It was a risk worth taking. Boston University women’s soccer coach Nancy Feldman started freshman Jessica Luscinski at midfield in Sunday’s game against the University of Connecticut, and she could not have asked for a more solid performance from the youngster in the Terriers’ 1-0 win.
In Luscinski’s first start, she put three of her four shots on goal and secured the game-winner. Before Sunday, she came off the bench in the Terriers’ previous four games, registering just two shots.
The Terriers, who have had trouble gaining momentum in the first half of games so far this season, may have found the offensive spark they’ve been lacking in Luscinski. The Bedford, N.H., native, who was named America East Rookie of the Week on Monday, had three of her shots come in the first 11 minutes of Sunday’s game, including the one she buried for the Terriers’ lone goal.
So far this year, the Terriers have racked up 51 shots on goal, only three of which have found the back of the net. Luscinski put two headers on net Sunday, and if she continues to perform as well as she did against UConn, the midfielder could prove to be a difference maker for the Terrier offense.
Breaking down the Badgers
The Terriers’ next opponent is the red-hot University of Wisconsin on Friday night at Nickerson Field. The Badgers come to town with a four-game winning streak, including a 7-1 beatdown of the University of Vermont on Sunday. During their win streak, the Badgers have outscored opponents by a margin of 13-2 and have more than doubled their opponents’ shots on goal, 95-47.
The Badgers’ streak is intimidating, but the Terriers should still provide a legitimate test for a Wisconsin squad that has yet to beat a team that currently holds a winning record. The only winning school the Badgers have played this year is the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, who defeated Wisconsin, 3-0.
The most recent outing between the Terriers and Badgers was last September when the Terriers fell 1-0. The physical match included seven fouls in the first 15 minutes and 19 yellow cards over the course of the game.
Second-half struggles
While the Terrier offense has struggled to consistently keep pressure on its opponents, the defense has stepped up to help keep BU in games so far this season.
That said, the Terrier defense has allowed three of its four goals in the second half, surrendering 36 shots in the second stanza, while yielding 25 in the first. Feldman has taken out a defender in two games, each time in the final five minutes of a half.
The defense has also struggled to win the ball in the second half. Opponents have won corner kicks 11 times in the final half, as opposed to only six in the first. This could be crucial since the opponents’ winning goals have come in the second half in two of the Terriers’ three losses this season.
Oddly enough, the defense has been weakest when the offense seems ready to step up. The Terriers have scored two of their three goals in the second half and have three more shots in the second half than in the opening 45 minutes.