The Boston University field hockey team has not fared particularly well against its out-of-conference opponents so far this season, carrying a 3-7 record into the second half. However, the squad will have a chance to prove itself anew against a different set of adversaries when it begins America East play this Saturday.
The Terriers will face the unranked University of Vermont, the only America East team currently holding a worse record (1-8) than theirs, on Saturday. After that, four of their remaining eight games are against conference rivals. In the past, BU has fared well in conference play, winning the America East title three out of the last four years, holding a winning record (3-2) in conference last year and going undefeated (5-0) the year before.
However, the University at Albany eliminated the Terriers in the first round of the playoffs last year, so BU will certainly look to prove that it can return to its former spot atop the conference this year. A strong showing in conference play in the second half of the season would all but assure the Terriers of a chance to do so, while a subpar performance would put them in danger of missing the conference tournament altogether.
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Improving defense
On last weekend’s tough trip to Virginia, a slight but positive change in the Terriers’ play was revealed despite their two losses. While defense was a problem for BU earlier in the season, as evidenced by their 4-3 loss to unranked Northeastern University on Sept. 13, the team has been holding tougher opponents to lower scores in the last two weeks.
Indeed, no opponent has scored more than two goals against the Terriers since the Northeastern game, and the only team to beat them by a margin of more than one goal has been the No. 4 University of Virginia.
Part of this difference can be attributed to the play of junior goaltender Amanda Smith, who let in only two goals on 17 shots against No. 15 Old Dominion University on Sunday. But perhaps the defenders in front of her have also begun to improve upon the ‘individual defense’ BU coach Sally Starr has stressed as one of the Terriers’ main problems since the beginning of this season.
If nothing else, they have improved their defensive play on corners, shutting out Old Dominion on 12 attempts and Virginia on eight this weekend. This is a promising trend, however gradual ‘-‘- if the Terriers can hold nationally ranked opponents to low scores, they should be able to do the same against their potentially less competitive conference rivals.
Allie Dolce, the heart of the Terriers’ offense
The only Terrier to score in either of last weekend’s contests, junior forward Allie Dolce has proven herself to be a valuable asset to BU’s offense this season. Dolce leads the team in scoring, with 15 points, and is tied with senior co-captain Nikki Lloyd for the team lead in goals, with five. She is visibly one of the fastest players on the field, skilled at creating scoring opportunities for the Terriers by pressuring opponents’ defense and chasing down loose balls.
Starr has expressed her satisfaction with Dolce’s play at various points this season, particularly with her adaptability in moving positions within the midfield when injuries or other issues made it necessary. After Lloyd and Haley Robinson, the other senior co-captain, graduate, it seems likely that many of the leadership responsibilities on the team will fall to Dolce next year. She has started in all ten games and played the majority of each, providing a solid presence in the midfield and a good example for younger players to follow.
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