Courtesy of Boston University Athletic Communications
STORRS, Conn. - Battling to the very end, the Boston University
field hockey team fell short in its bid to reach the NCAA semifinals,
dropping a hard-fought 2-1 contest against Connecticut on Sunday
afternoon at the George J. Sherman Family Sports Complex. The Terriers
finish the year with a record of 18-6, setting a school record for wins
in a season.
UConn scored a pair of first-half goals to take a lead that proved to be insurmountable. Sophomore Gabby Hajjar
cut the deficit in half with a goal in the 60th minute, but the
Terriers' furious ensuing attempt at an equalizer came up just short.
"I'm extremely proud of the achievements of this team, right
down to what ended up being the final seconds of our season," said head
coach Sally Starr.
"The team did everything it could to stay competitive - scratching and
clawing for every inch in an attempt to send the game into overtime."
On the stat sheet, UConn held a 10-4 advantage in shots and
earned six penalty corners to the Terriers' four. Freshman goalkeeper Kim Kastuk made four saves for BU, while UConn netminder Andrea Mainiero made two stops.
"UConn played a tremendous game," noted Starr.
The Terriers controlled possession in the early stages and had a
handful of circle penetrations, but could not generate solid scoring
opportunities.
UConn recorded the game's first shot on goal in the sixth
minute, but Kastuk turned it away and the Terriers quickly got the ball
onto the other side of the field and went on to earn the first penalty
corner of the contest.
The corner ended up being a crucial moment of the game, as junior Holly Wiles blasted a hard shot from the top of the circle that was saved by Mainiero. Senior Sarah Hudak was quick to the rebound and sent it on goal, but Mainiero was there again to keep the game scoreless.
The Huskies opened the scoring off a prolonged possession that resulted
in a trio of penalty corners, with the third one leading to a goal.
Junior Lauren Aird collected the insert and sent it over to classmate
Jennifer Kleinhans, who sent home a shot that eluded Kastuk at the
12:39 mark.
Just when it looked like BU would enter the half with just a
one-goal deficit, UConn struck in the 30th minute with what proved to
be the difference maker. From the right side, junior Katie Scully sent
an entry pass into the circle that was partially deflected by a BU
defender. The ball, however, made its way to senior Kristin Galuski in
front of the cage, who gathered it before pushing it to the boards at
29:39.
The Terriers were determined to get on the board following
halftime and were finally rewarded in the final seconds of the 60th
minute. Attacking from the right side, senior Hayley Hamada
drew a delayed call and found Hajjar all alone in front of the net. The
sophomore calmly collected the pass and sent it in to make it a
one-goal game.
Looking for an equalizer, BU was aggressive in the UConn zone
for the final 10 minutes and had the ball in and around the circle up
until the closing seconds, but could not put together a scoring chance.
"Fatigue from our double-overtime game on Saturday was a bit of
a factor in the early stages, but somehow the team found a reserve late
in the game and that came from their hearts," said Starr. "They did
everything they could to make it a competitive game and that speaks
volumes. They simply did not want the season to end."
The result marked the end of great careers for the eight
members of BU's senior class. The group was part of a school-record 61
victories during their four years with the team. Senior Sarah Shute played in her 87th career game, setting a new program record.
"I want to thank the seniors for leaving a tremendous legacy,"
added Starr. "They should be very proud of their accomplishments."