What started off as a disappointing weekend for the Boston University women’s soccer team quickly turned into a positive one, as the Terriers bounced back from a tough 2-1 loss to Princeton University Friday by knocking off the No. 19 University of Connecticut yesterday, 1-0.
The win was a big one for a Terrier squad (2-3-0) that has struggled to garner victories against a tough early-season schedule. Yesterday marked the program’s first win against a ranked opponent since the squad knocked off then-No. 3 Santa Clara University in 2006.
BU played a “complete game” against the Huskies (2-3-0) according to coach Nancy Feldman, who attributed the win to tremendous effort and concentration on both sides of the field.
When UConn’s strong offensive attack tried breaking into BU territory, Feldman said her team responded, going to a high-pressure defense that limited the Huskies to 15 shots, three of which ended up on goal.
“I’d say this one was really a team effort,” Feldman said. “[Goalkeeper Janie Reilly] was in great position to make the saves that she should have made. Her positioning was good, and she was strong and took up a lot of the goal and played her angles well.
“I think our defenders and our whole team did a good job of limiting the girls from breaking in and getting real clean looks at goal and really cut down their angles when they were shooting at goal.”
Feldman was thrilled with her team’s ability to play smart, aggressive defense without wasting extra energy, which they managed to use very effectively on the offensive end.
“Offensively I think is where we actually won the game,” Feldman said. “We were determined to move up the ball, to get the ball and to keep the ball and remain composed and patient and make them chase. I really think that’s what won the game for us.”
Feldman said she was pleased with the Terriers’ ability to get the ball out wide and work crosses and passes back to the front of the net, resulting in multiple scoring opportunities and four shots on goal.
The biggest beneficiary of BU’s sharp passing and effective attacks was freshman midfielder Jessica Luscinski, who put three of her four shots on net, including the game-winning goal 10:20 into the contest.
Luscinski, who just minutes earlier had been denied by UConn goalkeeper Stephanie Labbe on a header from in the box, netted her first collegiate goal when junior Emily Pallotta slid a cross into the box from her wide position, where a streaking Luscinski — who was breaking in from the far side of the field — was ready to knock the ball into the net with a diving effort.
Luscinski, a native of Bedford, N.H., was a four-year starter at Trinity High School, leading the team in scoring each season and earning All-State honors her senior year.
“I think Jess has a great future ahead of her at BU,” Feldman said. “She’s a really good attacking player. She’s very, very comfortable and she learns extremely quickly in areas where tactically she’s a little bit weaker in, but she’s catching up very quickly.
“She’s got flair in the attack, she’s dynamic, she’s quick and she can strike the ball with either foot with confidence. She’ll score her share of goals in her career at BU because she knows what she’s doing in front of the net.”
Unfortunately for BU, the excitement over its big win over the Huskies is curbed at least somewhat by the tough loss to Princeton Friday night.
When junior Farrell McClernon knocked in a fantastic goal from the top of the box at 69:20, it appeared as though the Terriers would walk away from Myslik Field the victors.
The Tigers had other plans, and at 71:54, just 1:34 after McClernon’s goal, Tiger attacker Sarah Peteraf took advantage of a defensive breakdown on the Terriers’ part, beating two defenders before knocking the ball passed an out-of-position Reilly.
The goal stunned the Terriers, who, according to Feldman, failed to pull themselves together after the tally. With 1:06 left in regulation, senior Lisa Chinn tipped in a cross to put the Tigers ahead, 2-1, and the struggling Terriers failed to generate a shot in the final minute of the game.