Boston University
Merrimack
Terriers to Open 2021 Season Saturday at Merrimack
February 18, 2021 | Men's Lacrosse
at
Merrimack (0-0)
Saturday, Feb. 20 // 1 p.m.
Duane Stadium (North Andover, Mass.)
Watch: NEC Front Row
Twitter: @BUGameDay | @TerrierMLAX
Rosters: BU | Merrimack
Schedule/Results: BU | Merrimack
Stats: BU | Merrimack
Game Notes: BU | Merrimack
The Boston University men's lacrosse team will begin its 2021 season on Saturday when the Terriers travel to North Andover, Massachusetts, to face Merrimack. Opening faceoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
It's been nearly a full 365 days since the Terriers last played. BU finished the shortened 2020 campaign with a thrilling 13-12 comeback win at Colgate on Feb. 29, 2020. The Terriers went 3-3 last year, but were playing their best lacrosse when the season ended, going 3-1 over their last four games, all of which were on the road.
Saturday will be a homecoming of sorts for head coach Ryan Polley, a 1999 graduate of Merrimack who served as head coach of the Warriors for three seasons (2004-06). Polley twice earning New England Division II Coach of the Year honors during his time at Merrimack. As a player, he was a three-year captain and earned All-America accolades in lacrosse while also playing football and basketball.
The Terriers return their top six point producers from a year ago, including four players who started all six games. Their starting attack trio of sophomore Vince D'Alto (14g, 7a), sophomore Louis Perfetto (8g, 9a) and junior Timmy Ley (8g, 5a) were the top three point scorers for BU; Ley enters Saturday having notched a goal in 15 straight games.
Junior Jake Cates (7g, 5a) and senior Tommy Nook (2g, 7a) ran on the first midfield line all season, while sophomore Thomas Niedringhaus tallied seven goals All but two of the Terriers' goal scorers last year return this season, with those two graduates (Jared Nugent, Chase Levesque) accounting for just eight of the squad's 62 goals.
This is the second season at the Division I level for Merrimack after winning back-to-back Division II national championships (2018, 2019). Merrimack went 1-5 last year, earning its lone win at Michigan on Feb. 22, 2020.
Two of the team's top-three scorers from last spring return in Christian Thomas (11g, 11a) and Sean Black (8g, 12a). Allyn French went 53-of-97 (.546) at the faceoff X last year, scooping up a team-high 17 ground balls. Carlin Joyal led the Warriors with eight caused turnovers last year. Peter Brown will be back in the cage after starting all six games last season, finishing the year with three straight performances of 10+ saves.
