After its match against the College of the Holy Cross was suspended Friday due to inclement weather, the No. 13 Boston University field hockey team fell to No. 3 Syracuse University on New Balance Field Sunday afternoon.
With less-than-optimal weather conditions, the Terriers (10-5, 3-1 Patriot League) battled against the cold winds and a dominant Orange (13-2) side, led by forward Jennifer Bleakney and junior Lies Lagerweij, who each notched first-half strikes to give their side the early 2-0 advantage.
Through the first 35 minutes, Syracuse outshot BU 8-1, though both sides managed a single corner opportunity. The Terriers would consistently try to clear the ball out of the zone, but Orange players would intercept the clearances to keep their attack alive.
BU head coach Sally Starr expressed her disappointment regarding her team’s first-half turnovers.
“We were playing tennis with Syracuse,” Starr said. “We’d get the ball and we’d give it right back to them. You can’t do that, and you really can’t do that against one of the top teams in the country.”
The Terriers’ lone shot of the first half came off the stick of senior midfielder Hester van der Laan in the 31st minute. The Amsterdam native is tied for the team lead in shots on the year, as she and senior forward Taylor Blood each have 35.
On the other side of the ball, the Orange pressured the Terriers and senior goalkeeper Cammy Jensen, keeping the ball in their attacking end for the majority of the half.
The second half showcased a new-look BU offense, but not initially. Clearing attempts were still well executed by the Orange, which kept the Terriers at bay for the opening minutes.
In one of their few breakaways, two Terriers were unguarded and leading the charge into the Syracuse backline, but the break would end without a shot — a common theme for BU on the afternoon.
The Terriers showed signs of life as the second half progressed. Corner numbers increased from one in the first half to six by game’s end, and the shot imbalance of the first half dissipated, with BU registering nine second-half shots.
Senior forward Amanda Cassera found the back of the net in 67th minute, cutting the deficit to one on her team-leading ninth goal of the year. While the team ultimately lost the game, the offense was reenergized in the second half.
According to Starr, a more organized BU side came onto New Balance Field after halftime.
“In the second half, we did a better job taking care of the ball, moving the ball much better and I think our press created a lot of attack for us,” Starr said.
Once Cassera scored, the complexion of the game changed, and one of the main reasons BU still had a chance to win was thanks to the team’s defensive leader, Jensen.
The Escondido, California native allowed two goals, but made nine saves on 18 shots against the sixth-most prolific offense in the country.
She, like her backline counterparts, played hard the full 70 minutes, and picked up two saves in the final minute off shots from Orange forward Elaine Carey and midfielder Niki Neidhart.
Despite losing the game, giving up just two goals to a top-five program is something that Starr and her program can hang their hats on with the postseason fast-approaching.
“That’s key,” Starr said. “Our defense is doing well, and we need to keep building from this game.”
