Boston University men’s soccer coach Neil Roberts took a deep breath-his hands rose to his knees as he inched forward in his chair-an indication that the next words out of his mouth shouldn’t be taken lightly.
‘I really think that we represent Boston University,’ Roberts said of his 2009 squad. ‘You walk down [Commonwealth Avenue] to the Student Union, and you’re going to see kids from Pakistan, kids from China, Venezuela, California.’
Roberts continued through a roll call of the BU student population. He was making a point about his team’s diversity ‘- attempting to explain the dynamic of his team’s chemistry, but it was all subtly wrapped in a plea.
‘I just think we really represent what BU is,’ he finally said.
The message: these guys deserve the pride and attention of the student body.
Last season, the Terriers finished 12-6-3 on their way to the America East Conference title. A second round NCAA Tournament loss ended their season prematurely. This season, a quick 2-0-1 start has moved the Terriers all the way to No. 14 in the College Soccer News poll.
For the Terriers, this season is about gaining respect ‘- and not just in their own backyard.
‘Our goal was to be a player nationally,’ Roberts said. ‘We wanted to try to get ourselves as close to that elite group of teams as possible.’
Roberts has seen that goal come to fruition in the early going, citing his team’s improved play over then-No. 12 University of Connecticut. Last season, the Terriers took a draw against the Huskies, 0-0. This year, BU left Morrone Stadium celebrating a 3-0 shutout of one of the nation’s best teams.’
BU hadn’t knocked off an opponent ranked so highly since beating No. 12 University of San Diego in 2002.
For Roberts and his team, a critical benchmark will be their contest against No. 1 St. John’s University on Sept. 13.’
The Red Storm have been touted by College Soccer News as the best team in the country, while other polls rank them second or fourth. No matter what the number attached to them may be, St. John’s is one of the toughest teams on the Terriers’ schedule.
In order to close the gap between the Terriers and the top teams in the country, Roberts has tested his team through a very strong schedule. Many of their non-conference opponents, including UConn and St. John’s, have seen plenty of NCAA action in recent years. Roberts said playing one of the country’s toughest non-conference schedules will only make his team stronger.
‘We’ll be tested pretty much every game,’ Roberts said. ‘These are the types of teams that we put on our schedule to get us ready for where we want to go.’
The place they want to go is the NCAA Tournament, where they’ve been the last two years. Behind an even mixture of youth and veteran talent, Terrier personnel expect a third-straight appearance is on the way.
Led by three senior co-captains, forward Shaun Taylor and midfielders Richy Dorman and Samuel Appiah, the Terriers have a trio of leaders in the locker room who have each tasted All America East accolades, in some capacity.
Sophomore midfielders Ben Berube and Michael Bustamante provide speed and a youthful spark on both sides of the field. Bustamente, the reigning America East Conference Rookie of the Year, led the Terriers with nine assists last season.
Through three games, junior forward Aaron O’Neal has stepped up to supplement and then replace the scoring of Taylor, who went down in the UConn game with a foot injury.
‘You never know who’s going to step up,’ Roberts said. ‘Aaron O’Neal has stepped up to score four goals in three games. I wouldn’t have predicted that.’
Junior Hrafn Davidsson has only allowed one goal through three games. This is his second year starting in net. Last year, he sported a .813 goals-against average, good for 37th in the country.
‘Once Hrafn becomes more comfortable with playing in a crowd, then he can be a big-time goalie,’ Roberts said. ‘In the goal he already makes big-time saves.’
National recognition cannot be inherited. It’s earned. This is especially true for the Terriers, who play away from the spotlight in America East.
That’s partially why Roberts puts so much emphasis on the challenging non-conference teams that his squad faces every year. Since 2007, the Terriers have consistently had one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the nation. The tough schedule serves a dual purpose: earning respect in college soccer polls and increasing their chances for a good recruiting class.
Roberts’ foresight has paid off. BU’s current freshman class is ranked 32nd in the nation by College Soccer News.
Even better for the program are the two televised games the Terriers will play later this year. Both games will be featured on the Fox Soccer Channel, with the first coming against Green-Line rival Boston College on Sept. 18, and the second on Oct. 16 against Binghamton University.
‘We have the chance to expose BU soccer nationally,’ Roberts said.
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