Sophomore midfielder Ryan Shea’s 73rd minute red card sent the Boston University men’s soccer team a man down, and the University of Hartford took advantage with two goals down the stretch to break a 1-1 tie and beat the Terriers, 3-1, in Hartford, Conn. Saturday night.
Five yellow cards were awarded over the course of the game. Three Hartford (5-5-2, 2-0-1 America East) players, forward Patrick Boucher, forward Carlos Villa and midfielder Sam Groves were issued warnings, all in the first 32 minutes. BU (7-4-2, 1-2-0 AE) senior midfielder Tom Strackhouse received BU’s first yellow in the 55th minute, and then midfielder James Stamopoulos picked one up in the 68th minute before Shea gave Hartford the man advantage with his red in the 73rd.
The Hawks maintained a perfect in-conference record with a goal in the 72nd minute by Boucher to down the Terriers.
On an unassisted play, Boucher dribbled the ball just inside the left side of the penalty box and lofted a ball over a line of defensemen into the goal. It was his second goal on the season and third point of the game.
Forward Carlos Villa padded the lead in the 88th minute on a headed entrance pass by midfielder Howard Wong. After his header tipped the ball past the defense, Villa met it with a strong kick into an empty net. The goal was Villa’s seventh of the season.
Shea’s ejection came just as BU had turned the momentum.
Down 1-0 since the 22nd minute, junior forward Aaron O’Neal added to his team-leading eight goal total on an assist by freshman forward Nick Prunier. It was O’Neal’s 19th point of the season and Prunier’s third.
Prunier has burst on the scene as an offensive asset for the Terriers. He scored the first goal of his career in the Terriers’ victory over Stony Brook University, 3-0, in the America East opener.
The win over Stony Brook remains the Terriers’ only triumph in league play, after completing an impressive 6-2-2 non-conference record that included victories over three ranked opponents.
Senior goalkeeper Hrafn Davidsson had one of his worst showings of the season, allowing three goals and only saving three shots. He’s only given up three goals in one other game this season, a 3-3 tie to then-No. 23/23 Brown University.
Hartford did have more chances to score, as the Hawks outshot BU, 12-10.
Hartford goalkeeper Nenad Cudic registered four saves, while allowing the O’Neal goal.
The scuffling Terriers must recover quickly to restore their national reputation in the next game, Oct. 16, on Fox Soccer Channel. BU wasted its last opportunity to make good on national television with a disappointing 1-0 loss to rival Boston College.
The Terriers, who were picked in the preseason to win the league by America East head coaches, fell to a tie for fifth in the league with the University of Maryland-Baltimore County. UMBC and BU had the conference’s best records heading into league play, with the Retrievers undefeated at 9-0-0.
Hartford and the University of New Hampshire, ranked fourth and fifth in The Daily Free Press power rankings, respectively, are the surprise leaders, thus far.
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