Boston University Lacrosse: A Program Overview and History

Boston University's lacrosse program represents a significant addition to the university's athletic offerings. This article explores the history of the program, its establishment, key figures, and its impact on the university and the wider lacrosse community.

The Genesis of the Program

The decision to introduce a Division I men's lacrosse program at Boston University was influenced by several factors. A primary driver was the growing popularity of lacrosse at both the high school and college levels. Recognizing this trend, Boston University saw an opportunity to enhance its athletic profile and attract a new segment of student-athletes. Crucially, the construction of New Balance Field in 2012 provided the necessary infrastructure to support the new team. As stated by the university, "Without adding a new facility on campus, we really would not have been able to add the [lacrosse] team." The construction of New Balance Field began May 17, 2012. By Aug.

Financial Considerations

Establishing a new sports program requires careful financial planning. According to a university representative, "You have to understand the type of budget you’re going to have to build, and understand the staffing requirements." Fundraising efforts are crucial for supporting all Boston University teams, including lacrosse. The university actively fundraises to ensure the program's financial stability and growth.

Key Personnel and Initial Steps

On June 20, 2012, Boston University announced the selection of Ryan Polley as the team's first head coach. Polley's initial task was to assemble a competent coaching staff. "The first step was to open the [assistant coach] position to the university, and then there was quite a bit of interest," Polley said. "I met with maybe 10 or so, and then decided on coach Kelleher," he said. With his staff in place, Polley and his team turned their attention to recruiting players.

Recruiting and Building a Team

Recruiting is a critical aspect of building a successful college lacrosse program. High school student-athletes interested in Boston University Lacrosse should familiarize themselves with the school, its academic programs, and the coaching staff. Building relationships with the coaching staff is essential for getting recruited. Student-athletes can start by completing the Boston University Lacrosse's recruiting questionnaire to get on their list.

To get actively recruited, a college coach needs to see potential recruits compete, highlighting the importance of an online athletic recruiting profile. Such a profile should showcase academic and athletic achievements and facilitate communication with college coaches. The Head Coach of Boston University Lacrosse is Ryan Polley - student athletes want to make it as easy as possible for them to learn about them as an athlete, and be able to start a conversation with them.

Early Seasons and Program Development

The Boston University Terriers men's lacrosse team represents Boston University in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college lacrosse. The program was created in 2014. Boston U plays its home games at Nickerson Field, which has a capacity of 9,871. The Terriers have competed in the Patriot League since their 2014 founding. In the team's inaugural season, Boston U scored its first-ever program victory with a 13 to 5 defeat of the Lafayette Leopards. Despite a challenging start to the 2014 season, the schedule provided the team with valuable exposure and competitive experience. This included facing formidable opponents such as the defending NCAA champion, Duke University. "This year we’re bringing [defending NCAA champion] Duke [University] up," Lynch said.

Memorable Victories and Achievements

In the program's short history, the Terriers defeated their first ranked foes in route to a 12-5 record in 2017, their best to date. During that campaign, the team upset #17 Navy 8-7 in Annapolis, Maryland, before topping the #19 Loyola Greyhounds 12-11 in an overtime showdown. Boston University lacrosse upsets No. 2 Loyola Maryland for first win vs. top-5 team. Boston U. Upsets No. 2 Loyola, 18-11, in Key Patriot League Tilt.

Current Team Dynamics and Key Players

The team's current performance reflects a blend of experienced leadership and emerging talent. Goalie Will Barnes (COM’25) has been a standout player, recording impressive save percentages and goals-against averages. Barnes was a key factor in the Army game, making a career-high 22 saves. The senior has been dominant all year for the Terriers. He’s recorded a .610 save percentage and an 8.12 goals-against average, a top-five mark in the NCAA. “Coming into this season, we were kind of viewed as the underdogs,” goalie Will Barnes (COM’25) says. “You’re not really sure what you’re going to get until you actually put them out on the field,” says head coach Ryan Polley. “He’s been everything that we thought he could be,” Polley says.

The team's offense is led by players like Shannehan, Jimmy O’Connell (Questrom’25) and Kohr round out the team’s top-three point leaders, with 40 and 36, respectively. BU’s high-motor offense averages 12.3 goals per game, surpassing the 15-goal mark four times this season. The Terriers’ most explosive game was a 21-12 win over Bucknell on March 8. Defensively, Connor Kehm (Questrom’27) has been recognized as an Inside Lacrosse Midseason All-American.

According to Polley, "Guys have played to their potential and have grown up relatively quickly, and we’re getting contributions from a lot of them."

Upcoming Games and Future Outlook

Before those three league games, BU will face off against Duke at Nickerson Field at 1 pm on Saturday. Last season’s game against the Blue Devils was a nail-biting 11-10 loss in Durham. The Terriers faced off against Duke University on Saturday, April 5, at 1 pm on Nickerson Field. Looking ahead, the team aims to improve each week and continue developing its players. “We really have to focus on getting better each and every week, and I think we’ve done that,” Polley says.

Boston University's Broader Athletic Context

Boston University has a strong history with sports. They have a legendary ice hockey program, have had some excellent basketball players come through the school, and they even have a strong crew program. One thing they don’t have, however, is football. And this opened up the doors for lacrosse faster than anything else, at least in my opinion. Simply put, football requires a TON of money and resources. And most schools don’t make money from their football programs, especially those outside of the big boys. Football also requires a TON of players, scholarships, coaches, field space, equipment, travel budgets, etc. The list goes on and on. Now lacrosse is also an expensive sport, but roster sizes in lacrosse are HALF that of football, scholarship offerings are about 1/8th the size and even coaching staff requirements are far less. But what are the other reasons for adding lacrosse?

Academic Excellence and Institutional Achievements

Boston University is committed to academic excellence and has made significant strides in various fields. The university has joined collective efforts advocating for government-funded research, highlighting its benefit to society and to the country’s competitiveness in the world. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts selected Boston University to develop a data platform that will underpin new wage equity legislation in hopes of closing the Massachusetts wage gap. To help in the creation of aggregate wage reports, a group of researchers within the Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences has developed an encrypted program that anonymizes demographic and salary information as well as enables anyone to query the database to see high-level trends. Renowned Virologist Robert A. Internationally renowned virologist Robert Davey has been named interim director of Boston University’s National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL).

Factors Contributing to Lacrosse Program Growth

Several factors contribute to the potential for sustained growth in college lacrosse programs, particularly at the D1 level. These include:

Read also: History of the BU Bridge

Financial Support: Securing substantial donations and effectively fundraising are essential for program development.
Academic Performance: Recruiting student-athletes with strong academic records enhances the university's overall profile. Lacrosse players graduate from college at a very high rate. Lacrosse players tend to have good grades in high school, and every year there are more and more kids playing and interested in playing D1 lax.
Local Talent: Leveraging the growth of lacrosse in local communities, such as Boston, provides a strong recruiting base. The City of Boston itself has seen a HUGE growth in lacrosse, and more HS kids play the game there now than ever. Simply put, this means BU can bring in qualified student-athletes, recruit locally, attract a higher caliber of student overall, and push their school into the upper echelon of college sports, by adding the fastest growing sport in the country.

Potential for Other Institutions to Follow Suit

Other institutions, particularly those without football programs, may find lacrosse to be a viable and attractive addition to their athletic offerings. Schools without football (UVM, Providence, BU) all have the sport, and those with big time football programs (BC, UConn) don’t. These schools can allocate resources more efficiently and capitalize on the growing popularity of lacrosse.

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