The season is young, but the No. 9 Irish have already experienced their fair share of adversity. After a disappointing loss to No. 16 Dartmouth and a come-from-behind 14-12 victory over California, the Irish (4-1) will look to build a winning streak against No. 11 Boston University Saturday.
This will be the first trip to Boston for the Irish since they made the Final Four in 2006, when they lost to Dartmouth.
The unfamiliar Terriers (4-2) should prove to be a formidable opponent for the Irish. They already have wins over Massachusetts, Brown, William & Mary and Harvard.
"[Boston] is a solid team all around," Irish coach Tracy Coyne said. "I expect and tough and physical game."
Although the matchup is a nonconference, non-regional game, showdowns with nationally-ranked opponents such as the Terriers are crucial not only for seeding teams come NCAA Tournament time but also for building steam leading into conference play.
"This game is an opportunity to prove to ourselves what we can accomplish this season," Coyne said. "It's going to be an exciting matchup."
The Irish will need to improve upon areas that have caused them trouble the last two games in order to beat the Terriers. Coyne said she was slightly disappointed with the play of the attack during the games against Dartmouth and California. But those possible weaknesses have been the focus this week in preparation for Saturday's game.
"Things came to light in the game against California, mainly that we need to work on our attack," Coyne said. "So that is what we've been focused on."
In their wins, the Terriers have averaged nearly 12 goals per game, but in their two losses they have scored only slightly more than five. If the Irish maintain strong defensive performances the way they have so far this season, the goals will come on offense and a victory should follow.
The Irish have continually gotten contributions from sophomore attack Maggie Tamasitis, junior midfield Shaylyn Blaney and senior attack Gina Scioscia, but Coyne will need more diversity than those three in the scoring department.
In what should be a high scoring affair, the Irish will face off against Boston University Saturday at 12 p.m. at Nickerson Stadium in Boston.
