BOSTON - Aiming for a sixth straight appearance in the Patriot League title game, the No. 24 Boston University field hockey team (10-7, 6-0 PL) will kick off this year's conference tournament on Friday (Nov. 2) with a semifinal match-up against fourth-seeded Lafayette (8-10, 4-2 PL). Game time at New Balance Field is set for 11:30 a.m. and all fans will receive a Patriot League camouflage koozie.
BU is hosting the tournament for the fourth consecutive year after rolling through the league with a perfect 6-0 record for the second straight year. American, the No. 2 seed, will take on third-seeded Bucknell in Friday's second semifinal at 2:30 p.m. The winners will face off on Sunday (Nov. 4) at noon in the championship game. All three contests will be broadcast live on the Patriot League Network.
BU is 8-2 all-time in the PL tournament with the losses coming against American in the 2013 and 2016 championship games. The Terriers have won three PL titles since joining the league, claiming back-to-back crowns in 2014 and 2015 before claiming last year's championship with a thrilling 2-1 win over Bucknell.
This wil be the first-ever postseason meeting between the Terriers and Leopards. Their first meeting was during BU's inaugural season in the Patriot League and BU has won five of the six match-ups between the schools.
Earlier this season, BU traveled to Lafayette and came home with a 7-4 victory, including a two-goal performance by sophomore
Petra Hall. Lafayette is one of only three opponents, joining Ohio State and Penn State, who have scored four goals against the Terriers this season.
The Leopards are paced by a trio of All-Patriot League First Team selections, including Molly McAndrew, the league's Rookie of the Year. Senior Theresa Delahanty and junior Lisa van der Geest joined McAndrew on the first team. McAndrew (7g, 4a) and van der Geest (6g, 6a) are tied for the team lead in points with 18 while Delahanty is close behind with 16 on five goals and six helpers. Junior Caroline Turnbull, who earned a spot on the All-PL Second Team is the only other Leopard in double-figure points with 10 (4g, 2a).
Junior Sarah Park started all 18 games in goal for the Leopards during the regular season and sports a .605 save percentage and a 2.85 goals-against average.
BU was tied for the league high with five All-PL selections, headlined by a trio of unanimous first-team picks in sophomore
Ailsa Connolly and senior co-captains
Ally Hammel and
Allie Doggett. Junior
Kiley Gallagher and sophomore
Petra Hall earned second-team accolades.
Connolly has team highs in points (19) and goals (8) while Hammel has 17 points on six goals and a squad-best five assists. Hall also has six goals to go along with three assists for 15 points. Senior
Kara Enoch has registered a dozen points on the strength of five tallies.
In goal, senior
Kathleen Keegan has been the starter for all 17 contests and she enters the postseason with a 1.72 goals-against average and a .606 save percentage.
