After an offensive drought in which they scored only three goals through four games, the No. 15 Boston University field hockey team has emphatically returned to its scoring ways in recent games. Most recently, the Terriers blew out back-to-back opponents at Jack Barry Field over the weekend, defeating Fairfield University 4-0 and Dartmouth College 4-1.
This recent success, paired with a 6-0 trouncing of the University of Vermont the previous weekend, indicates a significant increase in offensive production for the Terriers. They have gone from scoring three goals in four games to 14 in their last four. For BU coach Sally Starr, it’s all part of the team’s progression.
“I just think it’s a process from the beginning of the preseason up through now,” she said. “We’ve been doing some drills that have helped a little bit, but it’s also just improving with every opportunity. What I really liked about Sunday’s game in particular is that we had four different people scoring as well.”
Starr’s excitement is understandable. Of the eight BU players who have scored goals on the season, six of them scored last weekend, with freshman midfielder Madeleine Hackett finding the back of the net for the first time.
Instead of riding the production of a few players having standout offensive seasons, like junior striker Andrea Greene (11 goals, three assists) and senior striker Allie Dolce (three goals, six assists), the Terriers were added other scoring threats to their repertoire.
One of those additions was Hackett, whose initiative in making a nifty pass to Greene in the third minute of Sunday’s game against the Big Green gave her the opportunity to streak towards the net, take a feed from Greene and deposit the ball into the back of the net. The tally gave the Terriers a 1-0 lead and kept them from falling behind the Big Green when they found the back of the net three minutes later.
“[We were without] two really quality hockey players who are having great seasons for us,” said Starr of junior midfielder Giovanna Monaco and sophomore back Rachael White, who did not play. “I was really pleased with how successful we could still be this weekend. You’ve got Maddie Hackett, the freshman, stepping in as a starter. She got a lot of points this weekend, and played excellent hockey. [Redshirt freshman midfielder] Kat Springs stepped in really well. She really shone in some spots.”
With a variety of players scoring, the Terriers will be a much more formidable attacking team for the remainder of the season. Opposing teams will be forced to recognize multiple scoring threats, and even distribution of coverage will likely give the Terriers an advantage when it comes to finding the space needed to score goals.
“We’re doing a much better job with our decision making on the ball and not forcing the play, finding the open field and open space a little bit,” Starr said. “And as a result, we’re getting some outstanding looks going into our circle. I think for the number of goals that we have scored over the last three or four games that we have been scoring well, you couldn’t diagram it better on a blackboard. It’s just classic. It’s great passing. It’s two-touch hockey, and it’s exciting. It’s fun to watch and I think the girls are having a fun time playing it as well.”
While the Terriers’ most recent opponents have been less formidable than some of their other foes on the season&- the Stags and the Big Green are mediocre at best in strength of schedule and defensive play&- it is clear that games against difficult opponents earlier in the season have given the Terriers an edge when less touted teams have come to town.
“In the matches where you are playing some of the top teams in the country, you have a lot less space, a lot less time for decisions and execution,” Starr said. “I think having that type of learning process definitely has helped us to be prepared as we go into this last half of our season.”
Not only is the team prepared, but they are enjoying tangible dividends for their hard work. While in previous games, the Terriers have outshot difficult opponents by wide margins and still lost, they are now finding themselves able to hit the back of the net with less difficulty, and are winning games by wide margins.
Fantastic individual performances, like those by Greene, who notched four goals and an assist on the weekend, and sophomore midfielder Nicole van Oosterom, who tallied two goals and an assist, are indicative of the Terriers’ growth as an offensive unit. With multiple players consistently scoring, the Terrier offense will be difficult to stop in future games.
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