Terriers Fall 1-0 to Lafayette on Senior Day, Playoff Hopes Dwindle 

Featured Image by Jenny Chen 

By Riley Lackey 

The Boston University Terriers (5-9, 2-3 PL) fell to the Lafayette Leopards (9-5, 4-1 PL) 1-0 on Friday afternoon at New Balance Field for their Senior Day matchup, a pivotal Patriot League contest with playoff implications. Head Coach Sally Starr emphasized her team’s motivation to honor the senior class by playing their best game of field hockey off a great practice week. 

Before the opening whistle, Senior Amalia Preece, whose season was cut short due to injury, took part in the ceremonial drawback, supported by her teammates. The ceremony before the game honored all of the BU seniors who were recognized for their leadership and presence both on and off the field. This set the tone for an intense, high-stakes matchup, as the Terriers looked to snap a scoring drought and secure a playoff spot with a win. 

From the start, BU displayed strong defensive structure and confident ball control. Despite Lafayette entering the game having beaten the Terriers in the last five of their matchups, BU dominated possession throughout the first quarter. The Terrier’s backline stood tall against a series of aerial passes and quick transitions from the Leopards. Junior back Alex Purcell broke up a dangerous chance inside the BU circle. 

While the Terriers earned the only penalty corner of the first quarter, they were unable to convert, and the opening frame ended scoreless. 

The second quarter featured a slower tempo, as both teams struggled to generate meaningful scoring opportunities. The play was largely confined to the midfield, with frequent whistles breaking up the rhythm on both sides. Lafayette, already locked into the No. 2 seed for the Patriot League tournament, earned their first corner of the game with four minutes left in the half. Junior defender Katie Gibb inserted the ball to junior defender Lena Thedrina, whose shot was saved by BU goalkeeper Sophie Ortyl to give the Terriers control. 

BU continued to push for offensive momentum late in the half. Freshman midfielder Delfi Coulo weaved through defenders to maintain circle possession, while junior forward Olivia Hammer battled through contact to advance the ball. Despite their efforts, the Terriers couldn’t break through before halftime, and the teams entered the break knotted 0-0 in a defensive standoff. 

The second half opened with BU continuing to press offensively. Junior midfielder Molly Driscoll maneuvered around Lafayette’s circle for a promising look, but her shot went wide. The Terrier’s persistence paid off when they earned a corner after a hard shot deflected off a Leopard defender’s shin guard. Junior back Bella Bergner triggered the play, and a deflection from junior midfielder Nicole Lauro sent the ball just over the crossbar. 

Momentum shifted as Lafayette worked the ball downfield, eventually earning a corner of their own. Gibb once again handled the insertion, and after Ortyl made the initial pad save, Gibb pounced on the rebound to bury her third goal of the season, an unassisted strike that gave the Leopards a 1-0 lead. 

BU pushed back immediately, with freshman midfielder Mallory Hudson firing a long-range shot that went wide. The Terriers continued to battle, forcing another corner late in the quarter after Bergner intercepted a pass in Lafayette’s defensive zone. Senior forward Caroline O’Brien’s shot trickled out of the circle.

In the final quarter, the Terriers fought to regain control, but the Leopard’s defense remained firm. O’Brien tried to generate offense early, sending a shot on net that was kicked away by the Lafayette goalkeeper. On the other end, the Leopard’s senior forward Catalina Rubel created a breakaway opportunity but couldn’t capitalize. 

Senior midfielder Martu Coulo sparked life into BU’s attack with a backhanded attempt after being knocked down, showing her impressive stick control, but a video challenge by Lafayette overturned the call that had awarded the Terriers a corner. Soon after, a green card to Lauro left BU shorthanded during a critical stretch.

As time wound down, Coulo found space in the Leopard’s circle, but their defense cleared the danger. With just over a minute remaining, the Terriers pulled Ortyl to add an extra attacker in a last-ditch effort to equalize. Despite a late push from Hammer and the forward line, BU couldn’t find the back of the net, falling 1-0. 

Coach Sally Starr said postgame, “I just thought we played outstanding team defense today. Holding Lafayette to only five shots means you’re playing excellent defense cause they’re a very good attacking team.”

The loss marked the Terrier’s fourth consecutive shutout, leaving their playoff hopes hanging by a thread as they close out the regular season on the road. The Terriers narrowly outshot the Leopards 7-5 but were once again denied by their opponents’ strong defensive play and goaltending. 

BU will look to regroup on Sunday, Oct. 26, when they head to Dedham Field to close out their non-conference schedule against Northeastern. The matchup is set for noon and will be broadcast on NESN and FloSports.