The No. 25 Boston University men’s soccer team’s form has not been in great shape in recent games, and it could be due to the absence of several key players. However, Wednesday night’s 2-0 Patriot League victory over Colgate University saw the return of two crucial players and BU’s strong early-season play.
Senior forward Dominique Badji saw his first minutes since the 3-1 away loss to Boston College on Oct. 21, and junior defender Jeroen Blugh returned to the pitch for the first time since the 3-1 away victory against Dartmouth College on Oct. 14.
Both of these upperclassmen provide composure, experience and tactical awareness that few other players on the BU (11-3-2, 6-0-1 Patriot League) roster can muster. While replacements such as freshman midfielder Adam Sheikali and senior forward Parker Powell have stepped up, Badji and Blugh’s reemergence has raised BU to a higher level of play.
“We had some guys coming back from injury and testing themselves, so that might have had something to do with it,” said BU coach Neil Roberts. “We are getting the cobwebs off. We are starting to get our team together again and move the ball and execute our high pressure.”
Neither player stayed on the pitch for the full 90 minutes, but in their minutes, they more than asserted themselves in the game. The building blocks for success are coming back into the picture for the Terriers, who may have finally ridden themselves of the injury bug.
Blugh may not have the notoriety or accolades of some of the more prominent members of the BU defenders, but he brings a lot to the backline. Whether it is his athleticism, one-on-one defending skills or aerial prowess, Blugh solidifies the right back spot within BU’s three-pronged defense.
During the early stages of the season, Blugh was a consistent starter and even registered an assist versus Dartmouth (9-4-1).
However, he had not registered a goal until Wednesday night. Although it’s uncommon for defenders to end up on the scoresheet, it was ultimately Blugh that put the Terriers ahead in the 56th minute. He went high to head home an in-swinging left-footed corner kick from freshman defender Bjarki Benediktsson, who registered his team-leading fifth assist on the evening.
“First off, it’s great to be back out there,” Blugh said. “Coming off of a concussion, I had every intention to get back out there and play a good game. Obviously I went out and got the goal, but [I got] some cramps as well. It was good to get back in the mental swing of things and prepare, but my body isn’t quite ready for 90 minutes yet.”
Blugh himself more than welcomed the return to the pitch, adding that he expects the team to build off the win as the Terriers conclude the regular season and enter the Patriot League tournament.
“We are thinking of going all the way and are 100 percent confident we can go far in the postseason,” he said.
As for Badji, the Dakar, Senegal native has been integral to BU’s offensive attack, as evidenced by his 18 points on the year from seven goals and four assists. Perhaps an even bigger testament to Badji’s importance is his two game-winning goals.
His introduction to the game against Colgate (6-8-2, 2-4-1 Patriot League) allowed BU to open up the field and have a true target forward leading the attack. Badji forces opposing defenders to not only honor and respect his goal-scoring ability, but also his hold-up play and ability to allow the Terriers to flood attackers forward.
“Dominique has been out for a few games now, and with him, it’s starting to come together again,” Roberts said.
With Blugh and Badji back, BU is now able to put a starting 11 on the field that more resembles the team that recently went on a nine-game tear. Getting them back to 100 percent should allow the Terriers to find their form again and head into the postseason playing some of their best soccer of the season.
“Really, the key is just getting guys back,” Roberts said. “Other guys got to play a lot in this time, so now we have some depth. Now, as we are starting to get people back, it really bodes well for us.”
Jonathan's a New Englander who writes about sports, features and politics. He currently covers men's hockey at BU, worked as Sports Editor during the spring 2016 semester and is on the FreeP's Board of Directors. Toss him a follow on Twitter at @jonathansigal.
