Compared to being pelted by the Penn State University offense with 19 shots in a grueling 1-1 tie last season, Saturday’s home game against the Nittany Lions was a considerably easier task for the Boston University men’s soccer team’s defense.
The Terriers (7-5-0, 1-1-0 America East) allowed only two shots on goal en route to a 2-1 victory in which Penn State’s (4-6-2) offense seldom entered BU territory.
A score by Terrier sophomore Shaun Taylor in the 11th minute helped BU set the tone early and buck the season-long trend of waiting for the second half to turn up its game. Sophomore forward Samuel Appiah gained possession and sent the ball down the left side to freshman forward Aaron O’Neal. He held the ball, then passed it to Taylor, who blasted it into the lower right corner for his third goal of the year.
“I was just making sure I wouldn’t miss it,” Taylor said. “It seemed too good to be true. Aaron did all the work.”
“Shaun’s a physical presence,” said BU coach Neil Roberts of the 6-foot-3 England native. “He has to use his physical presence first, then his skill.”
It took the Nittany Lions until the game’s 17th minute to mount any sort of offensive pressure, which was quickly stifled by BU’s defense. Penn State’s offense also took a hit when leading scorer Jason Yeisley (six goals, four assists) was forced out of the game by an injury in the 15th minute.
Although the Terriers would surely take a win any way they can get it, they were plagued by many of their same season-long struggles to capitalize on goal-scoring opportunities, with many players firing shots wide of the net.
At the start of the second half, it seemed as if O’Neal put the Terriers on board a second time in the 53rd minute, but the goal was disallowed due to an offside infraction.
O’Neal limped off the field in the 60th minute, but the Terriers’ most valuable offensive player so far this season was back in action 15 minutes later.
“I just have to play through it,” O’Neal said. “I’m just trying to do anything I can [to help the team]. I was just trying to keep things simple and make good choices like I always do.”
Shortly after O’Neal reentered, Penn State sophomore forward Jacobo Vera ripped one past sophomore goalkeeper Joe Cullaro — who earned his second straight victory filling in for the injured Hrafn Davidsson – in the 77th minute to tie the game at one.
The Terriers rebounded quickly from the goal, gaining possession off the tap. Junior Neil Hlavaty kicked a shot that landed directly at Appiah’s feet, who then fired the ball into the top left corner over Penn State goalie Conrad Taylor.
“We didn’t give up,” Appiah said.
The Terriers held strong for the remaining 11 minutes, denying the Nittany Lions any more shots.