An America East Conference power and proven winner for the greater part of the past couple of decades, the Boston University men's soccer team heads into the 2010 season looking to rebound from a disappointing 2009 campaign in which the Terriers finished short of the NCAA Tournament.
Despite losing several key players to graduation, the team comes back largely intact, returning 23 players from last year's squad. The Terriers are led by BU coach Neil Roberts, who is entering his 26th year at the helm of the program.
BU's success this year will be wholly dependent on the progress of several key contributors at various positions; some of whom are learned veterans, others of whom are unproven newcomers.
<strong>Goalkeepers</strong>
Perhaps one of the biggest uncertainties for the Terriers heading into the 2010 season is the goalkeeper position.
Among the five graduating seniors from last year was longtime goalkeeper Hrafn Davidsson, who last year recorded a 1.10 goals-against average and a .736 save percentage in 17 starts.
Looking to fill that void are redshirt freshman Brandon Briggs and sophomore Trevor McManamon, two players who account for a single start heading into this season. Briggs has started in net for the Terriers' first three games this year, having given up one goal in a combined 290 minutes of play.
"Brandon and Trevor, I think you've got to keep them both together because they're pretty equal, but they bring different things," Roberts said.
There is optimism about the talent and the potential of each of these players, especially after what Briggs has displayed in the first couple of matches, but the concern about the overall lack of experience still lingers.
"Going into the season, [the goalkeeper position] definitely is a question mark because of the lack of experience for both of them," Roberts said. "But I'm very happy with their progress so far."
<strong>Defense</strong>
The back third for the Terriers is something of a mixed bag coming into the 2010 season with a group of talented veterans playing alongside a promising freshman on the back line. The defense welcomes back junior Colin Henry, sophomore Ade Akinsanya and senior Matthew Shea to play alongside highly-touted freshman Kelvin Madzongwe.
In addition to being a very experienced unit, the BU defense is renowned for its athleticism, particularly Akinsanya who is returning from an impressive freshman season.
"I think what we do have, which is very important, is that we have a lot of athleticism back there, which over the course of a season is going to help us a great deal," Roberts said.
Madzongwe, despite his immense promise, stands as a very big question mark for this group, due in part to his inexperience and the fact that for most of his career, he has played as a midfielder and not as a defender. Whether or not this transition proves to be difficult could have a large bearing on the defense's ability to keep the Terriers competitive in matches this season.
<strong>Midfield</strong>
Roberts and Terrier fans likely have little to fret over with a deep group of talented and experienced midfielders, a unit that will have to compensate for the loss of Samuel Appiah who now suits up for the Houston Dynamo of MLS.
The midfield is anchored by junior Michael Bustamante, whose electrifying play helped contribute a team-high 10 assists in 2009.
"Michael's a playmaker; he creates," Roberts said.
Alongside Bustamante in the midfield are junior Ben Berube and Ben Havey, both players coming off solid 2009 seasons who look to figure prominently in the ability of this team to stretch the field and create goal-scoring opportunities for the strikers.
"Our midfield is probably our most experienced area of the field between Michael, Ben Havey, Ben Berube," Roberts said. "I think that's a solid group, and in any soccer team, that's going to be the heart of your team, so we need that group to play well."
<strong>Forwards</strong>
Arguably the strength of the 2010 edition of BU men's soccer are its strikers, senior Aaron O'Neal and junior Stephen Knox, a unit that is coming off a successful season in which it also had to compensate for the early loss of star forward Shaun Taylor to a leg injury.
O'Neal is returning after a banner season in 2009 in which he put up a team-high 11 goals and 26 points on his way to being named to the AE All-Conference First Team. Knox, too, is hoping to build on a successful 2009 season, one in which he tallied five goals and 11 points for the Terriers.
"It's a good combination," Roberts said. "Aaron obviously is a finisher, he plays with his back to the goal more than Knox, and he's a big strong target to play into which Knox is not so they play off each other pretty well. Knox is a little quicker, a little better on the dribble and Aaron's a lot better at getting on the end of things."
Despite having two of the conference's premier strikers playing up top together, depth remains a problem for this front line with a group of young, unproven players looking to assert themselves this season.
"The key up top is can we get a third and a fourth striker," Roberts said. "Over the long season, that's going to be a real key for us."
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