By: Eric Getzoff
Boston University News Service
The Boston University Terriers (9-4, 3-1) posted their third shutout of the season on Saturday afternoon in their 5-0 victory over the Lehigh Mountain Hawks (5-9, 2-3) at New Balance Field.
Four different players scored for BU, including two from their leading goal scorer Amanda Cassera, who’s now third in the Patriot League with 8 goals.
The story for the Terriers on Saturday was their defense. They held Lehigh to one shot on goal – that shot coming with less than 29 seconds remaining in the game.
“To hold a team to no shots will the very end, we’re doing something well defensively,” said Head Coach Sally Starr. “We just protected the arc really well. You don’t want them to sink into the circle so I think we did that well.”
Never mind the Terriers defense just in this game. They are allowing a league low 1.26 goals per-game on the season and have given up two or fewer goals in 11 of their 13 games.
Last week, Junior Allie Renzi was recognized with the Patriot League’s defensive player of the week honors for her second-half goal in the Terriers’ win over Bucknell on October 8th.
Renzi said the key to BU’s defense thus far has been the play of their top three backs – Sophomores Maika Akroyd and Ally Hammell and Junior Jordan Beesmer.
“They’ve been working so hard, every single day, they play every minute of every game,” said Renzi. [They’re] always on the field always working on their passes, watching film and doing everything it takes to be better and to be strong out there and it’s showing.”
After their four-game losing streak, BU has now won two consecutive games and are back in conversation to win the Patriot League. A date awaits with non-conference cross-town rival Boston College (7-6) this afternoon.
Coach Starr said she’s happy the Terriers are playing back-to-back games this late in the season because the NCAA tournaments require teams to play back-to-back games, anyway.
If the Terriers continue their winning ways, the game to look forward to is the last game of the season at first-place American University on October 29th. American is in first place in the Patriot league, and undefeated in conference play.
