Field Hockey: Terriers Shutout by Bucknell Despite Offensive First Half

Featured Image by Jenny Chen 

By Kasie Costalas

Boston University Field Hockey (5-7, 2-2 PL) suffered a 4-0 loss to the Bucknell Bison on Saturday afternoon at New Balance Field.

The Terriers dominated the first half of play and controlled possession, outshooting Bucknell 10-0. Junior defender Bella Bergner and midfielders Martu Coulo and Nicole Lauro contributed to the offensive effort with three shots each. 

Forward Caroline O’Brien—the Patriot League’s leading scorer— came close to putting the Terriers up during the second quarter, but her shot was rejected by a defensive save made by Bison freshman Jip Zwaard. 

BU controlled possession for much of the first half and tested Bucknell’s defense early, preventing the Bisons from getting a single shot off. Despite earning four penalty corners in the opening quarter alone, the Terriers were unable to score against Bucknell goalie Sarah Althouse, who finished the day with six saves.

After two scoreless quarters, Bucknell flipped the momentum just 45 seconds into the second half. On their first corner of the game, forward Gianna Puorro knocked in a rebound, scoring her second goal of the season. 

Minutes later, the Terriers seemed to answer back with a goal of their own when midfielder Nicole Lauro connected with Bergner on a corner penalty. However, the goal was overturned after officials determined the ball hit the back of a BU stick. 

Green cards were issued to O’Brien and forward Natalie Epperson in the third quarter, briefly putting BU down a player as Bucknell began to pull away. The second card paved the way for two corners and, on the Bisons’ final corner of the day, defender Kira Leclercq nailed the ball in to make it 2-0. 

Bucknell’s offense only continued to gain momentum. They added two more goals in the fourth quarter, starting with an assist from forward Reese Czajkowski. At the 56th minute mark, Czajkowski launched a reverse chip from up top, propelling the ball in the air for the final goal.  

The Terriers continued to generate opportunities and take shots in the final minutes of the game, but the Bison defense maintained their shutout. Although BU outshot their opponent 17-8, Bucknell proved their accuracy, scoring on half of their attempts. 

The result marked the second shutout against BU in a row and ended a streak of 13 straight one-goal games between the two programs. 

The Terriers will return to New Balance Field for their next game on Oct. 13 against Brown University at 1 p.m.