Rewind the clock to three seasons ago. Freshman goalkeeper Christian Carson-Banister was in net for the 2-11 Boston University men’s lacrosse team in the season finale, overwhelmed by the formidable Duke University Blue Devils.
In the Terriers’ inaugural matchup against an ACC opponent as a Division I squad, Carson-Banister is pelted with a bevy of shots by the defending national champions. The overmatched BU defensive line allows the Blue Devils to rip 41 shots on net, a frightening scenario for a freshman goalkeeper who did not even start for his high school team.
However, Carson-Banister made his presence felt, stopping 25 shots to limit the eventual national champions to just a five-goal victory against the Terriers.
Fast forward to 2017 and Carson-Banister is still staving off shots with the same ferocity that kept BU within rallying distance of the Blue Devils that afternoon at Nickerson Field. Only now, the Terriers (9-3, 3-3 Patriot League) are the ones entering contests as considerable favorites, having flipped the script to begin the season with a 9-3 record, the best start in program history.
“[Carson-Banister] has been the backbone of our program,” said BU head coach Ryan Polley. “[He and Sam Talkow] have been our two strongest players since the inception of the program and for him to have a strong senior year, I am very happy for him. He was great as a freshman, got better as a sophomore, and now we would not be [9-3] without him.”
Following a disappointing conclusion to a 2016 season in which the Terriers faltered with five consecutive losses to end the year, Carson-Banister has ratcheted up his approach to a new level this season. His save percentage has risen from .533 to an astounding .609 as of April 12, the fourth-highest mark in the nation. Similarly, his goals against average has dipped from 9.7 last season to 7.83 this season, the 19th-lowest average in the country while BU is 11th in the nation in scoring defense, allowing 7.82 goals per contest.
“His confidence [has developed] overall, [along with] his stick work,” Polley said. “Our clearing percentage has gone way up, and he has got a lot to do with that. [It’s about] his confidence, making saves and getting the ball out quickly so that we don’t have to go against a settled clear.”
Carson-Banister began the year flourishing, stopping at least 10 shots in each of the Terriers’ first six games, all of which were resounding victories. In a narrow 8-6 win over the United States Air Force Academy on March 4, the Texas native halted a season-high 17 shots. In BU’s season-opening 8-7 triumph over Providence College, Carson-Banister faced 42 shots, stopping 16.
When asked what has made him a force to be reckoned with in net this year, Carson-Banister deflected the praise to his teammates and coaching staff.
“Our defense is really clicking right now,” Carson-Banister said. “We are playing well at every single position from close defense, to our defensive mids, to our [long-stick midfielders]. They are doing a fantastic job. They are forcing shots that I want to see. [Assistant coach Stephen Toomy] has done a fantastic job all year with our game plans and how we are going to be playing specific players. Week in and week out, he always produces a great game plan which has been huge for us.”
Carson-Banister and his fellow cast of seniors constitutes the first class to have enjoyed all four seasons of Division I Terrier lacrosse. The group has witnessed the despair of a 2-12 season and a late season collapse over their tenure, which has gone a considerable way in preparing themselves for handling the success of this season.
“We have all been here before,” Carson-Banister said. “We understand what it takes to win games and we understand what happens if you don’t execute. We have had some really tough seasons, and I think that coming into this, guys were working really hard and understood what it took to get to where we are now. It has all been a part of a pretty long process. If you had asked a lot of us our freshman year if we would be at this moment, [being 9-3], I don’t think a lot of us would have been able to have that foresight.”
Having experienced the postseason hopes of the squad disintegrating down the stretch of 2016, Carson-Banister is focused on maintaining his recent success heading into the final month of the regular season.
“Staying relaxed [will be key],” Carson-Banister said. “Everyone has put in the work this year. Now it is just about enjoying it and executing. We are all in positions to play at our very best. We have put in the work since the fall and summer, so these last couple games we just have to play how we want to play.”
