Eimbcke, Laurito take home yearly awards

As the regular season ends and the No. 25 Boston University field hockey team prepares for the postseason, there is cause for some premature celebration. Senior goalkeeper Valentina Cerda Eimbcke and junior forward Sofi Laurito each took home major Patriot League awards, the league announced Tuesday.

For the second year in a row, Eimbcke collected Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year honors for the Terriers (11-7, 5-1 Patriot League). The Santiago, Chile native led BU from the cage all season long as the only senior starter on the squad.

Eimbcke had a .741 save percentage this season, a mark that led the Patriot League. She also allowed just 1.53 goals per game, which placed second in the conference.

The defining characteristic of Eimbcke’s season, however, was her consistency down the stretch. During the Terriers’ run in which they won seven of their last nine contests, Eimbcke played brilliantly, allowing more than one goal just once in this span. She also played up to her competition when BU faced off with No. 13 University of Virginia on Oct. 26, leading the team to a 2-1 victory.

“She’s had a great career and she’s having her best year as a senior,” said BU coach Sally Starr. “She’s very experienced, she’s been a four-year starter for us. She’s very confident, very calm and she’s just having an outstanding year.”

Picked as the Patriot League Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, Laurito lived up to that title, as she won the Offensive Player of the Year award.

Playing in a hybrid role for the Terriers, Laurito often flexed her muscle on both sides of the field, but her athleticism and stick-handling shone through on offense. The Argentinean led the Patriot League with 52 shots this season while not playing the full 18-game schedule. Laurito led BU in assists with five and also added six goals to give her 17 points on the campaign.

“Whenever she touches the ball she’s dangerous,” Starr said. “Through the first half of the season, she was really more of a playmaker, and right now she’s really turning more into a goal-scorer and a playmaker.”

Much like Eimbcke, Laurito established herself this year as a clutch performer. Against Ohio University on Aug. 31, Laurito gave BU its first victory of the year when she scored two unanswered goals en route to a 4-3 come-from-behind win.

“She’s just lighting it up in practice right now,” Starr said. “She’s playing the best hockey of her three years here. Almost every time she touches the ball, it’s a clinic. She’s skillful, she’s explosive and she’s playing at a pace that is really tough to defend. She’s had a great junior year and she’s got the best hockey ahead of her.”

Five Terriers earn all-conference recognition

Alongside Eimbcke and Laurito, three other Terriers earned All-Patriot League considerations this week. Joining them on the first team was sophomore midfielder Hester van der Laan. Meanwhile, the All-Patriot League second team saw two Terriers join its ranks in junior backer Rachel Coll and sophomore forward Amanda Cassera.

A main cog in BU’s two-way, midfield-dominated style, van der Laan improved drastically on an already noteworthy All-Patriot League second team freshman campaign. She finished third on the team in points with 15, while notching three defensive saves as well.

Cassera also made great strides in her second year as a Terrier, coming off of a Rookie of the Year campaign in 2013. The attacker led the Patriot League in points and goals with 25 and 11, respectively. To cap off the regular season, Cassera contributed a two-goal effort versus Colgate University on Saturday, sending BU into the Patriot League Tournament on a high note.

Perhaps most valuable among these esteemed Terriers is Coll, who played the most minutes of anyone on the team. As the inserter for the BU penalty attack corner, Coll was instrumental on a multitude of its goals, as she collected three total assists on the year, yet could be credited with many more. Coll also remained stellar at the back, replacing Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year Ysi Schieb.

“These kids have just gotten better and better,” Starr said. “They’ve worked hard and we’re really becoming an explosive attack. Our defense and our ability to move the ball around really [helps facilitate our offense]. Everybody’s gotten better, the team’s gotten better and that’s been our motto all year. Use every practice, use every game to get better.”