Looking to get back in the winning column after dropping a close contest last weekend, the Boston University women’s lacrosse team beat Lafayette College, 20-16, on Saturday afternoon at Nickerson Field.
While the win is an accomplishment after a slow start to the season, perhaps the greater milestone was scoring the most goals in a game since 2013.
The Terriers (5-6, 3-2 Patriot League) started out strong with a three-goal lead just three minutes in. After a timeout, Lafayette (9-4, 4-1 Patriot League) erased a four-goal deficit before the 10-minute mark. However, the Terriers took back the lead and did not lose it after that.
BU head coach Liz Robertshaw cited the fast start as a big factor in the win.
“I think [the start] was huge,” Robertshaw said. “We talked about coming out sharp and being aggressive. I think they started out fast and then finished well.”
Beside their original 4-0 run to start the game, the Terriers also went on a 6-0 run in the first half to extend their lead to 12-7.
The win also boosted BU’s fight to make the Patriot League Tournament, as Lafayette is now tied for second place, with Robertshaw’s squad in fifth.
“We had to be aggressive,” Robertshaw said. “We knew that every single game matters. One, we’re fighting to get into the tournament. We knew that every single [Patriot League] game was going to determine the standings of the tournament.”
While inching closer to the playoffs was significant, the Terriers’ hot offense ignited them to the win. They racked up a season-high 20 goals, a mark that’s only rivaled by BU’s 21-12 win over Binghamton University on April 13, 2013.
Robertshaw credited the outbreak to junior attack Avery Donahoe, who led the offense with six goals and an assist, her highest scoring game this season.
“[Donahoe] was awesome,” Robertshaw said. “I think she struggled a little bit against Lehigh [University], so she had some video sessions with the coaches. We had to work through some things. We found her looks, and she found her shot, which was great.”
From the game’s onset, BU tried to attack the Leopards defense with a quick transition offense. Robertshaw said her strategy was purposeful due to Lafayette’s defense, which allows 12.15 goals per game.
“[Lafayette] has a great zone, and they try to make you frantic and it happened against us a couple times,” Robertshaw said. “We knew we could get some quick looks and if we had them we wanted to take them.”
With the win, BU improves to 4-1 at Nickerson Field and one game above .500 in the conference, which bodes well for its playoff chances. The Terriers have won four of their last six, and will look to continue its strong play on April 15 against the United States Naval Academy at home.
If they are to continue their winning ways, the Terriers will need all their players to step up as they did Saturday. The Terriers saw seven players record a multi-goal game, with Donahoe’s six acting as the standard bearer.
“I think it’s awesome,” Robertshaw said. “We knew coming into this year we had big shoes to fill with those graduates, and we’ve challenged all of them to step up. We’re just going to keep encouraging them to shoot the ball. I think this was the most shots we’ve ever had in a game, so we feel good about it. Just have to stay aggressive.”
