The Waiting Game

When NFL teams have a bye week during the regular season, coaches are given extra time to prepare for whoever the next week’s opponent may be, allowing defensive gurus like Patriots coach Bill Belichick time to devise complex coverages and offensive masterminds like Rams coach Mike Martz time to sketch a new array of patterns.

But this isn’t the NFL, this is women’s soccer. And Belichick doesn’t coach the Terriers – Nancy Feldman, the America East Coach of the Year (for the fifth time), does.

So don’t expect the Terriers (11-4-4, 7-0-1 America East) to spend an entire week in limbo with no plan at all, just waiting for today’s University of New Hampshire against the University of Vermont game to end so they can frantically race to the blackboard and go over the Xs and Os.

Because according to Feldman, in her team’s second-round America East Tournament contest this Sunday, the Terriers just need to concentrate on what they can do themselves.

“The base of what we’re trying to do doesn’t change,” Feldman said. “We need to continue to do what we do. [We need to] defend successfully and continue to attack with good speed of play and good ball movement.”

As for UNH (8-7-2, 3-3-2) and Vermont (8-8-1, 4-3-1), Feldman said it doesn’t matter who wins because each is a good team.

“They’re both good teams, they really are,” Feldman said. “Any day we play if we don’t bring our best game, I don’t think we come out on top.”

On one hand, Feldman may be right. The Terriers had success against both teams during the regular season, shutting out both squads. But on the other hand, BU beat UNH only 1-0 and downed Vermont, 3-0, in what was perhaps its best game of the season.

So would the Terriers be better off against Vermont?

“They’re both good enough to win on Friday and they’re both good enough to win on Sunday,” Feldman said. “We have to bring our ‘A’ game and that doesn’t change no matter who we play.”

So each team presents a challenge.

For UNH, the challenge will be containing freshman phenom Sara Hourihan. The frosh striker tallied 11 regular-season goals and totaled 24 points. She is the focal point of a Wildcat attack that doesn’t feature anyone else over 11 points.

UNH starts Julie Randall in net. The junior keeper has recorded every decision this year, posting seven shutouts and a 1.79 goals-against average.

The Terriers fired 18 shots in Randall’s direction during their Oct. 16 meeting, solving her early when Melissa Shulman scored from about 15 yards out in the 17th minute.

But it was the Terrier defense that was the story of that game, only allowing four shots to help Christina Reuter earn the shutout. Feldman confirmed yesterday that Reuter is scheduled to start and play the first half Sunday with Stephanie Dreyer coming in for the second frame.

Dreyer started against Vermont in the bout on Oct. 2, saving four shots for the clean sheet. Dreyer and the Terrier defense combined to shut down the Catamounts’ front three, who all finished the regular season with more than 16 points.

Amy Cochran netted nine goals and seven assists during the regular season and fellow attackers Nikkie Hessney and Cassandra VanLeeuwen each tallied six goals and four assists. Cochran’s 1.47 points per game led the conference.

While the Terrier backs held their own against the Vermont strikers, BU’s offense was striking early and often. Meghann Cook (twice) and Lauren Erwin (once) beat Catamount keeper Laura Kissock.

Kissock finished with 7-4-1 record this season, recording a 1.79 goals-against average and three shutouts.

Either Kissock and Vermont or Randall and UNH will have their work cut out for them Sunday, when one will get the chance to try and stop a Terrier team that is unbeaten in its last nine games and has only lost once in its past 14.