Erica Lee (18) celebrates with Farrell McClernon (22) and other teammates during last night's 1-0 win over Maine. Sarah GatzkeFarrell McClernon has made quite an impact in her first season in the scarlet and white. The freshman came through for her team again yesterday at a frigid Nickerson Field, delivering a game-winning strike from the edge of the box to break a deadlock with the previously unbeaten University of Maine, giving the Terriers a 1-0 win. BU won its fourth straight game and remains undefeated at Nickerson Field.
With the game scoreless and just 18 minutes remaining in regulation, both defenses seemed dominant enough to take the match to overtime. That’s when the freshman sensation put her mark on the game, taking a pass from senior co-captain Lauren Erwin in the middle, finding space around a defender and burying a shot across the net to give BU the victory.
“I was just happy it went in,” McClernon said. “[Maine] defended really well. And after that goal we just held it together. Everyone defended really well.”
BU coach Nancy Feldman was equally impressed.
“Farrell is becoming a player where if she gets two chances at the goal, she’s scoring,” Feldman said. “The thing about Farrell is that she’s awful confident that when she gets the ball in a shooting situation, she’s going to score. Therefore, she doesn’t need that many chances to get it done.”
McClernon now leads the team with five goals on the season, with Erwin notching her team-high fifth assist. McClernon has separated herself from the rest of the attack in terms of sheer statistics-the next-highest goal-scorer is Erwin with three-but when you ask her about her success, she is quick to credit her teammates.
“It’s crazy,” McClernon said of being the leading scorer. “I mean we have a thousand contributors. Everyone scores. We’ve had so many goal scorers. So that’s awesome.”
After shooting several off-target shots early in the second half, Feldman said she told McClernon to keep firing on goal, as her persistent pressure along with her confidence around the net would most likely lead to a score. The strike was McClernon’s third game-winning goal of the season.
“She now has what, five goals now, three game winning goals,” Feldman said. “This is a freshman we’re talking about. She has an air about her-not cocky, but very confident. ‘Give me the ball in the box and I’ll get it done’.”
Defensive Dominance
Not to be lost in another McClernon winner was the play of the defense. Senior goalie Stephanie Dreyer notched her eighth shutout of the season, only having to save one shot on net from the Black Bears.
“Stephanie Dreyer is playing really well,” Feldman said. “We knew we were good in goal, but we are playing three new players in the back, so no, I didn’t expect us to be this good defensively so fast. They are tough. They don’t like to get beat.”
That back four, led by senior co-captain Erica Lee, has limited opponents to just 51 shots in 12 games, allowing only eight goals-six of which came in two games.
“We’ve just been working together and communicating with each other well,” Lee said of the back four. “We decide who steps up, who stays and we just support each other.”
Injury Update
During the second half, sophomore defender Elizabeth Speck rammed into a Maine attacker and went down holding her shin. She got up quickly and rubbed the injury for a few minutes but remained in the game. Speck has started 10 games this season, missing the other contests because of an ankle injury.
“[Speck's] leg has to be falling off for her to come out,” Feldman said. “Hopefully it’s not her ankle again. I asked her during the game if she could go and I’m not surprised she said yes. It might have been just a hit and a bump.”
