Boston University
UConn (First Round)
No. 20 Terriers Visit Top-Ranked UConn on Saturday in NCAA First Round
November 10, 2017 | Field Hockey
| #20 Boston University (14-7) at #1 UConn (19-0) - NCAA First Round | |
|---|---|
| Date & Time | Saturday, Nov. 11 - 11:30 a.m. |
| Venue | Sherman Family Complex | Storrs, Conn. |
| Admission | Adults - $5 Youth/Students - $3 |
| Watch | HuskyVision |
| Live Stats | NCAA.com |
| Game Notes | BU |
| @BUGameDay | @BU_FieldHockey | |
STORRS, Conn. - In the final 16 for the sixth time in 13 years, the Boston University field hockey team will visit top-ranked and undefeated UConn on Saturday (Nov. 11) in the NCAA First Round.
The 20th-ranked Terriers captured the 11th conference tournament title in program history to qualify for the NCAA tournament for the 13th time and advanced to Saturday's game by defeating Fairfield, 5-0, on Wednesday in the opening round of the tournament. This is the eighth time BU has been among the final 16 teams since the NCAA moved to a 16-team format in 1999. Wednesday's result marked head coach Sally Starr's 450th victory at BU
The BU-UConn winner will advance to Sunday's second round against the winner of Saturday's second game, which pits defending national champion Delaware (15-4) against Penn State (16-4). The two winners will meet in Sunday's quarterfinal at 2 p.m. for a berth in the national semifinals, which will be held in Louisville, Ky.
UConn, a four-time national champion, has rolled through its schedule this season, winning all 19 of its games and winning its 17th Big East title in the process. The Huskies' offense is tops in the country in both goals per game (4.79) and goals-against average (0.52).
Senior Charlotte Veitner leads the nation in both points (67) and goals (28) and her 112 career goals ranks seventh in NCAA history. Fellow senior Casey Umstead, the Big East Defensive Player of the Year, has 44 points on 14 goals and 16 assists while junior Amanda Collins has added 40 points on 11 goals and a team-best 18 assists.
That scoring trio was joined on the Big East First Team by redshirt senior Nina Klein, whose 0.53 goals-against average and .825 save percentage rank first and second in the country, respectively. Senior Karlie Heistand and freshman Margot van Hecking Colenbrander received Big East Second Team accolades.
This will be the 40th meeting between Boston University and UConn. The Huskies hold a 31-8 advantage in the series, which dates back to 1982. The teams have met every season since the first meeting. The Terriers' last win over UConn came at home in 2008 by a score of 2-0. The teams have faced off in the NCAA tournament on three occasions with UConn winning all three, most recently a 2-1 contest in the 2007 quarterfinals.
BU and UConn have had four common opponents this season (Harvard, UMass, Princeton, Boston College). The Terriers lost to all four opponents by a single goal while the Huskies defeated all four of them.
Senior Allie Renzi and sophomore Kiley Gallagher scored two goals apiece to help BU roll to a 5-0 victory over Fairfield on Wednesday afternoon in an NCAA Opening Round contest at New Balance Field. Freshman Miya Denison also scored for the Terriers, who held a commanding 21-3 shot advantage and earned two corners while giving up zero on the other end. This was Renzi's second two-goal game of her career and Gallagher's first.
Twelve Terriers have scored at least one goal and 10 of those players have have tallied at least 11 points. Freshman Ailsa Connolly has a team-best 10 goals, the most by a BU rookie in seven years, and is tied with senior Grace Boston (9g, 2a) for the lead in points with 20.
Gallagher entered the postseason with nine points (2g, 5a) in 37 career games. She has since doubled that total, scoring a combined nine points (4g, 1a) over the past three games.
Freshman Millie Baker and junior Kathleen Keegan have split time in goal all season. They have combined for a .648 save percentage, a 1.53 goals-against average and six shutouts.
In the final Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll, BU was slotted No. 20 for the second straight week. The Terriers have now finished in the top 20 in the final NFHCA poll in 25 of the past 33 seasons.
