Field Hockey: Despite last ditch effort, Terriers fall 4-2 to Northeastern Huskies

Featured image by Troy Buldoc

By Mel Mastela

The Boston University Terriers (5-7, 2-2 PL) fell to the Northeastern University Huskies (8-6, 2-1 CAA) 4-2 on Sunday afternoon for their third straight loss.

The Terriers played an inconsistent game, showing aggression and great offensive possession in the second and fourth quarters but struggling offensively and defensively in the first and third.

“You can’t play half a game,” Coach Sally Starr said about the loss. You can’t play quarter two [and] quarter four and expect to win a game against a really talented team like Northeastern.”

The first quarter favored Northeastern, as they put up the only three shots of the game thus far.

Goaltender Kate Thomason turned aside all three chances to keep the game scoreless heading into the second.

The Terriers showed up in the second frame, fighting to get on the scoreboard. Despite their efforts, the Huskies were able to take a quick 2-0 on their first two shots of the quarter.

Netting her first of the season, Emilia Adragna beat Thomason on a reverse stick drive to put Northeastern on the board. Following her lead, Lara Taylor widened the gap on a penalty corner, redirecting the ball to beat the BU netminder.

The third quarter was not any better for the struggling Terrier team.

The Huskies continued to dominate play and secured a three-goal lead when Adragna scored her second of the night from the middle circle.

Feeling defeated, BU headed into the fourth quarter with one last push to bounce back.

Their efforts in aggression were rewarded, as Caroline O’Brian tipped the ball past Northeastern’s goalie, Kristi Merashoff, for the Terriers’ first goal of the game.

Finding a brief moment of momentum, Payton Anderson found the back of the net on a penalty stroke, earning her eighth goal of the season, and got BU within one goal.

With under four minutes of play remaining, Thomason was pulled for a man advantage.

Taylor netted her second of the game in the final three minutes, doubling the Huskies lead and securing the win for Northeastern.

“Competition day practices there’s a swag, there’s a cockiness, they’re trash talking each other,” Starr said, “We’ve gotta bring that same swag and that same energy to our real games.”

“We do stupid drills during practice, like competition drills. And they go crazy! They are so locked in and [there’s] urgency and there is such attention to detail. We just gotta bring that type of mentality and that type of mateship and passion and joy to how we play the game.”

The Terriers will look to bring a winners mentality this Friday, Oct. 18th for a matinee matchup in a Patriot League contest against the Colgate University Raiders.

“We have a really big game Friday night against a conference opponent, and I feel [like] if we can win that game I feel comfortable about our chances to make the conference tournament,” Starr said.

The 1 p.m. competition will be available for streaming on ESPN+.