Men’s lacrosse’s out-of-conference slate defined by inconsistency

As a third-year program, learning moments and turbulent times are bound to surface this spring for the Boston University men’s lacrosse team.

While BU’s (3-1) record suggests otherwise, head coach Ryan Polley affirmed that his team has struggled to produce on a consistent basis. He described the Terriers’ first three games as “very good,” “fortunate to get a win” and “strong,” only to then say they “got undone” in this past Saturday’s loss to the University of Hartford.

Should those seesaw performances continue, BU will pay a far greater price than it did against the Hawks (1-0), as Patriot League play begins this weekend against the United States Naval Academy. Polley recognized this, citing the need to avoid “up-and-down” play if BU wants to make its goals reality.

“We want to be more consistent in everything we do from drill to drill, practice to practice and game to game,” he said. “We have to get back to basics and fundamentals this week in practice, and I know we’ll be ready for Navy.”

Brendan Homire continues strong rookie season

Four Terrier freshmen earned All-American honors while in high school, but one who did not has played a major role thus far.

Brendan Homire has seamlessly slid onto BU’s top midfield unit and starred on offense. His 10 points is third-most on the team, while his 21 shots on goal is second-best and only behind classmate James Burr.

Polley said that Homire’s production is not surprising in the least, as he had a “great senior year” and the coaching staff thought “he would compete for a spot on the first line” as soon as he arrived on campus.

“He’s done a little bit of everything for us,” Polley said. “He penetrated for us, he’s made great decisions and gotten assists and gotten people involved. He’s made timely shoots too, so we couldn’t be more pleased with Brendan’s production early on in the season.”

Drew Lukacs finds niche in midfield

Another newcomer who has thrived for BU is long stick midfielder Drew Lukacs.

After identifying Lukacs at one of BU’s prospect camps, assistant coach Justin Domingos suggested that he transition from a traditional short shaft to the more unconventional D-pole. Polley said the change was “pretty natural” and Lukacs’ early season production backs up that claim.

He has two goals on three shots, often charging up field on a fast break, only to whip a shot past the opposing goaltender.

“He’s just a great athlete with great speed and has the offensive mindset,” Polley said. “We’re going to look for Drew to push transition with his speed. Certainly his ability to score and create will hopefully keep on leading to transition opportunities.”

Defensive issues surface against Hartford

The Terriers averaged 6.67 goals against throughout their first three games, but a stark departure from that solidarity unfolded when Hartford visited Nickerson Field last weekend.

Junior goalkeeper Christian Carson-Banister was bested 16 times, and the defensive unit of juniors Dominick Calisto and Cam Pincus and freshman Quintin Germain couldn’t keep the Hawks at bay.

Polley said that foursome could not claim all the credit earlier in the year, and BU’s most recent struggles don’t fall solely on their shoulders either. Rather, he plans on evaluating the team’s defensive approach across the board.

“This is going to be a really important practice week for us,” Polley said. “We have to look at it from a holistic standpoint and see if there’s better lineups or schemes that can work. We’re certainly evaluating everything and going to make changes if appropriate.”