The Boston University men’s soccer team will open America East conference play at home against University of Hartford on Saturday at 7 p.m.
Prior to the loss against Hofstra, BU (2–5–2) played its first two home games of the season at Nickerson Field, splitting the home stand 1–1.
On Saturday the Terriers will play their third home game of the season.
“[Hartford is] a good team,” said BU coach Neil Roberts. “They got a freshman scoring a lot of goals. They are giving up goals, but they are also scoring a lot of goals. They are looking more experienced than last year.”
Roberts noted how Hartford (6–4) found a rhythm at the end of the 2011 season in a stretch wherein the Hawks won seven of their last nine games. Included in that stretch was a 1–0 win at Nickerson Field on Nov. 9 in the America East semi-finals. The Hawks went on to lose the championship to Stony Brook University.
In its last game, Hartford lost a heartbreaker to in-state rival Sacred Heart University. The Hawks went down 1–0 late when Sacred Heart broke the scoreless tie in the 83rd minute on a free kick. The score stayed 1–0 for the last seven minutes and Sacred Heart ended Hartford’s four-game winning streak.
The loss marked only its second loss in a month. In addition, it was the first time this year that Hartford had failed to score a goal. Coincidentally, the last time the Hawks were shut out was on Oct. 1, 2011, against the Terriers.
Hartford defender Javoni Simms has a team-leading seven goals on the season. Additionally, Simms is second to only Binghamton University’s Jake Keegan in the scoring category for the America East. The Jamaica native has played almost every minute of every game and has been held scoreless in only three of the 10 games. Aside from Simms, junior forward Anthony Santaga and sophomore defender Damion Lowe are also scoring threats.
BU sophomore goalkeeper Nick Thomson and Hartford goalkeeper Viltsu Tuumi have similar statistics so far this season. Thomson has registered 33 saves so far this year while Tuumi has made 34 saves. Thomson and Tuumi have allowed 13 goals each this year.
The Terriers’ offense has been relatively balanced this season, with seven different players scoring goals for the team. Only two BU players have scored multiple goals this season and both of them have been surprising contributors.
Redshirt freshmen forwards Parker Powell and Mac McGuire lead the team with three and two goals respectively and have combined to score four goals in the last two games. McGuire was sent off in the second half of the Terriers’ last game against Hofstra with a red card.
The 2012 season will be the last season that BU plays America East conference games before moving to the Patriot League, but Roberts said he does not believe it will affect the game in a significant way.
“We are looking at it as another game and game where we can get better. Obviously these are teams we have played a lot of before and the guys know them,” Roberts said. “Sure it’s different, but again it’s a game where we just want to play better than we did last week.”
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