Field Hockey: BU Set for Patriot League Championship Showdown Against Lafayette

Featured Image by Jenny Chen 

By Mel Mastela

With their conference regular season coming to a close, Boston University Field Hockey (7-10, 3-3 PL) is set to take on the Lafayette College Leopards (12-6, 5-1PL) in the Patriot League Championship game on Saturday. 

This season, the Terriers have had a rocky season so far, but with their persistence, determination, and shutting out American University 1-0 in the semifinals, BU heads into the championship game heads high, hoping to bring home the tournament trophy.

BU has a 6-7 conference record against the Leopards, with their last matchup being earlier this season, which ended in the Terriers being shut out 1-0. Lafayette is 5-1 in Patriot League play this season and is looking for a repeat of last year, when they won the championship and continued their season in the NCAA tournament. 

The last time the Terriers met the Leopard in the Patriot League Championship was the 2023 semifinals, which ended in a 2-3 loss.

Boston confirmed their spot after Junior Nicole Lauro scored the only goal of the game in the first half. This season, Lauro has recorded 12 points with six goals. Senior Terrier Caroline O’Brien will be one to watch this match as she leads the team with 31 points and has most recently been named the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week after her performance in the 3-2 OT win over Colgate. 

Junior Goalkeeper Sophie Ortyl earned an honorable mention in the Patriot League last week. After the shutout against American, a 0.642 save percentage, and a 2.65 goals against average, it is likely she’ll be in the net for this matchup. 

BU boasts a 4-3 away record while Lafayette holds a 4-4 away record, keeping the playing field level. 

As for the Leopards, Junior Lena Thedrian was named the Patriot League Defender of the Week after her second hat trick of the season, including the game-winning goal, with a 6-4 win over Delaware last week. 

Thediran and Junior Katie Gibb both lead the team with 21 points this season. Thediran with eight goals and five assists, while Gibb has five goals and 11 assists. 

Their Senior Goalkeeper Raffi Fragomeni boasts a 0.705 save percentage and 2.37 goals against average, and will be a tough match for BU’s offense. 

The game is set to start at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 8th, with streaming available on ESPN+.