An Overview of BU Athletics: Everything you need to know

Throughout the 2015-16 season, Boston University athletics enjoyed another year as one of the premier Division I programs in the country. Highlighted by a number of Patriot League championships and NCAA tournament appearances, Terriers excelled on the field, ice and court last season. Looking ahead to this year and beyond, BU sports is poised to compete at a high level in the Patriot League and Hockey East, as well as nationally.

Check out our guide to BU athletics as we forecast what to expect from the Terriers in the coming year.

FALL SPORTS:

Men’s Soccer:

Head Coach: Neil Roberts

2015 Record: 12-6-2 (6-1-2 Patriot League), second in the conference (lost in first round of NCAA tournament)

2016 Top Returners: Senior goalkeeper Matt Gilbert (1.06 goals against average, seven shutouts), senior forward Felix De Bona (team-high nine goals and 20 points), junior midfielder Anthony Viteri (14 points as a transfer), senior midfielder David Asbjornsson (started all 20 games)

2015 Season Recap: The Boston University men’s soccer team continued its storied run of success last season under head coach Neil Roberts, who will be entering his 32^nd season at the helm in 2016. Roberts helped guide the team to within one point of its second conference championship in as many years and an at-large bid in the NCAA tournament. Though the Terriers fell at the University of Connecticut 3-1 to end their tournament run, the 2015 season was certainly one to remember. Four BU players were named to the All-Northeast Regional team: Asbjornsson, De Bona, Viteri, and Gilbert, who was also named Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year.

Expectations for 2016: With the Terriers having only graduated four seniors, and none of its top scorers, the team will look to make another run at a conference title in 2016. Look for the senior duo of De Bona and Viteri to carry the offense, and Gilbert to continue to be a stalwart in net. Defense is an area of concern for BU, with talented defender Jeroen Blugh having graduated, but Roberts noted that the new crop of freshman will be ready come August.

“We’re trying to bring in some fast, technical guys,” Roberts said in a Nov. 24 article in The Daily Free Press. “You can’t really depend on freshman, but you wait and see how they develop and how they come into camp. You lose some good players, but hopefully replace them with some guys that can fit into your system.”

 

Women’s Soccer:

 Head Coach: Nancy Feldman

2014-2015 Record: 13-6-3 (8-0-1 Patriot League), first in the conference (won the Patriot League title, lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament)

2015-2016 Top Returners: Senior captain Rachel Bloznalis (defender, All-Patriot League First Team), graduate student captain Rachel Blauner (defender, All-Patriot League Second Team), senior Erica Kosienski (forward, All-Patriot League Third Team), junior Christina Wakefield (forward, All-Patriot League Third Team), sophomore McKenna Doyle (forward, All-Patriot League Second Team), sophomore Julianna Chen (midfielder, All-Patriot League Second Team)

2015-2016 Season Recap: The Boston University women’s soccer team proved the old sports adage of waiting until the end of the season to produce the best results to be true. The Terriers recovered from a frustrating 1-4-2 start by winning 10 of its last 12 regular-season games, clinching both the Patriot League conference and a spot in the NCAA Tournament. BU went onto shock host St. John’s University, beating them 2-1 behind goals from Alexandra Cooper and Clare Pleuler, the latter of which came in overtime. The Terriers lost in the next round 6-0 to the eventual national champions, the Pennsylvania State University Nittany Lions.

Expectations for 2016-2017: The Terriers will go into the 2016 season without All-Patriot League star midfielders Pleuler and Jenna Fischer, defender McKenzie Hollenbaugh and goalie Alyssa Parisi. With an impressive rising senior class manned by captains Bloznalis and Blauner, as well as help from last season’s leading goal-scorer Doyle, expect BU to compete for another Patriot League crown this season.

 

Field Hockey

Head Coach: Sally Starr

2015 Record: 15-7 (6-0 Patriot League), first in the conference (won Patriot League regular-season title, lost in first round of the NCAA Tournament)

2016 Top Returners: Senior forward Amanda Cassera (seven goals, three assists), senior forward Hester van der Laan (19 points), senior fullback Bea Baumberger Altirriba (24 points, team-high 14 assists)

2015 Season Recap: The Terriers closed out one of their most successful seasons in program history, going undefeated in the Patriot League and winning the Patriot League title for a second consecutive year. BU reached 15 wins for the first time since 2007, and despite some inconsistent performances throughout the season, the team did not lose consecutive games. A strong showing from seniors Sofi Laurito, Rachel Coll, Katie Bernatchez and Rachel Feig was imperative in the Patriot League Tournament, especially in the semifinals against Bucknell University. Laurito scored all three goals, including the game winner in double overtime, to lead the Terriers to the Patriot League Championship.

Expectations for 2016: The loss of the senior class, especially Laurito and Coll, will be tough for the Terriers to bear. A strong core led by new captains Cassera, van der Laan, and Ellie Landsman should help lead the Terriers to new heights next season. Altirriba looks to surpass last season’s 24-point showing, which ranked second on the team, and you can expect to see more from senior forward Taylor Blood, who earned a spot on the second-team Patriot League squad. The Terriers, if they make the necessary improvements, could see themselves back in the Patriot League Championship for a third successive season.

