W. soccer clinches AE crown

The Boston University women’s soccer team won its sixth straight game yesterday with a 2-1 road victory over the University of Maryland-Baltimore County. With the win, BU clinched the America East regular-season title for the sixth straight season.
The Terrier offense broke out early, scoring its first goal of the night 43 seconds into the game. Senior Elizabeth Speck crossed a ball that classmate Marisha Schumacher-Hodge put in the lower right-hand corner of the net. It was the Terriers’ earliest scoring drive of the season.
Yesterday marked the second consecutive game in which Schumacher-Hodge has scored, giving her four tallies on the year and putting her in a three-way tie for the team lead in goals. Her efforts have not gone unnoticed, as Schumacher-Hodge has been nominated for the America East 2008 Women’s Soccer Fan’s Choice Player of the Year award.
‘[Schumacher-Hodge] really does help control the possession in the midfield,’ BU coach Nancy Feldman said. ‘She’s getting herself into the box, too. It’s great to see her finish her career here playing her best soccer. She’s really found a good groove.’
The Terriers struck again in the 50th minute of the second half on a long pass sent from junior Mara Osher that sophomore Corie Halasz knocked in for her third goal of the year. Osher leads the Terriers with four assists.
UMBC suffered its seventh straight loss, and is now tied with the University at Albany for last place in America East. The Retrievers have scored six goals in 2008, while allowing 48 ‘-‘- the most in the conference.
The Terrier defense also shined, allowing eight total shots. Its only blemish came with 10 minutes remaining when Retriever forward Morgan Warrington crossed a ball that teammate Brooke Piper headed in over BU freshman goalkeeper Annie Tooley.
Feldman relied on her bench later in the game to keep her starters fresh with the playoffs approaching.
‘Some of the substitutions today were because I thought we had a decent handle on the match at one point,’ Feldman said. ‘It was a physical affair, and I was trying to keep people healthy.”
BU will play its final regular-season game Sunday against the University of Hartford. Feldman said she plans to keep her players prepared even though they have already clinched a playoff spot.
‘We really can’t relax at all,’ Feldman said. ‘We want to keep our momentum going into the postseason. We would like to finish the conference season undefeated and win every game we can win just in case we don’t come out on top in the conference tournament. There’s a lot riding on Sunday’s game.’
BU’s first game of the 2008 America East Tournament will be played Nov. 2 at Nickerson Field in what will mark the Terriers’ sixth playoff appearance in nine years.