Field Hockey: Terriers 3-3 After First Six Games
By: Devora Slonim
Boston University Field Hockey (3-3) split their opening six games of the season following their 2-1 win over the University of Maine (4-2).
BU’s season started off strong with a 3-0 win over Providence College. Sophomore goaltender Sophie Ortyl was stellar in net, earning a shutout in her first game as a Terrier.
The win over Providence marked the first time BU has won a season opener with a shutout victory since 2017.
However, the momentum from their win did not last long, as the Terriers suffered a brutal loss to the No. 17 Boston College Eagles just two days later.
The constant corners awarded to the Eagles were a big part of their win over BU. The Terriers had four penalty corners, while BC had an astounding 18.
“This can only make us better,” BU Head Coach Sally Starr said following the loss to BC. “What I love about our team today is that they continue to compete, they continue to play together, they continue to work hard to try and solve problems, and they continue to make adjustments.”
The Terriers looked to make a push into the win column following the defeat, but despite better efforts, BU fell 5-2 against the No. 12 Michigan Wolverines.
Senior midfielder Payton Anderson opened the scoring immediately following Michigan’s early goal off a penalty corner. Anderson, currently leading the team in goals and shot attempts, found the back of the net to tie the game up 1-1. The Terriers took the lead when sophomore midfielder Olivia Hammer netted her first collegiate goal.
Unfortunately for BU, their lead did not last long. Michigan forward Kate McLaughlin recorded a natural hat trick, ultimately sealing the win for the Wolverines.
“We really want to see growth… I’m really proud of how we competed tonight,” Starr said in a post-game interview. “We are really working hard at coming out with a front-foot mentality at the beginning of the game.”
The Terriers took Starr’s remarks to heart as they came out on top just two days later, defeating Brown University 3-2 in a shootout win. Senior defender Katie Devine earned Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week after her stellar performance in the victory. Devine scored two goals in regulation and converted her attempt in the shootout.
Graduate student goaltender Kate Thomason was also a difference maker for BU, stopping the Bear’s final attempt and earning the win for the Terriers.
So far, BU’s season has been a constant pendulum, and their next game was no different.
Although they outshot their opponent 20-11, the Terriers lost 5-3 to the University of Massachusetts. Anderson had two goals and recorded six shots on net, but her efforts were not enough to defeat UMass.
Finally, in their sixth game since the season opener, following with the constant back-and-forth theme, BU defeated the University of Maine 2-1 to give them a split 3-3 record for the start of the season and their first win at home.
Leading the team in goals last year, junior forward Caroline O’Brien broke out of her drought and scored her first of the season, giving the Terriers a 1-0 lead.
After the Black Bears tied the game up at the 51st-minute mark, Anderson scored her third of the weekend to secure a victory over Maine.
Following the hard fought win, the Terriers are gearing up for their opening game in the Patriot League conference matchup this Friday night against Bucknell University.
“This has really been our dress rehearsal for conference play now. Practice to practice game to game without exception, we’ve grown as a team.” Starr said.
“Bucknell is going to be a really good game.” Anderson added in a post-game interview. “They are a solid team but so are we. We have a lot of potential and I don’t think we’ve reached it yet. If we take all the learnings from the past six games and really work hard this week, I believe we can take that win on Friday.”
The Terriers will face off in their first conference matchup against Bucknell on Friday, Sep. 20. The 4 p.m. contest will be available for streaming on ESPN+ live from Lewisburg, PA.