Amid a consistent downpour and driving winds, the Boston University men’s soccer team defended its home turf, 2-1, Wednesday evening against the College of the Holy Cross.
In the third installment of the Turnpike Trophy, a contest that cumulatively will reward the efforts of BU (11-4-1, 5-1-1 Patriot League) and Holy Cross (5-7-4, 2-3-2 Patriot League) athletic teams, the Terriers continued their dominance.
After a midseason dip in form, junior forward Felix De Bona stole the show. He emphatically buried an eighth minute penalty kick that was drawn by sophomore midfielder David Amirani, only to later secure a game-winner in the 29th minute.
De Bona received the ball about 30 yards from goal, cut in on his left and bent a curler into the far side netting past Holy Cross goalkeeper Kevin Wright. Through two emphatic strikes, De Bona shook off the cobwebs at a time of year when the Terriers need him the most.
“Felix had a great game,” said BU coach Neil Roberts. “The second goal was a beautiful goal. The penalty kick he helped create, so I’m happy for him. He needed that.”
While booming with confidence, the Crusaders caused trouble on BU’s three-man back line time and time again in the first half. This was most evident in the 11th minute when midfielder Matt Villano took advantage of some miscommunication on defense.
Normally astute and mistake-free, junior right back David Asbjornsson sent a wayward clearance directly into Villano’s path. A mere dozen yards from goal, Villano slotted an uncontested strike under junior goalkeeper Matt Gilbert.
As dangerous as Holy Cross’ attacking fluidity and droves were, the return of several defensive stalwarts quelled the threats to some degree. Freshman center back Ben Valek returned to the fold, and senior defender Jeroen Blugh returned to his customary position at the heart of defense.
While vastly apart in terms of experience, Valek and Blugh formed a partnership that bent but did not break. Holy Cross generated 18 total shots, but few were of a troubling nature.
“Ben hasn’t played in a while, but he’s going to be a good player,” Roberts said. “I told him yesterday that it’s a process and to be patient. He’s going to be a really good player. You see how sometimes he’s a little bit too aggressive, but when you need to win a ball, you want him there.”
With a narrow 2-1 lead in hand, the Terriers spent much of the second half seeing out the match. Several more chances fell De Bona’s way, but Wright’s strong presence stymied BU’s efforts to extend the lead.
Nonetheless, a stalemate developed in midfield and neither team could find the net once more, securing all three points for the Terriers.
As things now stand, the Terriers’ Patriot League Tournament fate is entirely in their hands. Roberts’ side travels to the United States Military Academy on Saturday, and then heads to the United States Naval Academy on Nov. 6.
If BU can win both contests, it will host the Patriot League Tournament at Nickerson Field as the top seed when mid-November rolls around.
“Three points are very important right now and because of last week everything is close,” Roberts said. “We know Navy [(7-7-1, 3-3 Patriot League)] lost tonight and everything is just so tight at the top, so you want to try to get one of the byes. If you can get the first seed, that’s even better.
“It’s going to go down to the wire,” Roberts added. “Every team is fighting for points to get into the tournament or placement in the tournament.”
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.
