Field Hockey: BU Tops Lehigh 4-1 in Road Matchup

Featured Image by Jenny Chen

By Kit Humbarger

Boston University Field Hockey (5-5, 2-1 PL) secured a 4-1 win against the Lehigh Mountain Hawks (2-8, 0-2 PL) on Saturday afternoon at Ulrich Field. 

The game got off to a quick start, with Lehigh forward Lela Boermeester scoring on a penalty corner in the first two minutes. Terrier junior midfielder Nicole Lauro scored right after, tying up the game. 

The rest of the quarter was evenly matched. Both BU junior goalkeeper Sophie Ortyl and Lehigh junior goalkeeper Kate Burgess had two saves, keeping the game tied at 1-1 going into the second quarter. 

The second quarter was filled with fouls and substitutions on both sides. Lauro received a green card in the 28th minute, but the Terriers held strong against the Mountain Hawks, leaving the first half tied at one. 

BU finally pulled ahead in the third quarter with a goal by freshman Molly Driscoll at the 34-minute mark. Two more shots were attempted before senior forward Caroline O’Brien got it past Burgess with an assist from sophomore defender Shea Freda. 

The Terriers had an unstoppable defense in the third quarter, allowing no shots on goal from the Mountain Hawks. 

Coming into the fourth quarter, O’Brien has a quick goal, pulling the Terriers ahead 4-1. Once again, the defense stopped all Lehigh attacks on goal. 

“In the first half, we were playing too much down the funnel of the circle, really trying to force it too much,” BU Head Coach Sally Starr said post-game. “I think that in that second half, we made the circle bigger, which created more goal-scoring opportunities for us.” 

Lehigh struggled to regain momentum in the second half. They received two green cards, one for junior forward Aubrey Ide in the third quarter and another for sophomore forward Carly Smith at the 50-minute mark. 

The Terriers outshot Lehigh 15-6 and earned eight penalty corners to the Mountain Hawks’ three. Ortyl recorded five saves in goal, while Burgess stopped seven shots. 

On Monday, Oct. 6, the Terriers will return to New Balance Field for a matchup against Harvard University at 6 p.m.