When Boston University women’s soccer coach Nancy Feldman put together the schedule for her team this season, she didn’t circle the game at 4 p.m. this afternoon against Colorado College in Colorado Springs because of the revenge factor. She had other steeper reasons.
Sure, the Terriers (0-1-0, 0-0-0 America East) will have a chance to get even for their game against Colorado College (1-0-1) last September when they thoroughly out-played the Tigers at Nickerson Field, putting up an 18-1 advantage in shots on goal, but ultimately dropping a 1-0 decision.
But last year’s game isn’t what’s on Feldman’s mind as her team takes part in the Colorado College Tournament this weekend with the game today and one on Sunday at 11 a.m. against Loyola Marymount University (1-1-0, 0-0-0 West Coast Conference).
‘I’m more concerned about playing in the high-altitude conditions than how we match up with them,’ Feldman said.
Feldman, along with all the juniors and seniors on this year’s squad, learned all about high-altitude conditions two years ago when a late September trip to Utah turned out to be more of a meteorology lesson than two soccer games. BU lost its first game of that trip to the University of Utah 4-0, and then followed up with a 4-0 loss to Brigham Young University when the fatigued Terriers let up four goals in a 10-minute stretch of the second half.
Feldman opted to have her team practice at Nickerson on Thursday morning before departing for Colorado, instead of practicing in the conditions as the Terriers did two years ago.
‘It really didn’t help to practice [in high-altitude conditions],’ Feldman said. ‘You don’t get acclimated that quickly, and I thought it would cause more anxiety. We’re going to try and start the games with less pressure and save our lungs and legs for the second half.’
Feldman will watch redshirt sophomore Melissa Shulman’s condition even more closely than the other players. Shulman, who scored six goals and attempted 46 shots during her freshman campaign in 2001, sat out last year with leg injuries and is only at 80-85 percent strength, according to Feldman. She played all 90 minutes and scored the only goal for the Terriers in their season opening defeat, 3-1, to Boston College in Newton on Sunday.
‘She’s still bothered a little bit, but she’s been training as hard as she can,’ Feldman said. ‘At BC she was going through a tough time in the second half where you could tell she was a little winded.’
The Terriers are hoping that the return of Shulman will rejuvenate the offense, which was stuck in a slump for most of last season. BU averaged 0.8 goals per game last year despite getting an average of 15.9 shots on net each game.
Meghann Cook, last year’s leading goal scorer with four goals, has returned for her sophomore season to head up the forward position. But Feldman is looking for the increase in scoring to come with help from senior back Emily Dionne and senior midfielder Rebecca Beyer.
‘Emily has a great service ability,’ Feldman said. ‘She gives us an opportunity to get goals and get assists.’
Dionne had no goals and just one assist last year in 19 games, while Beyer had one goal and three assists in 18 games. It was a significant drop-off for Beyer, who had scored nine goals and had four assists in her sophomore season.
‘We need [Beyer] to score some goals this year,’ Feldman said. ‘She’s plenty capable and we’d like to see her get off to a good start.
‘She’s got to pull her weight. But everyone else has to pull their weight. Lots of players need to step up.’