Boston College Athletics
No. 9 Boston College vs. No. 1 Maryland Preview
September 16, 2009 | Field Hockey
Sept. 16, 2009
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - The Boston College field hockey team is preparing for one of the biggest regular-season games in program history when it hosts the defending national champion Maryland Terrapins this Saturday.
The Eagles' 6-0 start to the 2009 season matches the program's best start since 1998. BC enters the contest ranked No. 9 in the country. That is its highest ranking since August 21, 2007.
Boston College and No. 1 Maryland are both undefeated and feature two of the most potent offenses in the country.
BC is third in the country averaging 5.33 goals per game, while Maryland leads the nation with 5.71. The two teams have dominated the opponents they have faced so far this season. Maryland has won by an average margin of 4.57 goals which is second in the country and Boston College ranks third at 3.91 goals.
Both teams are also extremely efficient at getting penalty corners as they rank first and second in the ACC. BC averages 10.17 corners per contest, while Maryland is second with 9.14.
The reason both teams have such dynamic offenses is because they both possess a star - senior forward Chelsey Feole for BC and junior forward Katie O'Donnell for the Terps. O'Donnell leads the ACC in points with 29 (8g, 13a) and Feole is second with 24 (10g, 4a). O'Donnell's 1.86 assists per game average leads the country, while Feole's 1.83 goals per game is tops in the nation.
BC and Maryland will meet Saturday, September 19 at 1 p.m. at Newton Campus Field. Check bceagles.com on Thursday for an exclusive Q&A with Head Coach Ainslee Lamb and captains Chelsey Feole and Emily Kozniuk to discuss the Maryland matchup, and the 2009 season.
