Losing to three nationally ranked opponents in a row can take a lot out of a team, but the No. 12 Boston University lacrosse team showed its resilience with a win against George Mason University on Saturday. Now, the 3-3 Terriers will look to break the .500 mark as they travel to New Haven, Conn. today to face Yale University (2-4) at 4 p.m.
Last year, the Terriers beat the Bulldogs, 10-7, at Nickerson Field. But the Terriers face a tougher challenge today when they hit the road. The Bulldogs are 1-0 at home this season and traditionally play well against the Terriers.
‘Yale is always a tough game,’ BU coach Liz Robertshaw said. ‘We’ve had some success in the past, but we’ve never won [at Yale].’
In order to get over the hump, the team will have to slow down Yale’s star senior midfielder Jen Warden, who has scored 16 goals in six games this year.
‘She’s a great player,’ Robertshaw said. ‘We need to play tough defensively and cause some turnovers, like in the George Mason game.’
A major factor for BU’s defense will be junior goalie Rachel Klein, who has logged every minute in net for the team this season, but has had an up-and-down year. On Monday, Klein won America East Defender of the Week for her standout play against the No. 5 University of Pennsylvania and George Mason. She allowed an average of 10 goals per game, down from her season average of 12.08. However, in the two preceding games Klein let in 19 and 17 against then-No. 12 Vanderbilt University and then-No. 5 Syracuse University, respectively.
‘I think Rachel has been focusing more in the moment,’ Robersthaw said. ‘[In earlier games], she started getting rattled when they scored, but now she’s allowing herself to just play the game and work with the defenders. She’s been more vocal and more aggressive, and has been a solid part of the team.’
On the Terriers’ offense, senior captain and All-American Sarah Dalton leads the way with 26 goals and 3 assists, including seven points against George Mason and a school-record eight goals earlier in the year at the College of William & Mary. Robertshaw said she wants Dalton and the rest of the team to keep up the aggressiveness against Yale and build on the last win.
‘We want to focus on ourselves and play BU lacrosse,’ Robertshaw said. ‘We have been getting some real quality looks in attack, so we want to continue that.’
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