If spring exhibition games are supposed to be simple tuneups for the Boston University women’s soccer team, someone forgot to inform the players.
The Terriers blew out Holy Cross, 5-0, last night on Nickerson Field in a scrimmage BU approached as if it were a playoff game. The sparse crowd was treated to a dominant performance by BU, capped off by sophomore back Casey Brown scoring the team’s fifth goal on a powerful kick from far outside the penalty box.
“This team has a good mental approach,” said BU coach Nancy Feldman. “One of the things I was pleased about is they didn’t lower their standard of play to the competition. Our goal was to play at a high level. That’s not an easy thing to do in sports.”
The Terriers controlled possession early and often. The ball never stuck to a single player and first touches in the offensive zone kept the Holy Cross defense on its heels. It seemed every BU possession led to an effective run that put pressure on Holy Cross freshman goalkeeper Mary Ferketic.
Sophomore midfielder Corey Halasz notched the first goal of the match for BU when she streaked up the left side after receiving a lead pass, hooked around two defenders and rocketed a shot over Ferketic.
Junior midfielder Shannon Mullen followed suit a couple minutes later, executing a pretty give-and-go with sophomore forward Farrell McClernon from the left side. The ball deflected off a Holy Cross defender and rolled past Ferketic.
“I think our mental strength is really great right now,” Mullen said. “We’re really focused and fit. We’re just going headstrong into the summer and getting ready for the fall.”
Defensively, the Terriers matched their offensive performance. BU closed out passing lanes and took advantage of sloppy play by Holy Cross. The Crusaders struggled to generate any sort of offensive flow and did not manage a single effective rush.
“The defensive goal was to not let [Holy Cross] put together three passes,” Feldman said. “That bought our defensive focus as a team to a high level.”
Freshman goalkeeper Janie Reilly did not get a chance to show off her talents in net, as the Terrier defense rarely let the ball near the penalty box.
BU made it 3-0 when sophomore midfielder Mara Osher, who received the ball in the penalty box, took a shot that deflected off a Holy Cross defender who fell because of the shot’s impact. The ball then deflected back to Osher, who was left one-on-one with Ferketic and blasted a shot into the net.
“In the spring, we focus on the process goals and not necessarily on the result goals,” Feldman said. “In this game, we had carryover from the last couple matches. We wanted to be more patient in the attack.”
In the second half, the Terriers continued to apply pressure.
Junior forward Jennifer Herman made it 4-0 when she gained the ball off a turnover and rushed up the right side past two defenders. Ferketic came out to meet her and Herman lined a shot that eluded the overmatched goalie.
“I thought it was great that we got everybody in,” Herman said. “Everybody played tough and didn’t let down even though we were up 5-0.”
Brown put an exclamation point on the victory in the offensive zone, receiving a pass nearly 35 yards from the net between the penalty box and the midline. When no Holy Cross defender picked her up, Brown unleashed a bullet that sailed over the defense and past Ferketic for the final score of the game.