Field Hockey: Terriers continue unbeaten streak at home with win over Columbia

By Claire Smieszny

Boston University field hockey (7-5, 2-1 PL) took down the Columbia University Lions (3-9) in a matinee game at New Balance Field on Sunday. The Terriers came from behind, pulling out a close 2-1 win.

The Terriers rallied in the fourth quarter to put themselves ahead of the Lions and go two for two in their games this weekend.

BU put on the pressure early in the first quarter, with sophomore midfielder/back Megan Wetzel taking the first shot 3:50 into the game. The shot came from the far left side of the half-circle, but Columbia’s junior goaltender Kate Wimmer was able to get her foot on it and make the kick save.

After some back-and-forth in the middle of the field for most of the first quarter, the Lions managed to sustain some good offense towards the end, recording two penalty corners and a shot of their own.

Going into the second quarter, Columbia came out strong with an organized offense and were able to keep the pressure on BU’s defensive end. The Lions were rewarded with two penalty corners, and they converted on the second attempt.

Freshman forward McKenzie Bloom was able to get her stick on senior midfielder/back Maya Walker’s reverse shot from the top left and tip the ball into the net at BU’s right post.

The Terriers managed to return with some offensive fire as sophomore forward Caroline O’Brien recorded a shot on goal on a penalty corner. However, Columbia continued to press with several chances to score at the end of the quarter. The Lions led BU in shots 6-3 at the halfway mark.

The third quarter saw strong offensive performances from both teams. Senior forward Anabelle Brodeur was a force, taking their two penalty corners and managing two shots for Columbia.

Unfortunately for the Lions, BU’s junior midfield/back Rachel Borzymowski stood strong in the backfield and made two crucial defensive saves on Columbia’s penalty corners.

Despite the Terriers having three shots in the third frame, the Lions held on to their 1-0 lead heading into the final quarter.

The fourth quarter started off slow until BU’s freshman forward Nicole Lauro received a green card, putting the Terriers down a player for two minutes. Regardless of the disadvantage, the Terriers were able to create some offense and tie up the game.

On a corner attempt, Wetzel set up junior back Payton Anderson at the top of the half-circle for a hit to the bottom left corner of the net. With just over nine minutes left to go in the game, the Terriers had tied it up at 1-1. This marked Anderson’s fourth goal of the season.

Columbia came back with some intensity to put themselves ahead again, but BU could not be stopped. With about five minutes left, the Terriers were able to get a whistle and keep possession in Columbia’s end of the field.

Off a pass from Wetzel, senior midfielder Thalia Steenssens was able to dribble in and fire a shot at the top of the half-circle. Lauro was in front of the net and was able to deflect the shot up and over the goaltender to give the Terriers the 2-1 lead — the first-year’s first goal of her BU career.

The Terriers only seemed to gain more confidence in their play after taking the lead and dominated the last few minutes of the game. Columbia was not allowed another chance on goal, with zero shots in the last five minutes compared to BU’s two.

In the end, the teams were evenly matched in their shots at 10-10 with the Lions getting a slight edge in shots on goal (8-7). But the Terrier’s defensive strength is clear when Columbia’s nine penalty corners are factored in — compared to BU’s four.

This win puts the Terriers at two games above .500 and gives them a positive outcome to build on heading into next weekend.

BU now looks to beat a Patriot League rival in Lafayette next Saturday to move up in the conference standings. The game will take place on New Balance Field at noon, with streaming available on ESPN+.