 

WINTER SPORTS:

Men’s Hockey:

Head Coach: David Quinn

2015-16 record: 21-13-5 (12-6-4 Hockey East), fourth in conference (fell in Beanpot Championship game, Hockey East Quarterfinals and first round of NCAA Tournament)

2016-17 Top Returners: Sophomore forward Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson (10 goals, 20 assists), sophomore forward Jordan Greenway (21 assists), sophomore forward Bobo Carpenter (12 goals), sophomore defenseman Charlie McAvoy (22 assists, 39 blocked shots), senior defenseman Doyle Somerby (team-best 77 blocked shots, 13 points)

2015-16 Season Recap: The loss of freshman phenom Jack Eichel to the NHL was a big change for the Terriers, as Eichel was a huge force on the ice for all of BU’s success in the 2014-15 season. However, current sophomores Forsbacka-Karlsson, Greenway, McAvoy and Carpenter filled in some of the gaps that Eichel left. There were many ups and downs to the season, including the exciting win at Madison Square Garden against Cornell University in Red Hot Hockey, and the deflating overtime loss in the Beanpot Tournament title game to Boston College. The tail end of the season was rough for the Terriers, who went into the Hockey East Tournament with such high hopes after winning the previous year. BU, however, did not meet its expectations against teams like the University of Massachusetts-Lowell and were soundly swept. The following loss against the University of Denver in the first round of the NCAA Tournament ended a season filled with highs and lows, but never quite reaching the high bar set after 2014-15.

Expectations for 2016-17: The loss of the senior class will be a big blow for the Terriers, but the incoming freshman class should make a huge impact. Look for forwards Clayton Keller and Kieffer Bellows, who are both projected first-round NHL draft picks for 2016, to make an especially big splash this season. With Quinn at the helm, anything is possible for BU hockey.

 

Women’s Hockey:

Head Coach: Brian Durocher

2015 Record: 23-14-2 (17-5-2 Hockey East, [fell in Hockey East Championship game])

2016 Top Returners: Junior forward Rebecca Leslie (Hockey East All-Star, 15 goals, 34 assists), junior forward Victoria Bach (Hockey East All-Star, 22 goals, 26 assists), senior forward Maddie Elia

2015 Season Recap: Following the loss of graduate Marie Philip-Poulin, the Terriers had a rough time adjusting in 2015-16. However, several players stepped up when needed, including Leslie, Bach and freshman forward Sammy Davis, who finished the season with 17 goals and was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team. BU finished an uneven season with two tough losses in the Beanpot Tournament, and after beating the University of Vermont and Northeastern University in the Hockey East Tournament, fell in the championship game against Boston College.

Expectations for 2016: New leadership roles will be given to players such as Leslie, Bach and new co-captains Alexis Crossley and Natalie Flynn. Expect an even bigger show from the Terriers this season, as they continue to adjust both offensively and defensively.

 

Men’s Basketball:

Head Coach: Joe Jones

2015-16 Record: 19-15 (11-7 in the Patriot League), third in the conference (lost in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament second round)

2016-17 Top Returners: senior guard Eric Fanning (team-high 15.2 points per game, .347 3-point field goal percentage), junior guard Cheddi Mosely (13.3 points per game), sophomore guard Kyle Foreman (9.2 points per game, 3.9 assists per game), red-shirt junior guard Cedric Hankerson (15.9 points per game in 2014-15, appeared in one game last season)

2015-16 Season Recap: The story for the Terriers this season was resiliency. BU returned every player from 2014-15, and finished right where Patriot League polls predicted it to finish in the conference, but the impressive thing about this team was the way it battled through injuries to several key players. They lost both Hankerson and senior forward Justin Alston, who suffered season-ending injuries, and were without Foreman, junior forward Nate Dieudonne, sophomore guards Will Goff and Eric Johnson for stretches as well. Despite this, the Terriers were able to rattle off a seven-game win streak and win a game in the CIT tournament against a formidable foe in Fordham University.

Expectations for 2016-17: If they are healthy, BU should be a force to be reckoned with in the Patriot League in the coming season. After using 14 different lineups last season, Jones was named Patriot League Coach of the Year for 2015-16. With an experience Jones leading a talented roster that can put up points in bunches, the future looks bright for BU basketball. Look for Fanning, who was named to the All-Conference first team, to lead the team in his senior season, and Foreman, named to the All-Conference rookie team, to improve in his sophomore campaign.

 

Women’s Basketball:

Head Coach: Katy Steding

2015-2016 Record: 3-27 (3-15 Patriot League), last in the conference (lost in first round of Patriot League Tournament)

2016-2017 Top Returners: senior forward Meghan Green (team-high 9.6 points per game), senior guard Sarah Hope (team-high 37.2 percent shooting from three), senior guard Courtney Latham (4.3 PPG, team-leading 81 assists on the season)

2015-2016 Season Recap: In her second year as the Terriers coach, Katy Steding failed to reach at least five wins. Her BU team started 0-15 before it saw its first victory on Jan. 13 over American University. Not all hope was lost, however. The Terriers’ second win of the season came off of a last second buzzer-beater courtesy of a Hope layup against the United States Naval Academy back on Feb. 4. After that victory, Steding’s side closed out the 2015-2016 campaign by losing seven of its last eight games, with its lone triumph at Colgate University on Feb. 17.

