When the Boston University women’s soccer team played Binghamton University this past Sunday in the semifinals of the America East Conference Tournament, another game was supposed to be taking place at the exact same time more than 100 miles away in Hartford, Conn.
Except it didn’t happen – the Terriers and the Bearcats played the only America East women’s soccer game on Sunday.
The other semifinal contest in Hartford, between the University of Hartford Hawks and the University at Albany Great Danes, was delayed 24 hours, the result of a snowstorm that swept through the northeast Saturday afternoon and evening.
At 1 p.m. on Monday, the Hawks and the Great Danes finally played for a right in the America East Championship, to be held this Saturday at 12 p.m. at Nickerson Field against BU. Albany upset Hartford 1-0 to earn a trip to Boston.
The one goal of the game was scored a little over two minutes into the second half, when Great Danes midfielder Maggie DeVerna passed the ball to teammate Shayla Bergeron. Bergeron lofted the ball into the goal just below the crossbar from about 17 yards out.
Because of the delay, which was announced by the conference as the heart of the storm was crossing Massachusetts and Connecticut on Saturday evening, BU coach Nancy Feldman was able to travel to Hartford to see the game.
She said the Great Danes had improved since they last faced the Terriers on Sept. 25th. That day, BU picked up a 2-0 win at Varsity Field in Albany, N.Y. with goals from sophomore midfielder Kylie Strom and freshman forward Taylor Krebs. Sophomore goalkeeper Kelly King earned her third shutout of the season, stopping four Great Dane shots.
Since the two teams last met, Albany has adjusted their back line and goalkeeper, according to Feldman. The changes have yielded good results for Albany, which has won seven of its last eight contests.
Feldman said the new lineup “defends tenaciously” and is much quicker than the team the Terriers saw in September when BU opened its conference schedule.
“Albany’s on quite a run,” Feldman said. “They’re a different team than when we last saw them in late September. They’re a better team.”
Climbing up in the polls
Since the second weekend of September, when the Terriers lost their only games of the season at University of Connecticut and University of Massachusetts, BU has been slowly climbing back into the major national polls.
The Terriers are now in the No. 13 slot of the most prominent poll in the country, the NSCAA Coaches’ Poll. The ranking is one spot higher than where the Terriers were ranked last week.
In additional to NSCAA poll, the Terriers have been included in two other major polls. The Terriers are currently ranked 18th in the nation by “Soccer America,” up from the 20th slot last week. “Our Game Magazine” placed BU in the 11th slot of its rankings, the same position the Terriers held last week.
Luscinski’s pneumonia still an uncertainty
When the Terriers beat Binghamton in the semifinals, a notable force in the BU offense was not on the field. Instead, the Terriers’ leading goal scorer (eight) watched the game from the press box, out of the wind ripping across the field below. Senior midfielder Jessica Luscinski was diagnosed with pneumonia last week and is missing her first games since she was sidelined in early September with a pulled muscle.
Luscinski’s status after the game on Sunday was uncertain, and Feldman said on Tuesday the team is still a “couple of days away” from knowing the offensive leader’s status for the championship.
“We’re hopeful she’ll be better,” Feldman said.
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