Thursday, November 2
Washington, D.C.
2 PM
Boston University
vs
Lafayette (PL Semifinal)
Photo by: Fia McCarty
Field Hockey Set to Face Lafayette in Patriot League Semifinals
November 1, 2023 | Field Hockey
Boston University (8-9, 3-3 PL - #3 seed) vs. Lafayette (11-6, 5-1 PL - #2 seed)
Patriot League Semifinal
Venue: Jacobs Recreational Complex | Washington, D.C.
Twitter: @BUGameDay | @TerrierFH
The Boston University field hockey team heads to the nation's capital for the 2023 Patriot League Championship as the third-seeded Terriers will face second-seeded Lafayette in the semifinal round on Thursday (Nov. 2) at 2 p.m.
Regular-season champion and tournament host American will face No. 4-seed Bucknell in the first semifinal at 11 a.m. The two winners will meet for the title on Saturday (Nov. 4) at 1 p.m.
BU hosted Lafayette on Oct. 14 and the Leopards came away with a 1-0 victory.
TOURNAMENT NOTES
- This is the first time since 2014 that the Terriers are in the Patriot League tournament and are not the No. 1 seed. In the past eight seasons, BU has claimed the top seed six times and missed the tournament twice.
- BU is a perfect 8-0 all-time in the Patriot League semifinal round and 4-4 in the championship game.
- This will be the second postseason meeting between the Terriers and Leopards. BU earned a 2-1 victory over Lafayette in the 2018 PL semifinals.
- Junior Payton Anderson ranks second on the team in goals this season with five and she leads all current Terriers in career goals (24) and career points (56).
- Senior Kate Thomason, who has earned at least one win in goal all four seasons at BU, is in her first season as team's primary goalkeeper and has started all 17 contests.
- Fifth-year senior Rachel Borzymowski leads BU in defensive saves this season with three and she has 13 for her career.
- BU's eight game-winning goals this season have been scored by seven different players.
- Over the past 14 games, the Terriers have either scored multiple goals or been shut out. The last time BU scored just one goal was against Ohio on Sept. 2
SCOUTING THE LEOPARDS
- Lafayette had one of the longest win streaks in the nation at eight games until it was snapped in a 1-0 loss at Temple in the regular-season finale on Sunday.
- This will be the Leopards' first neutral-site game of the year as they went 7-1 at home and 4-5 on the road during the regular season.
- Lafayette led the way with five All-Patriot League selections as junior Lineke Spaans and sophomore Makenzie Switzer were named to the first team and junior Laine Delmotte, sophomore Josephine van Wijk and freshman Stella Malinowski were second-team picks.
- Spaans currently leads all Patriot League players in points with 29 on 10 goals and nine assists.
- Malinowski was named the Patriot League Rookie of the Year after a regular season in which she tallied eight goals and two assists for 18 points.
- Sophomore Raffi Fragomeni has started 12 games this season and is second in the Patriot League with a 1.43 goals-against-average.
SERIES HISTORY WITH LAFAYETTE
- Thursday will mark the 13th meeting between the two programs.
- The Terriers are 7-5 all-time against the Leopards.
- Lafayette has won the last three meetings.
- Senior Thalia Steenssens leads all Patriot League players in assists with 10.
- Steenssens shares the team lead in points with 18 (4g, 10a).
- At one point this season, Steenssens had a hand in six straight BU goals (4g, 2a).
- BU is a perfect 7-0 this season in games where Steenssens records at least one point.
- Entering the postseason, Steenssens ranks ninth all-time at BU in career assists with 24.
- Steenssens is the first-ever Belgian to play for BU.
- Sophomore Caroline O'Brien, who transferred this summer from Wake Forest, leads BU in goals this season with nine, including two hat tricks (at Vermont, at Colgate).
- O'Brien has helped to shoulder the load with senior Tess Csejka, BU's top goal-scorer last season, out all year due to injury.
- There have been four hat tricks recorded by Patriot League players this season and she has half of them.
- Four BU players were repeat selections to the All-Patriot League teams, which were announced by the league office on Tuesday.
- Junior Payton Anderson and senior Thalia Steenssens were first-team selections for the second consecutive year while senior Rachel Borzymowski earned her third straight second-team honor and was joined by sophomore Martu Coulo for the second time in as many years.
- This also marked Anderson's third consecutive All-PL recognition as she was a second-team pick as a freshman.
- All four were Preseason All-PL honorees and also on the NFHCA Division I Watchlist.
- Tickets are on sale now for both Patriot League Tournament semifinal games and Saturday's Championship online at AUEagles.com/Tickets.
- Tickets are priced at $8 for adults, and $5 for youth (ages 3-14) and seniors (65+).
- Students of participating schools get in FREE.
- Parking is only permitted in the School of International Service (SIS) or The Katzen Art Center Garage during work hours (8 a.m. - 5 p.m. on weekdays).
- Guests using these locations must utilize the hourly rate pay boxes inside each respective garage.
Players Mentioned
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M/B
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F/M
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F
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F
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GK
/ Field HockeyHighlights: Field Hockey vs. Lafayette (10/24/2025)
Friday, October 24
Highlights: Field Hockey vs. Bucknell (10/11/2025)
Saturday, October 11
Highlights: Field Hockey vs. Harvard (10/6/2025)
Tuesday, October 07
Highlights: Field Hockey vs New Hampshire (9/28/2025)
Sunday, September 28