Expectations for 2016-2017: The Terriers look to rebound from last season’s disappointment with most of the same roster. BU only graduated two players this season in guard Clodagh Scannell and graduate student Troi Melton. With two promising incoming freshmen, look for the Terriers to climb out of the cellar and make a run in the Patriot League this year.

 

SPRING SPORTS:

Men’s Lacrosse

Head Coach: Ryan Polley

2016 Record: 8-7 (3-5 Patriot League), seventh in the conference

2017 Top Returners: senior midfielder Cal Dearth (15 goals, 13 assists), junior attack Jack Wilson (team-high 36 points, 24 goals), sophomore attack James Burr (team-best 28 goals), senior goalkeeper Christian Carson-Banister (Patriot League-best 10.73 saves per game)

2016 Season Recap: In its third season as a program, the BU men’s lacrosse team continued to make great strides in 2016, and finished with the team’s first winning season. Similar to last year, they started off hot, rattling off victories in eight of their first 10 contests. Though they cooled down as the season went on, losing their final five games, the Terriers have improved their record in each season under head coach Ryan Polley.

Polley agreed there is still work to be done, but he is very proud of his team and its efforts this season.

“It’s a little bittersweet because we were in a great position to secure a playoff berth, and we were unable to do that,” Polley said in an April 28 article in the Daily Free Press. “You can’t really forget the accomplishments we’ve made in such a short period of time. To beat two ranked teams in Harvard [University] and [the United States Naval Academy] and then get ranked as high as 16th is a really nice accomplishment for this young program.”

Expectations for 2017: BU is returning the majority of its players next season, including its top five scorers from a year ago. Look for the seniors, who were with this program since its inception, to lead the way as they get one last chance at a Patriot League crown. The senior trio of Dearth, midfielder Sam Talkow, and long-stick midfielder Greg Wozniak, who were named to the All-Patriot League team last season, should be especially impactful. With a strong recruiting class and the seasoned Carson-Banister in net, the Terriers should turn some heads in both the conference and national stages next year.

 

Women’s Lacrosse:

Head Coach: Liz Robertshaw

2016 Record: 10-8 overall (6-3 Patriot League), third seed in the Patriot League tournament (lost in the semifinals to the United States Naval Academy)

2017 Top Returners: senior Taylor Hardison (team-leading 36 assists and second in points with 42), senior Caroline Meegan (best save percentage in Patriot League with 9.73 SPG, Second Team All-Patriot League) junior Mickenzie Larivee (34 goals and 41 assists), junior Avery Donahoe (22 points)

2016 Season Recap: With their 10-8 record this past season, Robertshaw’s Terriers squad reversed their record from the previous campaign. BU clinched a third-seed in the Patriot League Tournament courtesy of a 11-4 victory versus The College of the Holy Cross. After winning its home quarterfinal matchup against Bucknell University on May 3, the Terriers season came to an end with a 10-7 loss at the United States Naval Academy on May 6.

Expectations for 2017: BU’s team this past season was loaded with talented seniors, but with many offensive players returning next season, don’t expect too big of a drop-off offensively. Coupled with Meegan’s presence in goal and the continued development of sophomores Ally Adams and Kaitlin Belval (combined 58 points last season), the Terriers should be back in a familiar position: competing for a Patriot League tournament berth.

 

Softball:

Head Coach: Ashley Waters

2016 Record: 28-24 (11-6 in the Patriot League), third in the conference (won Patriot League championship, lost in first round of NCAA tournament)

2017 Top Returners: senior shortstop Brittany Younan (team-leading .379 batting average, team-best 31 RBIs), senior first baseman Gabi Martinez (team-high four home runs, 28 RBIs), senior outfielder Moriah Connolly (team-high 28 steals, .355 batting average), sophomore catcher Alex Heinen (25 RBIs, nine doubles)

2016 Season Recap: The Ashley Waters era for BU softball had a successful start, as the first-year head coach led her team to the NCAA tournament for the eighth time in team history. The Terriers struggled out of the gate, and endured both a six-game winning streak and a six-game losing streak throughout the regular season. They really hit their stride in the Patriot League tournament. Led by the stellar pitching of seniors Melanie Russell and Lauren Hynes, BU won its second conference championship in three seasons. Despite losses to Louisiana-Lafayette and Texas A&M in the NCAA tournament, the 2016 season is certainly one to build on for BU softball.

Expectations for 2017: The Terriers will be primed to defend their Patriot League crown next season, and their offense should continue to improve in 2017. Losing Russell, who was named Patriot League Pitcher of the Year, and Hynes, will certainly be blows to the pitching staff, but the team is only losing one positional player in Kelly Plescow. The six-person senior class, led by Younan and Connolly, should continue to carry BU softball to new heights in the coming season.