The Boston University field hockey team has topped the Patriot League table in each of the past four seasons. They’ve won the conference title in four of the past five seasons. So it’s safe to say that heading into 2019, the Terriers are favorites to do it all again.
As the team gears up for its first home game of the season against the University of New Hampshire on Friday, head coach Sally Starr said she’s pleased with how preseason camp has been going.
“The attitude has been great,” Starr said. “What you want in preseason is you want kids who are going to work really hard on the field, and then work really hard off the field to develop our team culture.”
The team started the season with two away games and returns to Commonwealth Avenue with mixed results. They topped Ohio University 4-1, then fell to Ohio State University 3-2.
Last season, the Terriers finished 12-8 overall with a 6-0 record in the Patriot League. They beat American University 2-1 in the Patriot League title game before falling to Miami University in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament by a score of 2-0.
BU was chosen as favorites to win the Patriot League in a preseason poll by the conference’s head coaches and sports information directors. The Terriers received 10 of the 14 first-place votes and finished with 70 points in the poll, six points ahead of second-place American.
This is the fourth time in five years that BU has sat atop the preseason league poll.
“It’s great to have the respect of your peers and it’s great for the program to have that respect,” Starr said of the poll.
The team will have strength in its depth this season — Starr returns many of her key players who racked up a lot of minutes last year. Two of those returners are junior forward Ailsa Connolly and senior midfielder co-captain Kiley Gallagher, both of whom were named to the preseason All-Patriot League team.
Connolly was tied for the team lead in scoring last season with eight goals, and she also provided four total assists. Gallagher matched that total in the assists column, and had one goal to her name during last year’s campaign.
“[Connolly] is a tremendous athlete, true goal scoring striker,” Starr said. “She’s put in a lot of work this summer. She’s practicing really well.”
The Terriers’ game this Friday starts at 7 p.m. at New Balance Field, which is behind Rich Hall in BU’s West Campus.
