By Chris Buckley (Staff Writer)
The Hofstra field hockey team soared past no. 12 Boston University Terriers this weekend with a crucial 1-0 victory at Hofstra Field Hockey Stadium.
With the win, the Pride improved to 6-8, ending a five game skid. The win was also a historical one, as the Pride gained their highest-ranked victory in program history against the 12th-ranked Terriers. Hofstra’s previous highest-ranked win was over 13th-ranked William and Mary, a 1-0 victory in the CAA semifinals in 2004.
The first half was dominated by strong defensive play by both teams, but at 18:48 into the half, sophomore forward Jonel Boileau got the ball rolling when she went on a rush from about 40 yards out of the BU goal, swerved through defenders and beat BU sophomore goalkeeper Valentina Cerda Eimbcke low for the 1-0 lead. It was goal number 10 on the season for Boileau.
“Jonel has the potential to be such an amazing striker in the CAA; she has great speed,” said head coach Kathy De Angelis. “She’s been working so hard on her fundamental skills and her core skills, and I thought she did a great job today combining the core skills with her speed, and she was a great spark.”
The Terriers picked up the pace in the second half, outshooting Hofstra 8-4 in the final 35 minutes. However, junior goalie for the Pride, Kaitlyn De Turo, was a wall in the net all game, making seven of her nine saves in the second half, earning her third shutout of the season.
De Turo turned away back-to-back shots from BU senior midfielder Macey Gaumond in the 40th minute, but would face a tougher test a short time later when the Terriers had their best chance to score.
With 13:30 to play, Hofstra was called for a violation, giving a penalty stroke to BU, but senior defender Jacinda McLeod hit a weak slow-roller shot that De Turo easily saved. De Turo gave the Pride magic to the last moments when she made a pad save off of a shot fired from BU senior forward Tabi Hatch to secure the win.
“It’s not a shock,” said De Angelis. “Her steadiness and athletic skill is the most important thing she showed today. She’s put in so much time to make herself the best she can possibly be.”
Hofstra faces another tough test this Friday when the Pride take on 10th-ranked Northeastern University in Durham, New Hampshire. Game time is set for 3 p.m.
