No one could have asked for a better way to send off the Boston University women’s lacrosse team’s senior class, as a cloudy Senior Day Saturday afternoon at Nickerson Field bloomed into a beauty.
The Terriers made sure the United States Military Academy didn’t play the role of spoiler, as their 14-3 win ensured the senior class of midfielders Ally Adams, Jill Horka, Remy Nolan and Sofia Robins, and attacks Mallory Collins, Louisa Del Rio and Jenny Thompson ended their regular-season careers on top.
“I think this team has proven to do well under positive emotion,” said BU head coach Liz Robertshaw. “The fact that we talked in pregame about showing your love for the senior class and how much they’ve given to you individually as a teammate and collectively as a team and playing with that in mind shows they were going to come out here and fight, and I think that’s why they did so well.”
Each Terrier (9-7, 6-3 Patriot League) senior played a key role in the victory over the Black Knights (5-11, 0-8 Patriot League). Horka grabbed seven draw controls to further extend her record, Adams and Thompson each notched goals, Del Rio had an assist and Robins anchored a BU defense that held Army to 14 shots.
Not to go unnoticed, the big performers on the day were Collins, who matched her career-high of five goals, and Nolan, whose hat trick only added to the emotional afternoon.
When asked what she will miss most about her experience at BU, Nolan mentioned the teammates she’s grown to know so well.
“I’m going to miss my teammates the most,” the Westport, Connecticut native said. “We spend so much time together on and off the field, and I will miss just getting the opportunity to get out here and play and forget everything that I do with the rest of my day.”
Robertshaw was vocal in Nolan’s ability to nurture freshmen midfielders Kaitlin Belval and Kelly Mathews, despite having them as teammates for only a season.
“Katie Belval and Kelly Mathews on Remy Nolan’s line, they just showed how much they cared about her, and I think that set the standard for everybody else in playing hard and playing your best game,” Robertshaw said.
When asked how she finished off her regular-season career in a sterling fashion, Collins too brought up her teammates as the main catalyst.
“I give all the credits to my teammates” the Hingham native said. “A lot of my goals came off of feeds from them, and I was just moving in the right place at the right time. Huge amount of credit to them, and I’m happy we won on such a great day.”
With Saturday’s victory in hand, the Terriers guaranteed themselves a home game in the quarterfinal round of the Patriot League Tournament on May 3. They’ll host an opponent that will be determined by the week’s end, meaning the seniors will grace the turf of Nickerson Field once more before closing the book on their scarlet-and-white careers.
While there’s still one more game to play, Belval said that come next year, a certain energy and humor so associable with 2016’s senior class will be missing.
“They’re awesome and they’re fun to be around, but at the same time push you to be the best all the time,” Belval said. “I guess it’s a great mix, because one minute they’ll joke around but the next get down to business, so it helps bring the team atmosphere together.”
Robertshaw echoed Belval’s sentiments, adding a more personal touch to the seven-member class.
“They’re just a group that come into my office every day and make me laugh,” Robertshaw said. “Whether it’s coming on my couch and saying something stupid or sending a Snapchat that’s even dumber, they’re just a great group. Their energy, their passion and how much they care is definitely something I’m going to miss.”
