Two days removed from a 4-0 throttling of Fordham University, the Boston University men’s soccer team fell victim to the nation’s third-ranked team Sunday afternoon, as Santa Clara University beat the Terriers, 3-0.

When they opened the weekend at the Brown Invitational in Providence, R.I., the Terriers put their possession difficulties behind them, as freshmen Samuel Appiah and Daniel Chu netted their first collegiate goals. Backed by a dominant effort to protect the ball, the Terriers held possession for 67 percent of the game, yielding just five turnovers.

“We created a lot of chances to finish and possessed the ball fairly well,” said BU coach Neil Roberts. “Especially in the midfield and to an extent to the backfield, we did a great job of not giving the ball away and it created more for us upfront.”

Entering the weekend, the Terriers led America East in unforced errors and turnovers. After committing 46 turnovers in two games, Robert focused the practice schedule around slowing down the offense and finding a comfortable rhythm.

The work apparently paid off, as the Terriers opened Friday’s match against Fordham by doing something they had not done all season: controlling the tempo of the game.

While BU managed to run roughshod over Northeastern University last Monday, with the help of two goals from junior forward Petur Sigurdsson, the team scrambled to generate opportunities until it found somewhat of a rhythm playing keep-away in the game’s closing minutes.

Friday, however, the Terriers’ panicked approach was noticeably absent. Crisp passes and fluid ball movement defined the team’s offensive success, as BU notched its highest goal output since October 2003.

“We made them chase us for a good part of the game,” Roberts said. “We got a lot of chances and we were able to close them out. We made the reads and were able to make things go our way.”

But as much as the Terriers’ flow allowed them to dominate Fordham two nights prior, it did little to help their efforts against Santa Clara on Sunday afternoon.

In a back-and-forth battle that saw the BU put forth its strongest and soundest effort this season, Santa Clara’s quickness upfront proved to be the deciding factor.

Hampered by unfamiliarity and inexperience in the backfield, the Terriers’ defensive strides to keep Santa Clara out of the 18-yard mark were undermined by uncharacteristically sloppy, physical play.

Facing a team that relies heavily on its set play for success, the Terriers found themselves committing some unnecessary fouls. The Terriers, however, did little to heed their coach’s advice, handing Santa Clara six set-play opportunities inside the attacking zone.

The Broncos’ first tally came off a ricochet shot sent into the box by SCU midfielder Jamil Roberts. Hitting Terrier sophomore Tommy Strackhouse just outside the crease, the ball rolled to the feet of Bronco forward Jide Obgunbiyi, who effortlessly broke the scoreless tie.

That would be the only scoring of the first half and, consequently, the majority of the game, but Santa Clara’s set play iced the victory at the 68-minute mark.

The Broncos notched two goals just 10 minutes within each other off crosses on the heels of two BU illegal contact penalties just outside the box.

“We got lazy. That’s all there is to it,” Roberts said. “You get late in the game and you start to stick out your leg and not get the body in front and it kills you. The last goal came off of a foul when we had a 1-on-3 fast break and we were in great position. We covered well, then all of a sudden we get lazy and they took advantage of it. That doesn’t happen if you do your job, and that’s something we still need to work on.”

Despite the lack of concentration, Roberts emphasized that the Terriers’ efforts in the loss to Santa Clara were not only the best of the season, but confirmed the collective strides the team has taken since its opening game against Boston College on Sept. 1.

“Our midfield play was the most impressive, but everyone stepped up and played pretty well,” Roberts said. “Our back four looked especially good, and [sophomore goal keeper Hrafn] Davidsson had a great game. I think overall it was our best game as far as effort. Unfortunately, sometimes the good things you do don’t work out.

“We have a lot to work on, but we are almost there,” Roberts continued. “We have a week to get ready for our next game.”