After two straight America East Conference championships and consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament, the Terriers are committed to raising the bar once more.
The beat goes on for the Boston University field hockey team as it heads into the 2001 season. It's a very good beat, mind you, as winning conference championships and making NCAA Tournament appearances have become the norm in recent years. Last season, the Terriers made their first-ever back-to-back trips to the NCAA Tournament.
Over the past decade and a half, B. U. has been ranked in the Top 20 in the final poll 13 times. In earning a consistent spot among the country's elite field hockey programs, the Terriers have compiled an impressive 144-67-2 record over the past 10 years, including four America East titles and five trips to the NCAA Tournament.
While the losses of All-American midfielder Robyn Kenney, All-Conference first-team forward Kate Cusick, second-team defender Kate Conover and forward Kelly Clothier might signal a drop in the Terriers' fortune, head coach Sally Starr, who enters her 21st season along the sidelines, doesn't see the team skipping a beat.
"I think we are going to be a stronger team this year," Starr said. "We had an excellent spring and this team in both committed and motivated to succeed."
Starr sees the Terriers' first-round NCAA losses in the past two seasons as a driving force in keeping the team focused on improving its game and not just maintaining its status as one of the nation's elite teams.
The veterans on the team, most of whom have known nothing but success at B. U., await the challenges of the upcoming campaign with great anticipation. It is an experienced group that has a great deal of confidence and believes it can exceed the achievements of previous classes. They will be joined by an incoming freshman class that, like many B. U. classes before it, is built on athleticism and the ability to play anywhere on the field.
"I think in years past teams have been able to focus on a handful of players and shut us down or at least compete with us," Starr explained. "This season, even with our youth, we will have the type of team that is going to be so balanced and so strong at so many different positions that it is going to be difficult to deal with us."
In seasons past, opposing teams have been able to concentrate their defensive efforts on containing a few key players - such as Kenney and Cusick - and know that they will fare reasonably well against the Terriers. That will not be the case this season, as Starr's focus will be on extending the field even more than in the past, and she believes she has the players to do it.
ON THE FIELD
The Terriers return last season's leading scorer in Jane Rogers - a First Team All-Conference and Third Team All-America selection and an All-Tournament team selection in 2000. Rogers led the team with 8 goals and 12 assists for 28 points, and took a team-leading 69 shots on goal. Starr, who believes Rogers can be one of the most dangerous offensive players in the conference this season, looks for her to go to the net even more this season.
Senior tri-captain Felicia Cappabianca is a highly skilled and dynamic player on both ends of the field. She was a Second Team All-Conference selection last season.
"Felicia is a player who can dominate," Starr remarked. "Her technical skills and tactical understanding combined with her competitive desire gives us a player who can make many significant contributions to our success this season."
According to Starr, junior tri-captain Casey Holman has improved each year she has been at B. U. After redshirting her freshman season, Holman was an instrumental part of a Terrier defense that gave up only 1.52 goals per game to their opponents in 1999. Last season, she became an offensive threat as well, tallying five goals and three assists for 13 points.
Christina "T. J." Strauss has always played forward - scoring seven goals and one assist for the Terriers last year. However, after a crack at playing defense against the U. S. Under-21 team in April turned out to be a success, Starr will play her at the defensive end.
"T. J. has really done some great things at the defensive end this spring," Starr said. "Her game smarts and positional discipline combined with her skill and speed solidifies our backfield."
Last season, a group of talented freshmen provided the Terriers with plenty of punch and an athletic, exciting brand of field hockey, and they will again wreak havoc on opposing defenses this season.
Lindsey Domers was named to the All-Rookie Team and was one of two Terrier players to play every minute of every game last season, the other was goalkeeper Susan Harrington, which should say all one needs to know about Domers' ability.
"Lindsey played extremely well this spring and she matured as a player," Starr said. "I think all of the experience she gained as a freshman is going to help her be that much more successful this year."
Whitney Peabody, also an All-Rookie honoree, scored five goals last season - all of which came in a three-game mid-season span that included the team's only hat trick in a 4-1 win over Rhode Island in a driving rainstorm. She is one of a number of Terriers who Starr views as "pure scorers" and will be looked upon to provide the offense this season.
