2017 Terrier Classic
Date & Times	Friday, Aug. 25  New Hampshire vs. Northeastern - 4 p.m.  No. 16 BU vs. Bryant - 6:30 p.m.
Venue	New Balance Field | Boston, Mass.
Twitter	@BUGameDay | @TerrierFH
Watch	Watch on PLN

  
BOSTON - The 40th season of varsity field hockey at Boston University kicks off on Friday (Aug. 25) with the Terrier Classic at New Balance Field.

No. 16 BU hosts Bryant at 6:30 p.m. after Northeastern takes on New Hampshire in the opening game of the weekend tournament at 4 p.m. The winners will meet in the championship game on Sunday (Aug. 27) at 3:30 p.m. following a 1 p.m. consolation contest. There is free admission to all contests.
 
Head coach Sally Starr enters her 37th season with a large nine-member freshman class that makes up nearly half of the 21-player roster. The newcomers join a team that will be looking to improve on a 2016 season that saw the team post a record of 13-6, including an 8-4 mark at home, and come up one goal short of a third straight Patriot League title.
 
Juniors Ally Hammel (4g, 4a) and Kara Enoch (5g, 2a) are the team's leading returning scorers after each tallying 12 points last year as sophomores.
 
Hammel was named the Preseason Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year earlier this week and was joined on the Preseason All-Patriot League Team by senior co-captain Kali Shumock, who tied for second on the squad in 2016 in assists with five.
 
Senior Jordyn Beesmer and junior Maika Akroyd, who each started all 19 games last season in the backfield, return this fall in addition to sophomore Kiley Gallagher (11 starts) and senior Allie Renzi (7 starts). Renzi was tied for third in goals on last year's squad with five.

Junior Allie Doggett (3-2--8 as a sophomore) will play a key role in the midfield this season along with Shumock, Gallagher and classmate Bridget Egan while Renzi is expected to see time up front with Enoch and senior co-captain Grace Boston. After missing her freshman season due to injury, sophomore Hana Sinno is ready to contribute 
 
In goal, junior Kathleen Keegan made a combined five appearances during her first two seasons and is now competing for the primary job with newcomer Millie Baker, who comes to BU from Melbourne, Australia.
 
Friday's contest will be the first-ever meeting between the Terriers and the Bulldogs. BU has won four of its past five season openers and will be aiming for its third straight victory in lid lifters on Friday. 
 
Bryant went 4-14 last season and finished fourth in the MAAC to qualify for the league tournament, where it fell in the semifinal round. Sophomores Freya Ward and Floor van Dommelen are the top returning point-producers after each putting up 11 points as rookies.
 
This is the third edition of this season-opening tournament, which began in 2015 as the Tri-Conference Cup with BU hosting UNH and UMass. The teams played each other and the result was a trio of one-goal games with each squad picking up a win.
 
Last year at UNH as the Wildcat Classic it became a four-team bracket with the addition of Northwestern. The Terriers topped Northwestern in the opener before defeating the host Wildcats in the title game.