The Boston University women’s lacrosse team finished its regular season strong with a convincing 17-6 victory over American University at Nickerson Field on Saturday afternoon to honor the team’s seniors.
The game wraps up a four-game winning streak to conclude the season, which saw the Terriers (9-7, 6-3 Patriot League) go from two games under .500 to two games above .500, putting them in a stronger position entering the conference tournament.
The Terriers started scoring quickly, with three unanswered goals scored by sophomore midfielder Kelly Mathews, senior attacker Taylor Hardison and senior attacker Elisabeth Jayne in the first five minutes.
The Eagles (3-13, 1-8 Patriot League) responded with a goal of their own, as an unassisted shot from midfielder Brooke Stapleton found the back of the net with 24:45 left in the half. However, they wouldn’t score another goal for over 20 minutes.
The Terriers then went on a scoring streak that gave them a solid grasp on the first half, scoring seven straight goals to take a convincing 11-1 lead.
During the scoring barrage, junior attacker Avery Donahoe’s three goals and one assist stood out, as well as freshman attacker Kailey Conry’s three assists and one goal.
The Eagles stopped the skid with two goals of their own, but the Terriers remained composed, as freshman midfielder Lexi Lewis’ goal gave them a 13-3 entering halftime.
“They played hard,” said BU head coach Liz Robertshaw. “We were dominant on the draw controls. I thought we had some good attacking looks from a lot of people. I feel like we just played a solid game overall.”
The second half began with an unassisted goal by sophomore midfielder Kaitlin Belval, which was then followed by a goal from freshman attacker Mackenzie Howe. These two goals gave the Terriers their largest lead of the day with a 12-goal advantage.
American attempted to chip away with impressive back-to-back unassisted goals by senior Madison Hoon. However, that was not enough to put any pressure on BU.
The game ended with a lower scoring second half, capped off by sophomore attacker Catherine Macaulay’s second goal of the game with just 30 seconds left.
Robertshaw was pleased with the way the players responded to the day and its significance for the seniors.
Among the many notable performances from the seniors, Jayne’s hat trick stands out, as well as senior goalkeeper Caroline Meegan’s five saves that she recorded before she was subbed out to preserve energy for the conference tournament.
While finishing out the regular season strong with a good team performance was the priority, the thought of the conference tournament was on everyone’s mind, and Robertshaw reflected on the effect it had on their game plan.
“It was a hot day, and there’s a lot of wear and tear from playing on the turf, so we do want to rest up for our game on Tuesday,” Robertshaw said.
The Terriers will be playing Lafayette College Tuesday at 4 p.m. on Nickerson Field in the Patriot League conference tournament quarterfinals.
After ending the season on a winning streak, Robertshaw said she is confident heading into the tournament.
“I think the team is mentally ready to go,” Robertshaw said. “I think this game and the three wins before it have really helped us to sharpen up and be a little more aggressive towards our goals. I think we’re in a better place mentally and physically for it.”
