The Boston University women’s lacrosse team lost its first game of Patriot League play to Lehigh University 15-8 Saturday afternoon at Nickerson Field.
Coming fresh off their victory over Fairfield University on Wednesday, the Terriers (2-4, 0-1 Patriot League) were eager to start their Patriot League campaign on a high note.
BU was met by a Lehigh (6-3, 1-0 Patriot League) team that was looking to extend its three-game winning streak.
The Mountain Hawks came charging out of the gates as freshman attack Julianne Puckette opened the scoring less than three minutes into the contest. They carried this early offensive momentum throughout the half, racing to a 5-0 lead with just under 20 minutes remaining.
Over the first half, the Terriers struggled to maintain possession and gain any offensive traction. Their disciplinary problems continued as they committed nine fouls in the first half and gave away three free-position shots.
Lehigh amassed an 8-0 lead, with Puckette and senior attack Haley Wentzel notching two goals apiece, before BU was able to get on the board.
After a period of sustained pressure, it was freshman defender Nicole Foringer who found the breakthrough for the Terriers, scoring her first goal of the season with 5:49 left in the half.
However, BU wasn’t able to carry its momentum forward, and a late three-goal surge from Lehigh resulted in an 11-1 lead for the Mountain Hawks at halftime.
The Terriers had been in such a position before, having been down 12-2 at halftime in their game against then-No. 6 Boston College in February.
“We had a good halftime of re-focusing, but the first half wasn’t pretty,” BU head coach Liz Robertshaw said of her team’s showing.
BU came out stronger in the second half — playing with more intensity, taking more shots at the end of attacks and showing purpose.
The Terriers registered 20 shots in the second half, as opposed to the eight they took in the first.
With 24:14 left in the second half, Robertshaw replaced senior goalkeeper Christine Laible with sophomore Bianca Smith after Lehigh sophomore midfielder Sondra Dickey scored a free-position goal.
“I think a goalie change can be a spark, and I think Bianca did that,” Robertshaw said. “I think she had some great spark moments. It’s challenging [and] it’s hard for a goalie to get pulled, but when you’re trying to win a game, you’ve got to do what you got to do.”
Smith played for the rest of the contest, making two saves and allowing two goals.
Sophomore attack Kailey Conry began BU’s five-goal run as she wove through the Lehigh’s defense and scored an unassisted goal to reduce her team’s deficit to 13-2.
The much-improved Terriers gave the Mountain Hawks a scare after scoring four straight, including three in less than a minute and a half, to make the score 13-6.
A key feature of BU’s performance in the second half was the showing of the underclassmen. Foringer, Conry and freshman attack Makenzie Irvine all bagged two goals apiece.
Conry’s second goal, scored with 4:37 remaining in regulation, was similar to the over-the-shoulder goal she made last week against Fairfield (4-4).
“I’m psyched that [the underclassmen] came in here and listened to the game plan and focused on the opportunities they had,” Robertshaw said. “I think they are a little bit more fearless now.”
Robertshaw praised Irvine’s performance in particular after the freshman scored her first two collegiate goals.
“I think [Irvine] had a great week of practice,” Robertshaw said. “She was sick a little bit, but then she showcased her strengths today.”
Despite an impressive showing in the second half, it was too little, too late for BU — and the team was unable to find a way back.
Despite the 15-8 score, Robertshaw said she was happy with the resilience shown by her team.
The Terriers will look to carry that resiliency into their next game, when they take on Lafayette College next Saturday.
“I think we just need to re-focus,” Robertshaw said. “We have a week until Lafayette, so we need to get our heads straight and figure out how we can grow from this.”
