On Saturday, the Terriers (10-4, 3-1 Patriot League) created holes in the Mountain Hawks (5-10, 2-3 Patriot League) defense all afternoon, but the offensive push didn’t come to fruition until the first goal was scored in the last minute of the opening half. After six penalty corners and 11 shots, the Terriers went into the second half with a one-goal lead.
Once the second half started, the Terriers’ offense was firing on all cylinders. In the first 18 minutes of the second half, BU scored an additional four goals. The Terriers also amassed 13 shots throughout the 35-minute period.
At the end of the game, the statsheet reinforced the on-field performance as the Terriers outshot the Mountain Hawks 24-1 and outscored them 5-0.
In a collaborative effort, the Terriers passed the ball quickly and crisply, shot the ball from all sides, and put consistently strong attempts at goal. They had goals from four different players on Saturday, two of which came from senior forward Amanda Cassera.
Another impressive statistic is the number of shots allowed. BU held Lehigh to one shot the entire game, coming late in the second half when the game was out of reach. The defense clearly deserves credit, although the offensive dominance displayed by the Terriers was more of an impediment on the Mountain Hawks’ efforts to shoot. Lehigh’s chances to counterattack were limited because they were relentlessly attacked.
Despite powerful offensive pushes, Starr noticed some areas that need work.
“Corner executions, we need to be better at,” Starr said. “It’s a part of our game that definitely needs to still improve.”
Even with an alarming 10 corner opportunities, which give a higher probability of scoring to the offense, BU was unable to convert any of them into goals.
BU leveraged this momentum against BC (7-7) on Sunday afternoon in what was a very competitive contest.
Starr noted before the matchup that, “This game has regional and national implications,” and both sides played like it.
The Terriers claimed the 1-0 victory with a goal early in the overtime period from the stick of senior forward Madeline McClain. The lone goal was the product of a relentless offensive push throughout the game.
While not able to get off as many shots against a stout BC defense as against the Mountain Hawks, the Terriers still shot the ball 12 times, five of which were on goal. Furthermore, they had six corner opportunities, which the team was still unable to convert into points on the board.
Nevertheless, the offensive tenacity that was visible on Saturday reappeared on Sunday against the Eagles. BU’s dominance on one half of the field seems to damper efforts by its opponents to not only defend, but also to score. In some regards, certainly applicable to the Terriers’ strategy over the last two games, the best defense is offense.
With key back-to-back wins this weekend, the Terriers have not only solidified their spot as a top team in the nation, but have also generated momentum that will be useful in the upcoming playoffs. According to Starr, if the team can maintain a strong defensive bulwark, capitalize on corner shots and maintain its offensive vigor, the Terriers should continue to be a force the rest of the way.
“I’m very happy for the senior class,” Starr said. “The last three games against BC have gone into overtime. I was really pleased with how we played [against the Eagles]. Statistically we dominated a very fast-paced game against a highly-respected opponent.”
