Field Hockey: Three Terriers Earn PL Awards

By: Marisa Ingemi

As the Boston University Terriers prepare for the conference tournament to get underway on Friday afternoon, five of their players have earned some hardware.

Hester van der Laan, one of three Terrier captains, was named the Patriot League’s offensive player of the year while defender Ellie Landsman earned the defensive player of the year award. The two were also named to the All-PL first team along with Taylor Blood, and goalkeeper Cammy Jensen. Perhaps rival coaches were wary of placing too many Terriers in the top team, as Amanda Cassera, BU’s leader in points and goals, found herself snubbed and was shoved down into the second team.

The two individual award winners were also named the pre season top players in the Patriot League. Van der Laan is second on the team with 16 points, trailing just Cassera’s 22. Landsman has started each game and logged 904 minutes for one of the best defensive teams in the nation, shielding a young and inexperienced Terrier backline from her position at the base of midfield.

Sally Starr also won the PL coach of the year award after leading the Terriers to the top seed in the conference tournament and surpassing her 450th career victory this season. Starr is looking to lead her team to the national tournament for the third straight season. This is the eighth time in her career she has earned the top coach in the conference honors.

The Terriers will get their post season underway this Friday at 1:00 p.m. when they face the Bucknell Bison at New Balance Field. BU will be looking for its third straight conference title and an automatic bid into the national tournament.