Andrew Arnao
Senior Writer
The field hockey team concluded its season on Nov. 2 after a 4-0 loss to American in the semifinals of the Patriot League Tournament. The Orange and the Blue finished with a 3-3 record in Patriot League play, and a 9-10 record overall.
“I’d say that it was an exciting season with goals scored by multiple players, people stepping into new roles and taking them on with determination and a real infusion of emotion into the game by our players,” assistant coach Jamie Montgomery said. “They set the bar high this season and in doing so took real risks trying to get there.”
After facing American the previous week and dropping a close 2-1 contest, the Bison put in a week of practice to readjust and entered last weekend determined to come out on top. The practice appeared to pay off in the first half, where the Bison defense held American to seven shots and only one goal scored right before halftime. However, the usually dominating second half offense did not make an appearance for the Bison, and American was able to tack on three more goals to pull away.
“We traded opportunities to score with them in the first half, and when they were able to capitalize and we were not, it really changed the way we had to approach the second half,” head coach Jeremy Cook said. “Had we been able to put one away in the first, I think it would have gone differently.”
American finished with a 13-4 shot advantage, as well as a 6-4 edge in penalty corners. The Eagles lost to Lafayette in the final.
Goalie Erica Perrine ’14 recorded eight saves to go along with four goals allowed, and finishes the season tied for sixth in program history for wins in a single season. Defender Tayler Siegrist ’13 also finished the season with a team-leading eight goals. Midfielder Kelsey Mucelli ’15 and forward Rachel Misko ’14 were named to the Patriot League All-Tournament Team.
“This year was an awesome year for our team,” Misko said. “We were a young team who went out to every game with a lot of heart and the will to win every game … We may not have won the Patriot League Championship but we have made unbelievable strides toward the future as a team.”
Graduating from the team are Siegrist and midfielder Kelly Stefanowicz ’13.
“We are graduating two phenomenal student-athletes this year, both of whom are fantastic representatives of the scholar-athlete model in completely different ways,” Cook said. “I am very proud of them and the whole group; we were relentless in our pursuit even if we came up a bit short at the end.”
“Expectations are big next year … We return a large group of experienced student-athletes that I think have big potential within the league,” Cook said. “Adding a traditionally powerful program like Boston University will change the landscape in the league, but with hard work this spring and a strong incoming class, I think we’ll be in a great position to take another step forward.”