Since its 9-0 victory over Colgate University on Sept. 17, the No. 13 Boston University field hockey team has lost four straight games, and has only scored three times throughout the losing streak.
Throughout its record 7-0 start, the offense was firing on all cylinders, but recently, the BU (7-4, 1-1 Patriot League) attack has gotten a bit less potent.
The BU defense allowed seven goals through its first seven contests, but has recently given up 10 goals in only four games. However, five of those goals came in a loss to the No. 1 University of Connecticut on Sept. 25. Take away that matchup, and the team has allowed 1.67 goals per game in three losses.
Though the defense has not been stellar, it has been a dormant offense that has doomed the Terriers in recent games. BU has scored no more than one goal in each of its last four matchups.
BU head coach Sally Starr said she believes that the dip in offensive production can be attributed to both tough matchups and a demanding schedule.
“Two of the four losses were against teams ranked one and two in the country,” Starr said. “ … So I think that explains the offensive struggles pretty easily.”
Tough scheduling plagues Terriers
Starr also noted that the team’s lengthy games and short recovery periods have contributed to its recent woes. All four of the Terriers’ losses have come within a nine-day period.
The losing streak started with a 2-1 shootout loss at Lafayette University on Friday, Sept. 23, a game in which the Terriers played more than 100 minutes of hockey. The team then traveled back late to Boston for a Sunday matchup with the Huskies.
Thursday’s shutout loss to Harvard University was tough and physical, and then the team flew to North Carolina for a weekend matchup against another one of the top teams in the country, No. 3 Duke University.
Starr described the team as “running on gas tanks that are half empty” as a result of this brutal schedule, and when asked about the key to ending the streak, she pointed to rest.
“We don’t play again until Saturday, so that’s an advantage for us,” Starr said. “Our big thing is to recover, keep working hard and go into our games this week with a full gas tank. We just didn’t have the pop that we normally had. The recovery this week is going to really help that, and with that you’re going to see we’re going to start scoring more goals.”
Cassera struggling of late, but sophomores stepping up
Amanda Cassera, the team’s leader in goals just a week ago, has been struggling lately. The senior forward has been held scoreless through the last four games, and also has not put up a single shot.
The Fairfield, New Jersey native maintained strong shot numbers early in the season, registering a shot in all but one of her team’s first seven games.
Despite her recent offensive struggles, Starr made it clear that everyone shares responsibility in this slump.
“Strikers are just as good as the people around them” Starr said. “I think right now Amanda’s working hard, but we just have got to find the complementary player through the midfield, through the striker line. We can be more dangerous in our attacking third, and we’re going to work hard on that, Amanda included.”
There are some positive takeaways from the Terriers’ recent slump, though. Junior fullback/midfielder Allie Renzi played well against the Huskies, scoring a goal and picking up two points. Sophomore forwards Kara Enoch and Ally Hammel have both put up consistent shot numbers in the last four games as well.
With the Terriers looking to avoid a fifth straight loss at Bucknell University on Saturday, they will look to senior goalkeeper Cammy Jensen, who has picked up a total of 14 saves in the last two outings, to continue her impressive efforts.
