeper Cammy Jensen. The contest ended in a heartbreaking loss, as the Terriers got shut out for the first time all season.
The turning point in the season came when BU faced Bucknell University Nov. 6 in the Patriot League Tournament. The Terriers won the double overtime thriller thanks to senior Sofi Laurito, who scored all three BU goals, including the game-winner. The Terriers advanced to host the American University Eagles in the finals, whom they would ultimately defeat 2-1.
“I think it was a culmination of all the hard work throughout the season, all the games played, going undefeated through the conference,” said BU coach Sally Starr. “When that weekend was over and we hoisted that trophy, I really thought about how that was not easy to do. That was such an accomplishment to win a conference championship like this team won.”
But the road was not over for the Terriers, who then advanced to the NCAA Tournament, starting with a tough match against Fairfield University in abysmal conditions.
With six different players scoring the team’s six goals, the Terriers demonstrated the offensive balance that guided them for much of the season.
“This is a team that challenged each other every day in practice,” Starr said. “They came out every game ready to give their best effort. This was a team that did not take days off, did not take games off. They took a lot of pride in their preparation and a lot of pride in their readiness to compete.”
This one-for-all attitude benefited the team against the Stags (9-10), earning them a date with the University of North Carolina.
The Terriers fell behind 4-0, but the team rallied to score two goals in the second half. However, it was too little, too late. BU fell to the Tar Heels (20-2) by a final score of 4-2, ending their run in the NCAA Tournament.
“On our last game against UNC, I would not be surprised if they win the national championship,” Starr said. “I think that of the four teams that are in the Final Four, we’ve played every one of them. I think we played a schedule that was one of the toughest schedules in the country.”
The Terriers’ 2015 season came to an end in North Carolina, as did the careers of four seniors: back Rachel Coll, back Katie Bernatchez, back Rachel Feig and midfielder Sofi Laurito. As tough as it is to watch these players leave, Starr said she is confident that their time on the BU squad has readied them for what comes next.
“They’ve been great teammates, they’ve been great leaders, they’ve been great role models,” she said, “and I think the work ethic and the team work and the pride that they take in everything that they do every day really bodes well for what they’re going to do further in life.”
