Going into this past weekend, it seemed as if the No. 12 Boston University field hockey team would coast through another duo of games as they faced No. 25 University of Maine and Hofstra University. While the Terriers topped Maine on Friday, they dropped a close contest at Hofstra on Sunday.
On Friday night, the Terriers (9–5, 3–0 America East) welcomed the Black Bears (9–7, 2–1 America East) to Jordan Field to play one of the team’s final games at Harvard University before its move to New Balance Field in the fall of 2013.
Less than 11 minutes into the game, sophomore Holly Stewart slipped the ball past sophomore goalkeeper Valentina Cerda Eimbcke’s outstretched leg to give the Black Bears a 1–0 lead. The score remained the same entering the half.
“Almost the first 10 minutes we could have had a shot, corner or goal and we just gave it [back to Maine],” said BU coach Sally Starr, “and that was really frustrating in the first half.”
In typical Terrier fashion, it was not until the 44th minute that the Terriers responded with a goal of their own. On one of their nine corners of the game, the Terriers tied the game on a goal from junior midfielder Ella Gunson. Gunson was set up by freshman forward Rachel Coll and with a bit of help from a Maine stick, the ball found the net.
“We played a much more aggressive press than what we played in the first half, I think that almost acted as a catalyst and our team was playing quicker and harder,” Starr said. “It’s just like football — high risk, high reward, and I really think it set up a faster pace game for us and really helped us on that end of the field.”
With the support of one of the biggest crowds the team has seen this season, the Terriers took the momentum they gained during Gunson’s goal and did what they were used to doing most of this season — make a big second half push.
In the 49th minute the Terriers earned another corner and the team’s leading scorer, senior Jacinda McLeod knocked in the go-ahead goal.
Six minutes later, Coll knocked in a goal of her own and gave the Terriers a nice cushion.
The goal was Coll’s second of the season, which puts her tied for sixth on the team in goals.
BU held onto the 3–1 lead for the remainder of the game, easily closing out the victory.
By the end of the evening, the Terriers held a 20–4 shot advantage, a 9–1 corner advantage and improved their record so as to put them in a tie for the first-place spot in the America East.
It was a tale of two days for the Terriers though, as they went on to face Hofstra University (6–8) Sunday afternoon in Hempstead, N.Y.
As they have done most of this season, the Terriers fell behind early.
In the 19th minute, Cerda Eimbcke allowed a goal from sophomore Jonel Boileau, who slipped past the last BU defender and knocked in a goal while on a fast break.
When it came to their second half performance, the Terriers were unlike themselves and were unable to overcome their first half woes. By the end of the game, however, BU outshot the Pride 11–7 and held the advantage when it came to corners by four (5–1).
The loss was very unlike this year’s Terrier team. Not only was Sunday the second time this season that BU has fallen on the road, it is the second time that they have been upset by an unranked team.
Despite the loss, senior Jess Maroney and Coll were named America East Field Hockey Defensive Player of the Week and Rookie of the week, respectively, on Monday. It is Maroney’s third Defensive Player of the Week award this season while Coll earned her second Rookie of the Week honors.
As to what this loss does for the teams’ hopes of making the NCAA tournament in November, and possibly advancing to the national championship, the Terries will have to prove over the next five games that they belong among the other top teams in the nation.
This process of showing their worth will begin this weekend, as the Terriers have another big series ahead. On Friday night, they will travel to Durham, N.H., to take on No. 20 University of New Hampshire in a battle for first place in the America East.
This game will be followed by another tough game against No. 11 Northeastern University at Jordan Field, which could determine the Terriers’ fate as an at-large bid in the NCAA tournament.
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