Starr believes that Genna Clough is one of the more talented athletes on the team. Once she puts her athleticism and hockey skills together, Starr sees her as a very dangerous player, capable of setting up a lot of scoring opportunities because of her speed and aggressive play.
Expected to start regularly at a defensive position is sophomore Celeste Hubbard. In her freshman season, she established herself as an intelligent player who can be put in tough situations and make quick adjustments. Hubbard, described by Starr as a quiet, motivated leader, is expected to play a key role in the Terriers' scheme this season.
"One of our reasons for optimism this season is because of players like Whitney, Lindsey, Genna and Celeste - who are young but very talented," Starr said. "We graduated some great players, but we have other great players ready to step in."
A transfer student-athlete who Starr thinks will make an immediate impact is sophomore midfielder Dalinda Banuelos from Stanford. Banuelos played on the U. S. National Under-16 and Under-19 teams, and has the experience to help offset the loss of last year's seniors.
B. U. redshirted freshman Erin Burke-Webster last season, a decision that was tough for Starr, as she thought Burke-Webster could have contributed. Described by Starr as a "diamond-in-the-rough" type of player, Burke-Webster will be competing to be a starter.
Listening the Starr discuss the makeup of the 2001 Terriers, it becomes clear that players don't fit into the traditional roles of forward, midfielder and defender. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Terriers' incoming freshman class this season.
A First Team All-American at Ocean City High School in New Jersey, Meredith Long brings with her a style that fits well in the "B. U. system", which is a free-flowing, fast-breaking transitional style of hockey. She can play every position on the field, and will cause problems to opposing defenses.
Kara Rossi, from North Salem, N. Y., is a solid player who Starr likes because of her athleticism - she played basketball, lacrosse and field hockey in high school - which will allow her to play many different roles for the Terriers.
"Adrienne Scibilia is really ready for the college game," Starr exclaimed.
Starr sees Scibilia as a player who can come into the program and contribute immediately due to her work ethic and the work she has done outside of hockey to develop her skills.
Starr views Lauren Vendetti as a player who can develop quickly because of her size, competitive nature and athleticism.
"Because she is so smart and such a good athlete, we see her developing very quickly," said the coach.
GOALKEEPING
It will be junior Susan Harrington's (pictured) third season as a starter, and Starr believes she is ready for another great season. She earned an America East Second Team All-Conference nod last season after posting a 1.39 goal against average and a .766 save percentage, while playing every minute in goal for the Terriers.
Starr looks at the starting goalkeeper job as Harrington's this season, and with good reason, as the Terriers were among the league's best defensive teams with Harrington in net last year. With an experienced, deep defense in front of her again, there is reason to expect much of the same this year.
Red-shirt freshman Jodie Gardner will serve as the understudy for Harrington this season. While Starr expects Harrington to play the majority of the minutes, she and Gardner realize that she has the talent to be the number one goalie.
"Jodie is definitely capable of stepping in for Susan at any time," Starr said.
THE SCHEDULE
The Terriers have been consistently in the top 20 for 15 years by playing a strong schedule. This year's schedule is again full of tough matchups with chances to face - and beat - the nation's top teams. This season the Terriers will play eight teams that finished in the top 20 in last season's final NFCHA poll.
Leading off the schedule is an early September trip to face William and Mary - 12th in last year's poll, and defending national champion and top-ranked Old Dominion.
"I love being challenged early in the season," Starr said. "I like to test the team quickly and see what our strengths and weaknesses are." Starr believes, though, that the early-season test is not a learning experience.
"We feel that we can go down there and compete right away." The Terriers follow up with another top 20 opponent in 19th-ranked Boston College on Sept. 12, and face non-conference top-20 foes in eighth-ranked Massachusetts on Oct. 3, seventh-ranked Connecticut on Oct. 19, sixth-ranked Princeton two days later on Oct. 21 and 14th-rankedHarvard on Oct. 28.
B. U. also plays at America East rival Northeastern on Sept 22, and hosts 16th-ranked New Hampshire on Oct. 24. The America East championship will begin November 2, at the site of the higher seed. Due to the installation of field turf on B. U.'s Nickerson Field, a surface which is not ideal for Division I field hockey, the Terriers home games this season will be played at Harvard and Babson.
