The Boston University men’s soccer team’s 2-1 victory over Penn State University last Saturday in its final non-conference match provided the Terriers one last chance to set themselves on a positive track before their final seven America East games to close out the year.

Starting the stretch away from home against the University at Albany tonight, BU’s opening challenge will define how far the team has come since its opening conference loss to Binghamton University and will allow it to assert its presence among the class of America East.

Riding a two-game winning streak that saw them handle both the University of Maine and the Nittany Lions with relative ease, the Terriers will look to continue their offensive production and strong defensive front.

“We’ve had a very good week of practice,” said BU coach Neil Roberts. “Saturday’s game was good, and we’re working off that. There were no problems, and the guys are ready to start getting into conference play.”

Tied with the University of Hartford in the conference standings at 1-0-1, the Great Danes sit one game up on the Terriers, who currently rank fifth in the conference.

With a win tonight, however, the Terriers would catapult into a tie for second place, as a 2-1-0 record would put them in a tie with both the University of Maryland-Baltimore County and Binghamton University. Given that the Bearcats knocked off BU earlier this season, the Terriers would remain tied with UMBC on the basis that the two have not met yet in conference play.

But in order for BU to follow the script, the team must expedite a task it has struggled with throughout the season: To beat the University at Albany, BU must prove it can possess the ball in Albany’s defensive zone.

“Albany is going to defend a lot,” Roberts said. “They are going to sit back and wait to counter attack. If we can press the ball into their half and open up the lanes we can beat them. We just need to make sure we hold onto the ball.”

The Great Danes’ successes this season have come by virtue of their ability to sit back and play solid defense. Albany has managed to eliminate passing lanes outside the 18-yard box by packing up to eight men in the zone.

Essentially forcing the opposing offense to stall just past midfield, forced turnovers have allowed Albany’s front two to generate just over 10 shots per game.

The Terriers will need to rely on Shaun Taylor’s skilled footwork to help them retain possession.

With two goals and an assist over BU’s past three games, Taylor has become an offensive staple in the middle of the field. Coupling his size and strength with junior forward Neil Hlavaty’s patience and quickness, Taylor has shown progression in both his one-touch passing and one-on-one streaks.

“Shaun has done a great job over the past few weeks,” Roberts said. “Even though he hasn’t been getting the goals, he’s been getting the ball and opening up opportunities and making it easier for the rest of the offense.”

Taylor’s ability to open up the Great Danes’ tight defense will determine the Terriers’ offensive success tonight. Unforced errors and turnovers in the midfield will lead to odd-numbered rushes for the Great Danes upfront, allowing them to attack the heart of BU’s defense.

“We’ve created some good chances and played pretty well,” Roberts said. “The big test will be can we do it on the road? They are going to have a lot of numbers back. We need to make sure we find the openings. We worked on switching the point of attack quicker and finishing. Everything has to be sharp.”