Senior Samuel Appiah of the No. 15/16 Boston University men’s soccer team got the corner kick from classmate Ben Berube 25 yards in front of the goal. Lining himself up, Appiah fired a sniper shot that curved ever so slightly into the top left corner of the net, just missing the grasping reach of the opposing goaltender.
Appiah’s first goal against Stony Brook University at Nickerson Field on Saturday proved to be the game winner in a 3-0 victory that was over almost as soon as play began. The senior from Obuasi, Ghana scored a second goal just over five minutes later, putting away the win practically all by himself.
‘Sammy is by far the best player on our team right now,’ BU coach Neil Roberts said about his team’s captain. ‘He’s been fantastic for us. He’s just playing at a different level. If we can get more guys on our team to play close to his level, then we’ll be a special team.’
The offensive surge could be a little bit of a surprise to fans of BU soccer. Before this season, Appiah had only scored seven goals in his career. This year, he already has four with six conference games still left to play.
‘I thank God this is my last year and everything is going well for me,’ Appiah said. ‘In practice I give everything, and so I think it’s paying off.’
That is not to say that Appiah’s contributions to the team have not gone unnoticed. He has played in every game for the Terriers since joining them as a freshman in 2006, and has started in all but six of those games.
Calling Appiah the ‘heart’ of his team, Roberts emphasized the veteran’s multiple skill sets. Despite standing at just 5-foot-8 and 140 lbs., Appiah is a force in the midfield no matter if he attacks or plays defense.
‘He works great in the midfield,’ Roberts said. ‘He pressures more than anybody. He defends. He attacks. He scores goals now. We’ve got other guys on our team who can do the same thing, but we’ve got to have more people who have the same work ethic of Sammy out there.’
His quickness is his biggest asset. However, even though he could easily outrun most of his opponents, Appiah has a more strategic approach to how he handles the ball.
He relies on positioning, control and technique rather than power. In reference to his laser of a game-winning shot against Stony Brook, Appiah stressed that it was how he received the ball and his follow-through that allowed him to make the goal.’ ‘
Appiah has delivered in the clutch on more than one occasion. His first goal of the season was a game-winner against Providence College on Sept. 7. It was his goal and assist that helped preserve a tie against No. 23 Brown University.
As a sophomore, Appiah scored his first game-winner against Penn State University and finished the 2007 season tied for third on the team in goals with three.
Even with the numbers, Appiah’s true contribution to the team is in the intangibles, especially his leadership ability. Having played soccer for years in Ghana and now in the United States, he has a great knowledge of the game. He also knows it can be difficult for the younger members of a team trying to prove themselves, to whom he takes a guiding approach.
‘As a leader, I try to mentor the young guys,’ Appiah said. ‘Sometimes it’s kind of hard for those guys to just pick it up. It happened to me when I came as a freshman. It got tough for me, but the bigger guys just encouraged me and helped me to move on.’
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