After securing its place in the Patriot League tournament Wednesday against the College of the Holy Cross, the Boston University women’s lacrosse team will look to close out the regular season with a victory when it takes on the United States Military Academy Saturday at Nickerson Field.
The Terriers (8-7, 5-3 Patriot League) have been plagued by inconsistency throughout the season, but when they needed a win most, the team pulled through against the Crusaders (2-13, 2-5 Patriot League). BU won the contest 11-4, holding Holy Cross to just two goals per half. Senior midfielder Ally Adams, who was named Turnpike MVP, had a hat trick to lead the team offensively.
The victory not only brought the Terriers’ win percentage back above .500 for the second time in as many weeks, but it was a definite morale booster following their 12-6 loss at the hands of the United States Naval Academy last weekend.
“We did a much better job of focusing on little hustle step plays,” said BU head coach Liz Robertshaw. “Between [senior midfielder] Jill [Horka] and Ally going after draw controls … getting nine of them was awesome. I thought we were much better at backing up our teammates and getting second-chance opportunities, and attacks like [junior] Taylor Hardison and [sophomore] Avery Donahoe getting multiple-chance opportunities.”
Robertshaw, now in her 10th year at the helm, also could not undermine the stalwart performance her defense displayed, as it gave up eight fewer goals than its recent tilt against the Midshipmen (10-5, 5-2 Patriot League).
“We did some really great defense,” Robertshaw said. “When we put all of those things together, it’s led to a better game against a tough Holy Cross team.”
With the postseason rapidly approaching, the Terriers need to remember that there is still a game to be played Saturday afternoon against a Black Knights (5-10, 0-7 Patriot League) squad vying for its first conference win.
BU hopes to have the same result that last year team’s had when it won its regular-season finale against Bucknell University and rode that momentum to a semifinals appearance in the conference tournament.
As her team plans to take on an Army squad that boasts eight double-digit goal scorers, Robertshaw stressed the importance of her team staying true to its game.
“We have to focus on our game plan” Robertshaw said. “We need to pay attention to the things that we’ve gotten wins off of … so successful plays for us are getting draw controls, playing lock-down defense and playing fast on attack.”
Although there is still postseason lacrosse to play, the senior class of Adams, Horka, attack Mallory Collins, midfielder Remy Nolan, attack Jenny Thompson, attack Louisa Del Rio and defender/midfielder Sofia Robins will soak in every last moment Saturday when they step on Nickerson Field for one final regular-season showdown.
From its season-opening loss to Boston College to the mixed results throughout the season, this class of Terrier seniors showed resiliency and urged the younger players on the team to keep fighting. Ultimately, their message paid off with a postseason berth, Robertshaw said.
“I think they have a lot of heart and a lot of grit,” Robertshaw said. “It’s something that they’ve shown since their freshman year, when a lot of them got onto the field for significant playing minutes, and they said that they wanted to be in big games and that they wanted to win.”
For the 2016 Terriers, this season was frustrating, but they always maintained a positive attitude when responding to adversity — a major reason why Robertshaw really cares about this particular group.
“I love coaching this team,” Robertshaw added. “They work hard, they keep a positive attitude, they never quit and they really embody all that I’m looking for in a group. We’ve had some ups and downs, but this has been a great team to coach. I’m enjoying every moment that I have with them, and we’re going to try and make it last as long as possible.”
