On a day where the focus of attention was the Boston University women’s soccer team’s explosive offensive display, a defensive record quietly fell. With Sunday’s shutout of Stony Brook University, the Terriers notched their names into the school record books by shutting out an opponent for the fifth consecutive game.
BU has done it all defensively by taking the bull by the horns. A relentless ball possession game has left opponents with few glimpses of the net. The midfield and forwards have done a remarkable job taking the play out of the defensive end and into the attacking half of the field.
“It takes a lot of energy to defend,” said BU coach Nancy Feldman . “That’s why we like the style of keeping the ball. It wears the other team down. I think they got worn down because they didn’t have the ball as much as we did. It’s a physical issue and a morale issue.”
Sunday’s game against Stony Brook featured a similar story. The Terriers outshot the Seawolves by a 24-3 margin, and there wasn’t a moment in the game where Stony Brook threatened to score.
Feldman continued her usual routine of starting freshman goalkeeper Kelly King in the first half while substituting in junior Alice Binns after the break. Interestingly enough, Feldman also decided to give freshman Andrea Green her first taste of collegiate play by bringing her in for the last 13 minutes after BU had stretched its lead to four.
The decision spoke volumes about Feldman’s confidence in her squad. BU is a team whose defensive play feeds off good offensive control, a good reason why the team plays well with two goalkeepers every game. True to form, Green faced almost no pressure at all as her teammates continued to make things easy for the backline.
“Records are nice, but these kids work hard every day in training,” Feldman said. “To me, it’s more important if I have an opportunity to get someone in who deserves it. I never even for a moment though “Oh wow, we’re risking the shutout.’ I have a lot of trust and faith in Andrea because she has been playing great in training. I thought it was a time in a game and a score where we could afford to get a young player in the game.”
Even when the midfield does give the ball away, a Terrier defender is almost always there to make a timely chip and erase any opportunity that opponents might see. A rotation of six players has held the fort in most games as junior Lina Cords, sophomore Jessica Morrow, senior Corie Halasz, freshman Erin Mullen, junior Katherine Donnelly and senior Lily Albin have seen the majority of the playing time.
“Those six players have done a terrific job of playing their role when called upon, whether its center back or wide back,” Feldman said. “They’re a good unit and it’s not a unit of four but rather a unit of six.”
Cords, described as the “rock’ of the backline by the coaching staff, has done a great job returning from injury and keeping things simple at the back. Meanwhile, Halasz has brought in an offensive element from the left back role, launching her trademark long shots at least once per game. The senior tri-captain has also performed an important mentoring role for many of the team’s young additions.
“We’ve been watching a lot of videos of our games,” Halasz said. “Our goal is working as a unit, simplifying the game for ourselves and covering each other.”
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