Led by a hat trick from senior co-captain Nikki Lloyd, the Boston University field hockey team knocked off the No. 17 University of Massachusetts-Amherst, 3-2, Friday. The Terriers then lost the second game of their trip in the UMass Invitational Sunday, 3-1, at the hands of the No. 9 University of Iowa.
Though UMass (2-1), the defending Atlantic 10 conference champions, scored on a corner in the first five minutes of regulation and took a 1-0 lead into the second half, the game went to overtime and eventually ended, 3-2, in favor of the Terriers. All three BU (1-3) goals were scored by Lloyd, who led the team in goals and overall scoring last season. If Friday’s performance ‘-‘- three goals on five shots for a rather impressive 60 percent shooting percentage ‘-‘- is any indication, she will continue to be a valuable offensive force this year.
Lloyd tied the score with her first goal on a corner play at 51:55. Eight minutes later, she pulled the Terriers into their first lead with an unassisted shot from ten yards away from the net. BU was helped by a solid performance from its defensive corps and junior goaltender Amanda Smith ‘-‘- who made four saves over the course of the game ‘-‘- holding the lead until UMass junior Makaela Potts capitalized on a corner opportunity with less than ten minutes left in the game to tie the score and force overtime.
However, whatever momentum the Minutewomen gained from Potts’ goal did not continue past the end of regulation, as they allowed four shots and three corners in the brief extra period without generating any offense themselves. Lloyd finally beat UMass sophomore goalie Alesha Widdall for the third time on a 2-on-1 with freshman midfielder Nicole van Oosterom, converting a pass from van Oosterom from ten yards out for the game-winning goal, and the first hat trick of her BU career.
‘This was a hard-fought, competitive match,’ BU head coach Sally Starr said. ‘[The Minutewomen are] a very good team. They’re the preseason pick to win the A10 again, so this is a real quality win for our team. We’re a young team that I feel is getting better with each outing that we have.’
Starr has good reason to be optimistic about this season. Although UMass is ranked 17th in the nation and BU is not ranked in the top 20, the Terriers held the statistical advantage in both shots (15-12) and corners (13-9), and prevented the Minutewomen from managing a single shot in the overtime period. In addition, both of the players who assisted on Lloyd’s goals (and picked up their first collegiate points by doing so), New Zealand natives van Oosterom and Jacinda McLeod, are part of a group of talented freshmen who will hopefully continue to contribute to the Terriers’ success in the next four years.
The beginning of this season may still be difficult, as the Terriers continue to adjust to playing without senior Gabby Haijar. Haijar, the leader among current Terriers in collegiate points, is injured and out for the season, but many of the players who helped BU to win the America East conference championship last year are returning, healthy, and ready to play. As evidenced by Friday’s game, the Terriers remain very much capable of competing with higher-ranked teams around the country and defending their title.
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