The Boston University men’s lacrosse team will look to continue its undefeated season when it takes on the University of Hartford at Nickerson Field Saturday afternoon.
After a 13-10 victory over High Point University Tuesday, the Terriers secured a 3-0 start for the first time in program history. BU head coach Ryan Polley said the win was well deserved after all the team’s hard work during practice and the offseason.
“We feel good about it,” Polley said. “We were working hard in the offseason. The staff has done a great job preparing them for those three games.”
The reason for the Terriers’ success lies in the fusion between their reliable returners and strong newcomers, in addition to the ability to play to their strengths. Junior goalkeeper Christian Carson-Banister, who had 18 saves in the game against High Point (0-2), has served as a backbone for BU’s success.
“Across the board, we just look for consistency, and he has been of killer consistency,” Polley said of Carson-Banister. “With the goalie position, he provides leadership and provides a comforting force for our defense. We just expect him to make the saves that he typically makes and just play a really strong game and limit those goals. He does a tremendous job at that.”
The Terriers benefit not only from returning players, but also from new additions to the team. Freshman attack James Burr has emerged as a key contributor, scoring three goals against the Panthers and nine on the season.
“He’s been around the goal and has scored some really big goals for us,” Polley said of Burr. “He certainly exceeded expectations so far, and we’re just hoping that he will continue to work hard and continue to produce.”
Now, as BU prepares to face Hartford (0-0), Polley urged that a positive result will not come easily. The Hawks will be playing their first game of the season under the tutelage of head coach Peter Lawrence, who is entering his 11th season at the helm.
Hartford’s top four scorers from a season ago will take to Nickerson Field Saturday, the least of which will be attack Jaedon Henderson, who claimed nine goals and 14 assists last season. Sophomore attack Griffin Feiner, who was awarded American East All-Rookie Team honors after scoring 22 goals and five assists a year ago, should also factor into the affair.
“I really think Hartford is going to be a really big challenge for us,” Polley said. “They are extremely well coached. They have some explosive players on offense and a lot of returners on defense. I really think they are going to come out with a ton of energy, considering this is their first game.”
Despite the challenge ahead of his team, Polley said the game is yet another opportunity for players to grow individually and collectively. He also said the team understands the need for consistency and hopes this week of practice will pay off with a fourth-straight win.
“It’s a really long season and we’re kind of only as good as our next game, so we want to just get a great week of practice, and certainly we respect Hartford,” Polley said. “We’re going to have to play a really strong game if we want to come out on the right side of the score sheet, so I’m really looking forward to it.”
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