A longstanding Beantown field hockey rivalry ended with Boston University succumbing in a 2-1 loss against Northeastern University Sunday, with the Huskies (3-6) outperforming the Terriers (2-8, 0-2 Patriot League) for the better part of 60 minutes of play.
With the previous day’s 2-1 overtime loss to Bucknell University, BU has now lost seven straight games and hasn’t won since Sept. 3.
The Huskies came out guns blazing from the blow of the very first whistle, mounting aggressive attack after attack that tested the limits and capabilities of Terrier junior goalkeeper Caroline Kelly, who fended off a total of seven first-quarter shots.
Meanwhile, the Terriers appeared to struggle in all other aspects of the game, with the team haunted by the woes of an overwhelmed defense at Dedham Field, and failing to make a single shot on goal for the entire first quarter.
“It’s all about getting better every day, working hard and staying together as a team, and not giving up on each other,” BU head coach Sally Starr said.
It was the valiant efforts of Kelly, who remained poised and collected amidst the barrage of Northeastern shots, who kept the game locked in at 0-0 heading into the second period of play. Yet, the experienced goalkeeper could only do so much before sophomore forward and midfielder Mak Graves fired a shot into the back of the net to give the Huskies a well-deserved 1-0 lead.
It took the Terriers until the late minutes in the second quarter to conjure up some more shots, with their third of the game being all they needed as standout freshman forward Payton Anderson wound up and scored to bring the game to a tie. Anderson has now scored or assisted with every BU goal since Aug. 29, with a total tally of five goals and one assist in that span.
The third quarter saw the best stretch of possession for BU, but the momentum was nowhere near enough to topple a determined Northeastern side set on breaking a five-game losing skid against the Terriers.
With one player sitting out with a yellow card, the Huskies still managed to dominate and score from a set piece with just over two minutes remaining in the third quarter. Junior midfielder Lauren Rowe executed a drag flick on the short side to break the tie.
The Huskies ended the game outshooting the Terriers, 17-6. Were it not for Kelly’s strong performance, the deficit would have been much larger. Starr said Kelly, who shared time in goal earlier in the season, is “absolutely, 100 percent” the starting goalkeeper at the moment.
The Terriers hope to snap their seven-game losing streak as they prepare for a home showing against the University of Maine at 4 p.m. on Oct. 3.
