Double overtime wasn’t enough to find a winner on Saturday afternoon, as the Boston University men’s soccer team played to a 3-3 tie with Loyola University Maryland.
The Terriers (3-5-2, 0-2-2 Patriot League) and the Greyhounds (5-5-1, 3-0-1 Patriot League) went back and forth at Ridley Athletic Complex, with both desperately trying to secure three points. There were six combined goals and 36 combined shots between the two teams, who each were forced to settle with a solitary point.
Loyola freshman Brian Saramago had a career day against the Terriers, netting a hat trick and giving him 14 points on the year. His first two goals gave the Greyhounds a 2-0 lead early in the second half.
“It came down to three defensive slip ups on our part, and he just capitalized on all three of them,” said sophomore midfielder Adam Wright.
However, in the 60th minute, the momentum came back to the Terriers when senior forward Mark Wadid knocked in a rebound to put his team within one. Just over 10 minutes later, senior forward Felix De Bona earned a free kick from 20 yards out. The MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List candidate placed the ball just out of the keeper’s reach into the top left corner, tying the game at two.
“Seeing Felix scored helped us believe we could get something out of the game,” Wright said. “After the first goal there was a little bit of a stalemate, but once he stepped over the ball for the free kick every one of us knew it was only going one place, the back of the net.”
After Saramago scored his third goal of the game to give the Greyhounds a 3-2 lead, De Bona once again delivered with a header that tied the game at three in the 80th minute.
“We knew it was just a matter of time until Felix got going,” said sophomore midfielder TJ Butzke. “He’s come close in past games but it’s good for his confidence to finally find the back of the net multiple times.”
It was De Bona’s fifth goal of the season.
“Once we were pushing for the equalizer he stepped up again on another set piece, getting his head on the end of a perfect ball in the box,” Wright said.
The teams headed into overtime knotted at three, and the game stayed that way until the end. Though the outcome was not what the Terriers wanted, Butzke said there was a lot to take away from such a high scoring game.
“What we take away from the high scoring game is that we can always battle back when we’re behind,” Butzke said. “We showed a lot of fight to come from 2-0 down. We refused to accept a loss as a result and we banded together to get back into the game.”
It was the first time since 2009 that the Terriers were able to come back and avoid a loss when allowing three or more goals in a game.
The Terriers will look to continue the high scoring when they continue Patriot League play Saturday against Lafayette College at Nickerson Field.
