The Boston University lacrosse team will head south to New Haven, Conn. to take on Yale University on Wednesday.
The Terriers (3-4) will look to get back to the .500 plateau and snap a two-game losing streak in the process against the Bulldogs (1-5, 0-2), a team that will try to rebound from a 7-2 loss at University of Pennsylvania that marked the team’s fifth loss in its six games this season.
BU is coming off of a heartbreaking 13-11 loss at University of Denver, a game in which the Terriers fought back from a 10-6 second half deficit to tie the game, only to see the Pioneers get two goals in the final five minutes to win the game.
Even in a losing effort, it was a banner day for senior attack Erica Baumgartner as she recorded her 100th assist in her BU career.
“I’m very proud of Erica. She’s come such a long way having sat out last year,” said BU coach Liz Robertshaw of the milestone. “The fact that she got her 100th assist just speaks to the kind of player that she is.”
The Terriers may very well have a prime opportunity to get their season back on track against a Yale team that has struggled throughout the season, having been outscored 63-35 in its six games this year.
Thus far, the Bulldogs have been paced on the offensive end by the play of attack Caroline Crow, whose 12 points and 10 goals lead the team in both categories.
Nearly as potent for the Yale offense has been the play of midfielder Devon Rhodes, who ranks second behind Crow in points and goals, with 10 and eight, respectively.
While Crow and Rhodes have been effective for the Yale attack, creating offense and distributing the ball, particularly in the midfield, has been a problem for the Bulldogs throughout the season. Of the team’s 35 goals this season, only nine have been assisted.
Between the pipes for the Bulldogs is goalkeeper Whitney Quackenbush, who has started in all six of Yale’s games this season. She has given up 44 of the 63 goals allowed by the Bulldogs on the year, a figure good for a 9.76 goals-against-average. Additionally, Quackenbush sports a save percentage of 43.6 percent that has come from her 34 saves this season.
Despite the slow start to the season for the Terriers, Baumgartner and several other players have been extremely productive for the team. Sophomore attack Danielle Etrasco has been something of an offensive juggernaut for BU, leading the team in goals with 18 and points 24.
Baumgartner, true to form, has helped control the Terrier offense, having posted a team-high 19 points and 13 assists through just seven games. Sophomore midfielder Kristen Mogavero has boosted a young BU attack, ranking second on the team in goals with 11.
However, with the graduation of three-year starter Rachel Klein last year, the Terriers have struggled for much of the season to get consistent play from their goalkeepers – sophomore Kim Elsworth and freshman Christina Sheridan – who have played in something of a platoon system in the team’s first seven games.
Sheridan has appeared in six of the team’s games, starting in four of them, and has posted an 11.18 goals-against-average and a 44.4 percent save percentage. Elsworth has started in three games and appeared in four, and sports a 10.73 goals-against-average with a 40 percent save percentage.
Perhaps more than anything, even offensive production or goalkeeping, Robertshaw believes her team must first adjust its mental and psychological state before it can think about winning games.
“We need a little more competitive fire and fight from the girls, which we addressed with the team and we’re going to continue to address it for the rest of the year as long as it takes,” Robertshaw said.
Both teams will look to rebound from losses and right the proverbial ship with a 4 p.m. scheduled start at Reese Stadium on the Yale campus.
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