Field Hockey: Terriers fall to No. 9 Harvard, 8th straight loss to Crimson

By: Jose Rodriguez

No. 9 Harvard University Crimson (9-1, 3-0 IVY) extended their winning streak to seven straight by defeating the Boston University Terriers (5-5, 2-1 PL) by a score of 2-1 on Sunday afternoon at Berylson Field.

In the game’s opening minutes, both teams aggressively pushed forward, attacking into each other’s zones. At the 2:26 mark of the first period, freshman Martha Le Huray’s shot seemed destined for goal, but the Terriers’ goalkeeper, Kate Thomason, made a spectacular save, lunging to her right to deny the scoring opportunity and keep the game scoreless.

Harvard dominated the offensive zone, but the resilient BU defense successfully blocked the Crimson’s shots, preventing the ball from reaching the net.

After a foul on Harvard, Terrier Tegan Poerio took a shot, narrowly missing the goal as she aimed to give BU a 1-0 lead. As the period drew to a close, Crimson Kitty Chapple took a shot that seemed destined for the left side of the net, only to be thwarted by a clearance from Terrier Bella Bergner near the goal line. With the game remaining tied in the period’s final seconds, Thomason made a crucial save, keeping the game scoreless as both teams headed into the second quarter.

During the first six minutes of the second, Harvard dominated the field, constantly pressuring BU in their zone with long passes. Despite their relentless effort, they could not convert their opportunities into goals.

Then, at the 8:04 mark, the Crimson were given a penalty shot after a well-executed pass from Marie Schaefer to Emily Guckian. Fortunately for the Terriers, the shot missed wide.

The teams entered halftime at a 0-0 stalemate. Harvard had taken six shots, four of which were on goal, while BU had not managed a single shot on goal.

Harvard came close to scoring first when they capitalized on a turnover by the Terriers. Laetitia Cartellieri took a shot that Thomason saved while she was on the ground on the right side of the net. Thomason was the difference maker at this point for BU, keeping them in the game.

In the third quarter, the Crimson kept pressuring and attacking the Terrier zone, but BU’s defense prevented them from scoring.

However, late in the period, Harvard scored two back-to-back goals to take the lead. Guckian scored her second goal of the season, almost immediately followed by freshman Emily Bronckers, who sneaked one into the net, scoring her third goal of the season.

The Terriers were trailing by two goals as the final 15 minutes of the game approached.

With 7:42 left on the clock, BU cut Harvard’s lead in half. Natalie Epperson capitalized on a rebound opportunity, scoring from the right side for her fourth goal of the season. As the seconds ticked away, Thomason made another impressive save at 2:23, but despite a final push in the last minute, the Terriers couldn’t find the equalizer, coming up short in their attempt to tie the game.

Despite the loss, Thomason’s stellar performance improved her save percentage to .736, her best as a goaltender thus far.

The Terriers will look to bounce back when they face American University in a Patriot League showdown on Friday, Oct. 11, at 2 p.m. in Washington, D.C. The game will be televised on ESPN+.