Boston University field hockey coach Sally Starr described her team’s Sunday 3-2 overtime victory over Yale University as “a gritty type of game…really not a game that was a pretty game at all, or particularly a well-played game, but a scrappy, gritty game.”
The Terriers (4-3, 1-0 Patriot League) were coming off a 2-1 road victory over Lafayette College on Saturday hoping to capitalize on the momentum with a home win at New Balance Field against Yale (1-5). Many Terriers contributed to the win, but there is a spark on this team that is helping propel the team to victory: Sophomore forward Amanda Cassera.
Cassera scored the game-winning goal for the Terriers in the 50th minute of Saturday’s matchup just three minutes after Lafayette (4-4, 0-1 Patriot League) equalized the game at 1-1. On Sunday, from the opening whistle, Cassera and BU fiercely challenged the Bulldogs, with Cassera striking again. Coming off a pass from junior midfielder Sofi Laurito, Cassera shot the ball past Yale goalkeeper Heather Schlesier to give the Terriers a one-goal lead in the third minute of action.
Yale equalized by halftime, and in the 40th minute, took a 2-1 lead. The Terriers remained close, thanks to Cassera’s large role, and were able to equalize in the 69th minute. The sophomore challenged each ball that came her way defensively and led the team with great dribbles offensively, showing off her tenacity and hustle. It was that resilience that helped generate some much-needed confidence in the Terriers when they trailed Yale in the second half.
“Amanda has go-go gadget arms. She brings in some balls that you really think that the defenders are going to get a touch on,” Starr said. “She just somehow snares it and puts in a good spot and gets a good goal-scoring opportunity out of it.”
Those “go-go gadget arms” truly did help the Terriers, as Cassera’s doggedness eventually served as a key factor in the 69th-minute goal-scoring opportunity to tie the game, and eventually a thrilling game-winner in the 74th minute during overtime.
What really makes Cassera a threat, Starr said, is the sophomore’s leadership ability.
“[I’ve] been coaching for a long time, and this really is a first that I do not have a senior on the field other than in goal,” she said. “There is a lot of leadership that has to happen for a team to win this type of game.”
Starr is giving her younger players a chance to prove that they can step up as leaders, and she gives the entire team credit for stepping up.
“We’re not looking for a captain to lead but…different people having a voice and making a difference,” she said.
Cassera has the ability to make big plays and play a leading role on a team that has just one senior and one graduate student on its roster. As the reigning Patriot League Rookie of the Year, Cassera has shown just seven games into the season that she is one of those people with the potential to make a difference.
Alexander mainly covers field hockey for the Daily Free Press. On his days off, he catches up on playing basketball and soccer and cheers on the New York Giants, Knicks, and Yankees. He previously interned at the office of U.S. Senator Edward Markey.
