HAMILTON – Despite a fourth quarter goal by
Blair Boyles, the Colgate field hockey program fell in a 6-1 decision on Friday afternoon to Boston University.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
From the whistle there was a fair amount of action in the midfield, until Boston University gained a 1-0 lead by scoring on the left side rebound after a corner opportunity in the final minutes of the opening quarter. With the momentum carrying over, the Terriers opened with a long pass into the circle as they looked to increase their lead. With a spin around the Colgate defender, Boston University gained a 2-0 lead with a backhanded shot that would stand through the end of the half.
Returning from halftime, the Raiders faced a flurry of action by the Boston University squad. The Terriers were able to increase their lead yet again with another long pass into the circle, followed by a picked rebound sent to the top shelf just 1:42 later for a 4-0 advantage. With under a minute to go in the quarter,
Emily Kness notched a defensive save to keep the score through the conclusion of the session.
The Raiders returned to the fourth quarter with a renewed energy, seeing their most consistent presence in their attacking third. Midway through, Colgate gained its first penalty corner opportunity of the game, igniting an offensive push. Shortly thereafter, the ball was passed into Boston University circle, and
Blair Boyles sped in and picked the ball from the defender. With a swift swing straight on, Boyles was able to cut the Terriers' lead to 4-1 with 5:44 remaining in regulation.
Although the Raiders looked to battle back, Boston University would add a pair of goals off of penalty corners for the 6-1 final in league action.
STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
• With the lone Colgate goal, junior
Blair Boyles earned her first career goal.
• Freshman
Emily Kness earned a defensive save for the fourth straight game and leads the team with seven on the year.
• Other Colgate shots came by the swing of
Meghan Minturn, in addition to a shot on goal by freshman
Mari Kniezewski.
• Colgate's keepers faced 21 attempted shots by Boston University, while 15 landed on goal. Sophomore
Anna Unger registered six saves, while junior
Emma Goldberg marked two in her 18:41 of action.
• A clean game, the Raiders only sacrificed six defensive penalty corners to Terriers, including zero in the second quarter.
THE BOTTOM LINE
• Boston University 6, Colgate 1
RECORD UPDATES
• Colgate holds a 2-11 overall record, with a 0-4 mark in the Patriot League.
• Boston University is 4-7 on the year, and holds a 1-2 Patriot League record.
COACH APRIL CORNELL'S TAKE
"It was really important for us to gain some momentum on the attack, it was one of our emphases going into the fourth quarter. We set some goals for ourselves and we weren't quite meeting those goals yet, so we had to make a bigger push to make sure we executing, and re-defending in our attacking third.
"I'm really excited for Blair [Boyles]. She has been working hard all season to improve her shot, so it was nice to see her execute.
"
Emily Kness is so incredibly stead back there, she's having a fantastic first year for us. She really is the backbone. One of the other defenders said how much she was communicating and organizing today, and I think it really steadied the back line and also our midfield in front of her.
"Anna [Unger] and Emma [Goldberg] both faced a lot of shots against a strong attacking team. They took care of the ball well. Although there were six goals, the shots they faced were very well executed and our goalkeepers did a really nice job stepping out and clearing the saves that were made at really low angles so it didn't allow for second and third chances.
Looking ahead: "Bucknell is a strong team that moves the ball very quickly. For us, our goals are to not give up as many defensive penalty corners. We did a much better job of that today, but it still needs to be maintained as one of our focuses going forward. We also have a set number as a goal for shots on goal per game, so moving forward that's also something we're going to focus on – creating more attacking opportunities and really finishing the shots on goal."
UP NEXT
The Raiders continue Patriot League action next Saturday, Oct. 19, when they travel to face Bucknell. Game time is set for noon for Colgate's final Patriot League game on the road.
FOLLOW THE RAIDERS
For more information on the Colgate field hockey program, follow the Raiders on Twitter @ColgateFH and on Instagram at Colgate_FH.
