The Boston University field hockey team is set to take on Bucknell University on Saturday in their first Patriot League game of the season. The game is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. on New Balance Field in West Campus. As conference play gets underway, every game becomes more critical if BU is going to defend their Patriot League crown.
The No. 22 Terriers have dominated this matchup against Bucknell since 2011, winning 10 of the last 11 games and BU is currently on an eight game winning streak. The Bison’s last win against BU came in 2014.
Even with the recent dominance, head coach of BU’s Sally Starr said Bucknell is a “worthy opponent” and was looking forward to the preparation for this game.
BU enters Saturday with a record of 3-3 and is coming off of back-to-back losses to University of Maine and Columbia University last weekend. It was the first time BU lost back-to-back games since last season when No. 5 Princeton University and No. 11 Harvard University took down the Terriers on Sept. 30 and Oct. 7.
Friday’s loss to No. 24 Maine was one in which the Terriers dominated in everything except putting the ball in the back of the cage. BU held an 11-6 advantage in shots, 7-3 on corners and played with good pace. It was Maine’s first win of the season in a 2-1 victory. Freshman Ellie McIntyre had the lone Terrier goal on the afternoon.
The Terriers were back in action shortly after on Saturday to face Columbia in the first ever meeting between the two schools. A game that the Terriers had taken right from them in the final minute has brought then back to .500 on the season.
The Terriers took a 3-2 lead with 6:52 remaining off a goal from Maggie New, her first of the season. Columbia fought back to tie the game with less than a minute left and won the game in overtime, 4-3.
“Overall, the team demonstrated continued improvement in how we are playing the game together” Starr said, despite the 0-2 weekend.
The Bison will arrive to Boston on Saturday with a record of 2-3 and are currently on a two-game losing streak, including a 3-1 loss to No. 23 Syracuse University on Sunday. Bucknell has just eight goals on the young season through five games.
Senior Brittany Willwerth has three goals for Bucknell, two of which came in a 2-1 win over VCU on September 7. Bucknell goalie Olivia Harris has 34 saves on 44 shots on goal and has kept the Bison within reach in every game this year. The Bison have not lost a game by more than two goals this season.
The Terriers come in with a much superior offense than Bucknell with 17 goals in six games. The leader of the pack is junior Ailsa Connolly who has five goals including the game winner against Northeastern University on Sept. 8. Connolly was picked to the Preseason All-Patriot League Field Hockey Team before the season and has not disappointed.
McIntyre has been a bright spot for the Terriers in the early stages of her collegiate career. She has three goals on the season, including one in each game against Columbia and Maine. The Easton, PA product finished as the first 100-goal scorer in Easton Area High School History, finishing with a record of 136.
The Terriers will go on another week plus break after playing Bucknell before their next game at UCONN on Sept. 29.
