The Boston University men’s soccer team came back from the brink of elimination and secured itself a position in the America East Tournament by defeating the University of Vermont, 2-1, Wednesday afternoon at Centennial Field.
Sophomore forward Stephen Knox scored both goals for the Terriers (8-6-2, 2-4-0 AE), recording the first multiple-goal game of his career.’ Senior Samuel Appiah assisted on the first score of the night, which found the back of the net 32 minutes into the first half.
Knox scored again on an unassisted goal under a minute into the second half. Vermont senior Tom Critz was there to save the sophomore’s first shot, but Knox was there on the rebound.
Senior Hrafn Davidsson was back at peak form, stopping three shots to preserve the score at the end of the game. Davidsson’s performance in goal has been less than spectacular as of late, but the senior found a way to win when his team needed it most.
It could be said that the Terriers, who dropped four straight conferences losses heading in to their match-up against the Catamounts (1-10-5, -1-4-2 AE), were playing for their postseason lives yesterday.
Prior to the game, Vermont and BU were sixth and seventh in the conference standings, respectively. The America East Tournament, which starts Nov. 7, admits the top six teams in the conference to battle it out for the title and a bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Whichever team won yesterday’s game would secure that coveted sixth place spot and automatic placing in the conference tournament. A tie would have meant that BU had to win its final regular-season game against the University of Albany on Oct. 31, in order to lock up the sixth place spot.
Vermont had a lot riding on the match-up as well. Yesterday was the Catamounts’ final game of the season and last chance to make it to the tournament. With only one win this season, however, the odds of them achieving victory and making it far in the conference tournament were slim at best.
Despite what recent events have suggested, the Terriers were the clear favorites heading into conference play this season. A preseason America East coaches’ poll had BU repeating as conference champions this season. Last season, the Terriers rode a 12-game winning streak all the way to the finals of the America East Tournament, where they defeated Binghamton University, 1-0.
BU only dropped one in-conference game all of last season.
Things have been quite different this year, with the Terriers’ chances for postseason success nearly evaporating at the end of their season. A four-game losing streak against AE opponents in the middle of October could very easily have destroyed any hope the Terriers had for a chance to repeat as conference champions.
BU seized its opportunity to reverse those losses last night, and will now be heading to the America East Tournament regardless of what happens against Albany on Saturday.
Knox’s two-goal performance was the kind of offensive outburst BU has been looking desperately for in its past few games.’ The sophomore’s second score of the night was his second game-winning goal of the year, the first coming in a 1-0 upset victory over then No.1 St. John’s University on Sept. 13.
The scores moved Knox into a tie for second on the team in goals with Appiah –‘-‘- the two have four apiece this season. Appiah increased his assist tally to four and point total to 12, good for second on the team in points.
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