After recording its first victory of the season Sunday against the University of Rhode Island, the Boston University men’s soccer team will try to keep its momentum going tonight when it hosts Brown University at Nickerson Field.
Tonight’s game marks the second of a three-game homestand for the Terriers (1-3-1), who certainly pose a challenge for the Bears (2-2-0) at Nickerson, where BU went 6-1-2 one year ago.
“We’ve got a really big field. We have some quick players and some technical players, and we like to use the size of the field to help us,” BU coach Neil Roberts said. “Playing at home is always easier because you’re comfortable with it.”
After Sunday’s strong offensive showing against URI, the Terriers hope they can continue to develop their own style of play against a competitive Brown squad.
“We’re still trying to get our system of play in,” Roberts said. “We’re trying to continue with that and try to get it better while making some adjustments for Brown, because they give us different problems. Brown is very good attacking on the flanks. They’ve got a lot of speed, so it’s a different set of situations that you have to deal with.”
The Terriers must adjust their style to shut down Brown’s strong midfield. Roberts said the Brown midfield closes down quickly on its opponents, and his squad must recognize the tendency and react accordingly.
“We’ve played [quick] teams like that before – St. John’s and Connecticut. You just have to be aware of it and make sure you have cover and support in situations where you’re left isolated with them,” Roberts said.
Although the Terriers have yet to beat a nationally ranked team this season, they haven’t fallen terribly short, tying No. 3 UConn and dropping each of their other three games against ranked foes by just one goal.
“That’s a reason we play these teams,” Roberts said. “They expose your weaknesses and let you know what you need to work on.
“Brown is a top team in the country,” Roberts continued. “We’ve played top teams, so we know what to expect. We have to be better and not make big mistakes, not commit fouls in dangerous places and try to be clean technically.”
Meanwhile, the Terriers’ strong play in recent weeks hasn’t gone unnoticed by the rest of the conference. Senior goalkeeper Hrafn Davidsson and junior midfielder Tom Strackhouse were named America East Player of the Week over the past two weeks, respectively. BU will need both players to maintain their high level of play tonight, but more importantly, the Terriers will call on the entire team to step up if they want to continue their winning ways.
Roberts will continue to rotate his lineup, especially because freshman Michael Bustamante is only probable for tonight’s game due to a leg injury. Freshmen Stephen Knox, who earned his first collegiate start Sunday and notched an assist on BU’s first goal, will again be called upon to help improve the depth of the Terriers’ front line.
“We’ve been getting better every day,” Roberts said. “It’s something collectively that we’ve been doing as a group. In the Rhode Island game we could have had three or four guys up for that [America East] honor. We’ve got a lot of guys that are starting to step up now and that’s good. We’re starting to get different options, and we’re getting some depth.”
