Weather, UMBC fall on men

It all seems kind of backward, doesn’t it?

On a snowy Halloween weekend, the 6-7-3 Boston University men’s soccer team (2-2-3 America East) – picked to finish tops in America East in preseason polls – was being blanked by conference-leading University of Maryland-Baltimore County, a team who was told in preseason it would barely make the top three.

But on Saturday afternoon, it was a total whiteout.

After controlling play through the first half of the snow-filled contest, the Terriers were thinking of anything but a happy Halloween in their 3-0 loss.

“I thought we played as well as we’ve played in the first half as we have in a long time,” said BU coach Neil Roberts. “I thought we got behind them, got through them, didn’t give up really any chances. We were quite happy at halftime with the way we played.”

“We knew at half we had to tighten up a little bit,” said UMBC coach Pete Caringi.

But as the teams came out of the locker rooms after a scoreless first half, the tables tipped toward the Retrievers (9-5-3, 6-1-0). Less than 10 minutes into the second frame, UMBC’s Manuel Mariel ripped a shot after getting past Terrier back Matt Cross (with a shove) from the left side into the side netting of the far post.

And though the snow had been falling since warm-ups began, the white blanket started to stick, mirroring the UMBC lead.

“I thought [the first goal] was real important, because the conditions were deteriorating,” Caringi said. “Once we scored the goal, it seemed like the snow really picked up and then it became more difficult for both teams to really get any opportunities. So from that standpoint, the first goal was real important.”

“It was really the only shot they had,” Roberts said. “And that’s the unfortunate part. It was from a crazy angle and so it goes in.”

But the Retrievers weren’t quite done. With 3:15 to go in regulation, up 1-0 with now heavy snow coming down, UMBC midfielder Matt Watson took a shot that bounced off the far post. BU keeper Chad Comroe tried to scamper back and protect the open net, but couldn’t recover before senior Steve Goddard nailed the Terriers’ coffin shut with an easy score.

The only thing going through Comroe’s head as he laid face down on the white Nickerson Field – with now heavy snow raining down on him – was, “we’re down two to nothing in a game that we need to win,” he said.

“You can’t train for the snow,” Roberts said. “You can’t send them out to North Dakota to practice for a week. We thought it was gonna snow a little bit, get some flurries – we didn’t think it would stick on the ground. And when that happens, you gotta try to change your game, especially when they get a goal before it deteriorates.”

With just 48 seconds remaining in the last 2005 regular-season home game, the Terriers made one final charge. Junior back Zach Kirby launched a shot to the left side of UMBC freshman standout Steve King from outside the box. But the goalie just managed to get a finger on it and tip it out. King’s Saturday shutout was his eighth in 10 games.

“The weather started getting that bad, and whoever was scoring the first goal was gonna be in the best position,” Comroe said. “Theirs went in and ours didn’t.”

But the Retriever offense responded to Kirby’s near-goal, and with 28 seconds left and two Terrier defenders on his back, Watson netted his first of the day, making it 3-0.

“The ball was heavy, but both teams have to deal with it, so I guess you can’t say [the snow was] really a factor,” Comroe said.

But the Terriers outshot the Retrievers, 12-11, and were stripped of the first tally 29:40 into the opening period.

Freshman Neil Hlavaty appeared to have notched to first goal of the game off one of BU’s eight corner kicks, curling it to the far post where it bounced off into the net. But the goal was disallowed due to what refs thought was too much pushing in front of the net.

“They said it was pushing in front there,” Roberts said. “He was right there. He saw it. I didn’t see it.

“There’s so much that goes on in there, so he was right on the play,” he added. “He blew the whistle early, so I’m sure if I look on the film there was pushing there.”

But more than just a five-game undefeated streak may have been broken in the snowy 3-0 loss. In 21 years as Terrier head coach, Roberts has yet to register a losing season. At 6-7-3, the Terriers would need to win the upcoming America East Tournament to finish the season above .500.

But that its next and final game is on the road against Binghamton University may actually be a blessing for the BU squad that is winless at home in conference play.

“We gotta get out there and get some points,” Comroe said. Said Roberts: “[Making the playoffs] is still in our own hands to deal with.”