Saturday at Nickerson Field proved why successful teams need superior leaders.
If anything could overshadow a decisive 4-0 win against Binghamton University for the Boston University women’s soccer team, it was Senior Day. Five Terriers played their last regular season home game this weekend, but those players have much more to look forward to in their collegiate soccer careers. Besides having sealed the America East regular season conference championship for the third time in four years, there is the distinct possibility of hoisting the tournament trophy at home come next Sunday, meaning BU would also garner the automatic NCAA Tournament bid that accompanies the conference title.
But Saturday was meant to recognize the seniors, five players who have been with the team for four years, contributing day in and day out to make the program better.
For their careers, tri-captains Jessica Clinton, Lesley Garvey and Rebecca Beyer, along with Emily Dionne and Katie Chen have amassed incredible overall records. They have dominated the America East, going 30-4-3 in conference play, with a 48-28-7 record overall since 2000.
Despite their individual accomplishments, the five eldest Terriers have grown from wide-eyed underclassmen who went 19-0-1 in America East their first two seasons, to veterans who endured a turbulent hiccup as juniors. Now, as seniors, they reign again atop their conference, and lurking on the horizon are two tangible milestones: the conference tournament championship and a trip to the NCAAs.
With Saturday’s shutout victory, Clinton holds BU goalkeeping records for wins (36), shutouts (18), wins in a season (14) and saves for a career (294), even though she only played seven games her freshman season.
‘She’s been a rock and a terrific leader and that’s really where she blossomed this year,’ said head coach Nancy Feldman.
It has not always been that easy for Clinton. She is the first to admit her leadership outlook changed since having talk with Beyer (captain as a junior in 2002) at the end of last year. But Clinton said this year’s team is one complete unit, with the seniors merely acting as guides for younger players.
‘We definitely learned a lot from our upperclassmen, people like Teresa Petruccelli (1997-01) and Megan Cross (1998-01),’ Clinton said. ‘We learned to take things in stride and see what we have to do according to the personalities [on the team]. But this is a great team and a great group of girls.’
Feldman said that consistent goalkeeping relaxes her players and to have Clinton as the last line of defense gives BU an advantage over other teams.
‘[Clinton] has been so steady and so consistent, I can’t think of a bad goal this year, and I don’t think she allowed a bad goal last year,’ Feldman said. ‘That’s what you want from your goalkeeper you don’t have to fly across the goal, you just have to be a rock and be confident.’
As one of BU’s best ball-handlers and smartest players, Beyer is seventh all-time in points (41) despite wavering between forward and midfield positions. She had a breakout campaign as a sophomore, scoring nine goals and adding four assists for 22 points in 2001. A two-season captain, she has missed only one of 83 games since 2000, and her teammates say she is a catalyst for success and a leader on and off the field.
Garvey and Dionne make up one of the strongest back lines around, as no team has scored more than three goals against the Terriers in 20 games this season.
Dionne is BU’s specialist on set pieces and throw-ins and provided the Terriers with solid support once three-time team defensive MVP Megan Cross graduated in 2001. She added a new dimension to her game this season, scoring two goals and assisting on four others for eight points. She scored the game-winning goal in BU’s 2-1, double-overtime win against Northeastern University on Oct. 30.
A durable player with a unique field sense, Garvey has been essential for the Terriers throughout her career. A nagging injury forced her to sit out at the beginning of this season, but once she returned to full health, she was crucial for BU before suffering a career-ending injury against the University of Hartford on Oct. 24. Garvey was named the team’s defensive player of the year in 2002.
As a testament to the Dionne-Garvey defense, the Terriers allowed just seven goals in their final 12 games of the season, including five shutouts.
Perhaps the biggest compliment to this year’s team has been the play of Chen. Usually Feldman’s first substitute off the bench, Chen is called upon to provide instant offense with hard-nosed grit. She played in all 20 games this season while notching two goals and three assists for seven points, including a tally on Senior Day to put BU ahead, 2-0.
‘It’s 10 times more special, and to have all your teammates behind you is great,’ Chen said of her goal in the 72nd minute on Saturday. ‘I’ve worked so hard the last four years and I’m finally at a point where I can contribute to the team. It’s a good feeling to know you’re a big part of every win and this conference championship.’
The goal was bittersweet for Chen, who was told earlier in the week by Feldman that she would not start on Senior Day.
‘She made me think about it,’ Feldman said. ‘We’ve never had a policy of starting seniors on Senior Day but she made it a tough decision because she’s been playing so well. I’m sure she was disappointed, but did it affect her play? No. She stepped on the field [wanting to prove me wrong], and if that’s the case, then what a response from an athlete.’
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