If you like college lacrosse, then Nickerson Field is the place to be Saturday afternoon.
The Boston University men’s and women’s lacrosse teams both will host Lafayette this weekend in key Patriot League matchups. Both games can be seen on NESNplus, with the men’s squad playing at noon ET and the women taking over at 4 p.m.
The BU women are looking to find some consistency as the season reaches its midpoint.
After opening the year with a loss to top-ranked Boston College, coach Lauren Morton’s team won three in a row before losing two straight. Now, after back-to-back victories, the first-year head coach is hoping to see her team solidify its identity.
“One of the things we’ve really tried to focus on is what our standard is, and playing to that standard both physically and mentally all of the time,” Morton told NESN.com on Wednesday. “I think we learned a lot from those early games. I think we’ve definitely started to hit our stride and know who we are as we head into the second half of the season.”
So, what does Morton want to see from her team as it looks to improve on its 1-0 Patriot League record?
“We feel that offensively, we can push the ball in transition a little bit more,” she said. “Defensively, just continuing to be looking to be aggressive. Ultimately, that’s the tone … limiting the shots opponents are taking.”
Lafayette’s women’s team will carry a 4-4 overall record into Nickerson. Loaded with veterans, the Leopards will present a stiff challenge for Boston University.
“Lafayette is a really experienced group,” Morton said. “The have a lot of juniors and seniors that are playing really well for them … we have to plan for a lot of people. (Patriot League) teams are well-coached, they want to win. And everyone is just on an upward trajectory.”
The Terriers currently rank second behind Navy in the conference standings, but there’s plenty of lacrosse left to be played. Regardless of how the season ends, however, Morton already has succeeded in laying the foundation for what she and BU hope will become a perennial powerhouse.
“It’s been awesome. It’s definitely been a learning experience,” Morton said. “We’ve also had a lot of fun, (the coaches) enjoy being around this team, the girls are a great group to be around.
” … We’ve had a really positive experience, all around, being able to mold and create the culture we want here.”
BU’s men’s team, meanwhile, is coming off a crushing loss to Harvard in triple overtime — its second loss in its last three games. The Terriers (6-3 overall, 1-1 in conference) began the season 5-1, putting the program on the cusp of making the national polls. Lafayette (4-5) enters the game on a four-game losing streak.
To find out how to catch both games Saturday, find your local NESNplus channel here.
Here’s the full weekend schedule for NESN and NESNplus:
Friday, March 22
4 p.m. ET — Hockey East Semifinals: Northeastern vs. Boston University (NESNplus)
7:30 p.m. — Hockey East Semifinals: UMass vs. Boston College (NESNplus)
Saturday, March 23
Noon — Patriot League men’s lacrosse: Lafayette at Boston University (NESNplus)
2 p.m. — Patriot League women’s lacrosse: Colgate at Holy Cross (NESNplus)
4 p.m. — Patriot League women’s lacrosse: Lafayette at Boston University (NESNplus)
7 p.m. — Hockey East championship (NESNplus)
Sunday, March 24
1 p.m. — Ivy League women’s lacrosse: Yale at Harvard (NESN)
