Pallotta nets two in Terriers’ dominant performance

The Boston University women’s soccer team seemed to be unaffected by last week’s tie against Dartmouth College, as the Terriers scored four goals in the first half of their 4-0 win against the University of Vermont on Sunday.
In a spectacular effort by the offense, the Terriers (7-5-1, 2-0-0 America East) scored three goals in a span of 13 minutes. Junior Emily Pallotta started the scoring by taking a cross from Farrell McClernon and putting it in the back of the net just six minutes into the game. Pallotta went on to score the Terriers’ fourth goal of the game as well.
BU coach Nancy Feldman was pleased with the Terriers’ offensive effort, especially Pallotta’s ability to position herself in the middle of important plays.
‘Emily is a really aggressive player who puts herself in wonderful positions,’ Feldman said. ‘She gets involved in the attack while being able to transition to a defensive role in the midfield. She plays with a ton of energy and was in the right places.’
Though Pallotta was the standout star on offense, the Terriers got help from a variety of players. Senior Marisha Schumacher-Hodge netted her first goal of the season, and McClernon netted her third goal.
The Terriers scored in different ways, keeping the Catamounts (2-10-0, 0-2-0 AE) on their toes. The Terriers scored off a turnover, a chip shot, a strike from 18 yards out and the most conventional tactic ‘-‘- a cross to the middle of the field. BU outshot’ the Catamounts by an enormous margin of 22-2.
Because of the considerable lead, Feldman emptied her bench, letting less-experienced players gain valuable playing time. Freshman goalkeeper Annie Tooley relieved starter Janie Reilly at halftime.
Feldman said the unpredictability of her team’s offensive attack proved to be significant in finding openings and scoring their quartet of goals.
As of late, BU’s offense has shown that it can score early and often. In their past two contests, the Terriers have scored five times in the first half. Prior to those games, they only recorded two goals in the first half all season.
While the offense shined, the defense did their part and prevented the Catamounts from getting a single shot on goal. Vermont recorded one corner kick against the Terrier defense.
‘Not giving up an opportunity for a goal is an indication that we did a pretty good job of keeping ourselves committed and focused,’ Feldman said. ‘If you’re going to be a championship team, you don’t get too many of these games, so you want to be at your best.’
The last-place Catamounts have become accustomed to this type of loss. Their offense and defense have been equally abysmal this season, as their opponents have outscored them, 39-8.
Feldman said that her biggest concern going into this game was staying motivated against a less-than-par team.
‘If you can go out and dominate, score and get separation and not relax and get sloppy, it’s a good sign of the maturity of the team,’ Feldman said. ‘Every game is an opportunity to play at your highest level and not to lower your standards.’