Senior trio bids adieu to Jack Barry Field

For three members of the Boston University field hockey team, yesterday’s 2-0 win over Harvard University marked the last time they would walk off Jack Barry Field as competitors ‘-‘- the last time they’d don the scarlet and white at home in the regular season.
But for Hayly Ross, Holly Wiles and Lizzie Perreault, yesterday’s Senior Day ceremony did more than give the girls a chance to say goodbye to what has become their home away from home for four years.
‘I really wanted this game for them,’ BU coach Sally Starr, who has coached the three seniors for the entirety of their Terrier careers, said. ‘For us to walk off of Jack Barry, and to walk off with a smile on their faces. They are great girls, and they deserve it.’
Over the course of this season, Perreault, Ross and Wiles have passed a test no Terrier seniors have ever had to face.
Beginning the preseason with the largest freshman class this decade, the Terriers were a question mark in America East.
Would the loss of last year’s All-American duo of Pam Spuehler and Sarah Shute bring the Terriers back down to earth in the ranks of America East? Would a trio of seniors possess the leadership and poise to right a wavering ship through conference play?
If the emotions of yesterday’s preseason ceremony were any indication, the answer is most certainly the latter.
‘Senior Day is always hard,’ Starr said. ‘Any kid that comes into our program is a great kid, and this year’s seniors are just that. They are good in the classroom, they always practice hard, they work hard in the weight room, and they do the right things that embody the tradition of our program.’
Guiding BU through a tough opening month, a stretch in which BU went 2-6, the vocal leadership of Perreault, Ross and Wiles muddled the line between inexperience and youth.
Having gone 6-3 in nine games since, with two upsets over ranked opponents thrown in the mix, BU’s seniors have brought the Terriers back to the forefront of America East again.
With a win over the University of Vermont this weekend, the Terriers would capture the regular-season conference title for the fifth straight season.’
‘There is a tradition of winning in our program,’ Starr said. ‘They have, without a doubt, continued that here. Now it’s tournament time. It’s a play-in game. The winner gets into the tournament, and it’s equally as important.’
With Vermont now standing between the Terriers and the conference title, Perreault, Ross and Wiles’ roles as leaders have become all the more prevalent.
Leading the youth into uncharted waters ‘-‘- nine Terriers have yet to play for a conference title ‘-‘- Starr’s senior trio has brought the unit together.
‘They had such a huge freshman class to lead, and they did a great job leading them and setting a standard,’ Starr said. ‘They know what it means to be a BU field hockey player, and the girls around them have really started to feel that.
‘With the uniqueness of their task, having just three of them and nine freshmen, they have done an outstanding job of incorporating the freshmen, making them feel a part of our program.’
While the girls have had an impact in terms of their vocal leadership responsibilities, their actions on the field have spoken louder than their words.
‘What I loved about today was that all three of them had great games,’ Starr said. ‘Hayly had a great game. She scored an important goal and was instrumental in most of our offensive chances. Holly had an outstanding game, making interceptions and positive plays, controlling the tempo of the game.’
With Ross and Wiles generating chances through the midfield, Perreault has continued to establish herself in the Terriers’ defensive scheme.
As one the most consistent players Starr said she has ever coached, Perreault continues to re-work her game to bolster the defense.
‘Lizzie is one of the most reliable players I have ever coached,’ Starr said. ‘There is no difference with her. She is always ready to play.’
When asked what Perreault, Ross and Wiles have brought to the team over their four years at BU, Starr replied, ‘They are great girls and wonderful young women. I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to have them in our program. They are great kids, and they epitomize the type of student athlete we try to recruit. They truly are the quintessential BU field hockey players.’