BOSTON – The Boston University field hockey team came up just short in a high-scoring, back-and-forth contest against New Hampshire on Sunday afternoon at New Balance Field with the Wildcats scoring a late goal to come away with a 7-6 win in the 50th meeting between the regional rivals.
Senior Caroline O’Brien had two goals and an assist while junior Nicole Lauro also scored twice. Juniors Maggie Driscoll and Bella Bergner scored their first collegiate goals.
UNH took the game’s largest lead at 6-4 late in the third quarter but the Terriers battled back with goals from O’Brien and Bergner to draw even before the Wildcats scored the game-winner with 2:02 to play.
BU falls to 4-5 on the season while UNH, which got a hat trick from Nicole Poulakis, improves to 4-4.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The first quarter set the tone for the game with the teams combining for five goals.
- The Terriers earned the first two corners of the game and scored on the latter as a left-side shot by O’Brien was redirected high to the net by Lauro in front at the 2:14 mark.
- UNH got an equalizer on the next shot of the contest with Louette Petiet scoring off a pass from Addison MacNeil.
- The Wildcats took a 2-1 lead at 9:27 as Emily Coughlin poked in a rebound after BU goalkeeper Sophie Ortyl recorded back-to-back saves.
- With just under three minutes left in the opening quarter the BU corner offense came through again, this time from the right side as Lauro tipped in an offering by junior Alex Purcell to create a 2-2 deadlock.
- BU continued the pressure and was rewarded with what would be another successful corner in the 14th minute.
- Following a pair of blocked shots, Driscoll corralled the ball at the best of the circle before drilling a shot to the boards with 1:41 left in the first for her first tally as a Terrier.
- UNH scored the only goal of the second quarter with Poulakis getting her first of the day 1:43 into the frame off an assist from Kathelijne Knuttel.
- The teams headed into the half tied, 3-3.
- O’Brien gave the Terriers the lead back at 33:54 with a goal in transition, getting open at the right post as freshman Delfi Coulo drew the defense in the middle of the circle.
- UNH responded with three unanswered goals in the third quarter and never let BU regain the lead.
- Poulakis tucked a shot under Ortyl in the 35th minute then Faye Meijer scored just over two minutes later to take a 5-4 lead.
- Knuttel capped the run at the 41:15 mark, pushing the visitors’ lead to 6-4.
- O’Brien scored her eighth goal of the season 1:21 into the third cleaning up a rebound after a shot by Martu Coulo banger the post.
- The Terriers made it 6-6 with 6:21 left in regulation as Bergner inserted on a corner and then took a pass from Purcell before lifting a shot past the reach of UNH netminder Abby Johnson.
- BU successfully defended a 55th-minute corner but the game-winner came three minutes later off a left-side rush as Tasmin Cookman found Poulakis at the goalmouth to cap her hat trick and create the 7-6 final.
GAME NOTES
- BU held a 19-18 advantage in shots.
- Each team earned seven corners in the game.
- Ortyl made five saves for BU while Johnson recorded four stops in goal for the Wildcats.
- Freshman Rachel Turer earned a defensive slash for the Terriers.
- O’Brien immediately has a team-best 22 points, setting a career high.
UP NEXT
- BU will return to action on Saturday (Oct. 4) when it visits Lehigh for a Patriot League contest.
- Game time in Bethlehem is set for 1 p.m.
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