Field Hockey: Terriers shut out Crusaders
By Alexa Podalsky
Boston University Field Hockey (3-3, 1-0 PL) brought their record to .500 for the first time this season with their first Patriot League win, shutting out the Holy Cross Crusaders (2-4, 0-1 PL) 4-0 on Monday at Hart Turf Field.
The Terriers had their best performance yet this season with 12 shots on goal and 10 penalty corners. This win has them tied for first place in the Patriot League with American University and Lafayette College.
BU took control of the field early in the first quarter with a goal 15 seconds in. Sophomore forward Martu Coulo tipped in the ball off a penalty corner by senior midfielder Thalia Steenssens and an assist from junior forward Payton Anderson.
From there, the Terriers’ offense pushed forward after junior defender Tegan Poerio received two penalty corners that put them in scoring position. They had one shot blocked and another that was wide within six seconds of each other. Leading 1-0 going into the second quarter, BU set the tone for the game.
Anderson and Steenssens continued to dominate the field. After Holy Cross senior goalkeeper Brooke Ross saved a shot from Anderson, Steenssens capitalized on the play and received a penalty corner.
With some impressive teamwork on the Terriers’ side, sophomore forward Caroline O’Brien continued her hot scoring streak. The reigning PL Offensive Player of the Week received the ball from Coulo to bring the score to 2-0 with a direct shot on the goal — marking her fourth goal in two games.
Steenssens received her second, third, and fourth penalty corners of the game in the second quarter, as well. Each corner resulted in a shot, but no goals. With another penalty corner from junior defender Katie Devine, bringing the Terriers’ total to seven, the Crusaders had yet to record any penalty corners or shots.
Struggling to keep up with BU, the entire Holy Cross team received a green card to close out the first half.
Six minutes into the second half, Steenssens’s fifth penalty corner set up the Terriers for another scoring opportunity. Anderson received the ball and attempted to connect it into the net but was fouled by the Cruscaders in the shooting circle.
Anderson was given another chance to score after being awarded a penalty stroke and brought the score to 3-0.
Holy Cross received their first penalty corner halfway through the third quarter and attempted two shots — both of which could not find the back of the net. However, BU took back control to end the quarter with a shot on goal by sophomore forward Amalia Preece.
The Terriers’ dominance didn’t carry into the fourth quarter. Off the bat, Holy Cross sophomore midfielder Izzy Van Der Spuy received two penalty corners within 10 seconds of each other and added another two minutes later.
BU’s defense, led by seniors Brooklyn Lamb and Rachel Borzymowski, was forced to stand strong and assisted senior goalkeeper Kate Thomason in keepin the Crusaders scoreless. Thomason saved one shot from senior forward Allie McDonough, and Borzymowski had a defensive save against junior forward Meggan Fourie.
To close out the game, sophomore defender Celia Nocivelli’s shot on goal was saved by Ross but allowed senior midfielder Pili Alvarez to collect the rebound and find a slot in the lower left corner of the net. This marked Alvarez’ first goal of the season.
Leading with a score of 4-0, the Terriers were not ready to call it quits just yet. Steenssens received her sixth and seventh penalty corner of the game to set up multiple scoring opportunities. BU closed out the game with five more shots on goal, all of which were saved by Ross.
Finishing the game with two saves, Thomason notably earned her first collegiate shutout.
With this win, the Terriers improved their road record to 3-0 and look to maintain the perfect streak on the road Friday, Sept. 22 against the Lehigh University Mountain Hawks. The PL matchup will begin at 5 p.m. at Goodman Stadium with streaming available on ESPN+.