BU handles Maine with ease

The Boston University women’s soccer team won its fifth-straight game Sunday afternoon, defeating the University of Maine by a score of 4-2.

‘We had a good performance today against a good, physical team in Maine on their home field in rainy conditions,’ BU coach Nancy Feldman said. ‘We did a good job of competing, playing our style, and moving the ball around.”

With their victory against the Black Bears (4-4-2, 1-1-1 America East), the Terriers (7-4-2, 3-0-0 AE) have now won 12-straight conference games dating back to 2007. BU has won back-to-back road games for the first time this season.

‘I’m very pleased,’ Feldman said on her team’s second-straight road win. ‘We have a very strong focus on being consistent on the road. When you’re on the road, it takes work to keep your focus and a lot of maturity. That’s why it’s a huge advantage having an experienced team that knows how to prepare itself.’

BU opened up the scoring when senior midfielder Emily Pallotta found the back of the net with less than a minute remaining in the first half. Fellow senior, forward Farrell McClernon, was credited with the assist on the goal, which resulted from a brief scramble for possession in the 18-yard box. McClernon led the Terriers in shots with four, putting three of them on goal.

In the 47th minute, senior defender Casey Brown scored her first goal of the season off a pass from senior forward Taleen Dimirdjian.

In the 51st minute, BU made it a 3-0 game when Pallotta scored her second goal of the day off a cross from sophomore midfielder Jessica Luscinski. Luscinski took the team lead in assists with her fourth of the season to raise her points total up to 10.’ ‘

The Black Bears cut the score to 3-2 with goals from freshman and current America East Rookie of the Week Maddie Hill in the 53rd minute and junior Hannah Breton in the 75th.

But the Terriers put the game out of reach when Luscinski scored BU’s fourth and final goal of the afternoon off of freshman Adrienne Anderson’s cross in the 82nd minute. It was Anderson’s first collegiate point as a Terrier.

Luscinski recorded her third goal of the season and is now tied with McClernon and Pallotta for the team lead in goals.

‘Scoring four goals was a very good thing,’ Feldman said of her offense’s production against Maine. ‘We were very aggressive and dynamic in the final third.’

BU outshot Maine 15-12 and held the edge in corners, 10-4. Senior goalkeeper Janie Reilly missed recording her third-consecutive shutout of the season but was solid in her 90 minutes in net, making four saves.

BU’s next game is Thursday night at Nickerson Field with kickoff slated for 7 p.m. against America East conference foe Vermont.

But the team, in an effort to keeps its expectations for the season realistic, is trying not to look too far into the future, Feldman said.

‘We only look at the next thing that’s in front of us,’ Feldman said. ‘We’re going to keep working on the connection of our passes, our speed of play, and the forward movement of our backline. It takes continued practice to be the best team we can be. We’re not a finished product.’