W. soccer bombards Binghamton to claim first place

The Boston University women’s soccer team proved it was television-worthy in a 4-2 win at Binghamton University last night.
In BU’s first televised game in program history, the offense set a team record with its second straight four-goal game. The Terriers had 18 shots, 12 of which were on goal.
BU improved to 8-5-1 overall and 3-0-0 in America East play, good for first place in the conference standings. The Bearcats fell to 5-6-1 overall and 1-3 in conference play, leaving them tied for seventh place.
The Terriers used a diverse style of play to get on the board. They started the scoring 55 seconds into the first half with a far shot from the right side by sophomore Lina Cords. Ten minutes later, sophomore Corie Halasz crossed a shot that junior Emily Pallotta put in the back of the net to give the Terriers a 2-0 lead.
The goal by Pallotta was her third in two games, and she now leads the team with four tallies. She has already matched her season total from last year with five games still to play.
With five minutes left in the first half, freshman Jessica Luscinski crossed a long shot that went untouched and hit nylon to give the Terriers a 3-1 lead at the half. It was Luscinski’s second goal of the year.
BU has been on an offensive tear recently, outscoring opponents 12-3 in its last five games. In contrast, opponents outscored the Terriers in their first seven games by a 7-5 margin.
BU coach Nancy Feldman said she was impressed by the offense’s ability to get shots on net and score early in the game.
‘Having that kind of results off 18 shots is a good feeling. It builds your confidence when you can get a couple of different players into the scoring column,’ Feldman said. ‘We had to really work to generate those chances, and it was hard to penetrate them but we created some pretty good opportunities.’
The Terriers also managed to tack on an insurance goal in the 16th minute of the second half. Junior Mara Osher scored her first goal of the year off a shot coming just outside the 18-yard line.
The BU defense, which has not allowed more than one goal in a game since Sept. 21, yielded two last night despite limiting Binghamton to six total shots.
The Bearcats’ goals came off a header from a free kick in the 25th minute of the first half and a misplaced corner kick the BU defense simply lost track of.
Feldman said she saw last night’s televised event as a chance for potential recruits to see her team in action. She also acknowledged that overcoming the hoopla surrounding the national broadcast would be a challenge.
‘We focused on the game and were able to block out all the outside factors,’ Feldman said. ‘It’s a great opportunity for us to have to deal with that.
‘For our alumni and the whole America East, I think it was important for us to showcase our play. I hope we did BU and the America East proud.’