The grass, or at least fake grass, is greener on this side.
The Boston University men’s soccer team will look for its third home win in a row tonight when it takes on Dartmouth University at Nickerson Field. The Terriers (2-1-1, 0-0-0 America East) started the season with one loss and one tie on the road, then came home and defeated the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Fairfield University to go above the .500 mark.
After scoring only one goal in their first two games in California, the Terriers came back with a rejuvenated offense to score three goals against Massachusetts and two against Fairfield. Freshman Sedrick Chin and junior Andrew Dorman spearheaded the improved attack, combining for nine points in their last two games, including Chin’s two goal, one assist home debut.
The Big Green will have to shake off a little jet lag as they will be playing their first game on American soil after a three-game pre-season set in Scotland. Dartmouth finished their stint overseas with a 3-1 record, outscoring opponents 8-4.
Dartmouth had a tough year in 2001, finishing with seven wins, seven losses and two ties. The Big Green fell victim to four one-goal losses, and was unable to repeat their 2000 Ivy League Title and trip to the NCAA Tournament.
On their trip across the pond, the Big Green were carried by junior back Matt LaBarre and junior forward Rob Daly, who both tallied two goals during the four game set. Daly scored in the opener, along with the game-winner last Tuesday against the Celtic Youth Team.
BU will continue to look toward senior goalkeeper Matt Smith, who has returned stronger than ever this year after an injury shortened his 2001 season. Smith, who has posted a 1.42 goals against average and a .813 save percentage so far this season, will be going for his third straight win against Dartmouth and his third straight win this year. Smith last recorded three straight wins in 2000 over the University of Hartford, the University of Vermont and the University of Delaware.
The Terriers last faced Dartmouth in 2000, posting a 3-0 victory at the Dartmouth Men’s Soccer Classic in Hanover, NH. Freshmen, now juniors for BU, played a huge role in that win, as Dorman, Alan McNamara and Karl Reugemer combined for five points, as Dorman and McNamara had a goal each with Reugemer adding an assist.
Tonight’s game will be the third in this four-game homestand for the Terriers, who will face the University of Connecticut in the second part of a BU soccer doubleheader on Tuesday night. While the Connecticut contest is not an America East game, it may prove to be the strongest test for the team this season, as the Huskies are currently ranked No. 9 in the national rankings. BU also meets up with ranked opponents Sept. 25 at Boston College (No. 19) and Oct. 4 at home against the University of San Diego (No. 11).