Fresh off their sweep of the America East annual All-Conference awards in which Boston University women’s soccer team took seven out of the 11 spots on the AE First Team, the Terriers banged out a 2-0 AE tournament semifinal win over the University at Albany Sunday afternoon.
With 10 minutes of regulation left in a tightly contested, physical 0-0 game, junior Striker of the Year Jessica Luscinski bounced one off the top crossbar and into the goal on a free kick from 25 yards out to put the first-seeded Terriers up by one.
“I knew that if I could get it on frame, most likely I could get it in,” Luscinski said.
Just two minutes later, Luscinski assisted on the Terriers second and final goal, as freshman midfielder Kylie Strom &- herself named to the All-Rookie team &- chipped one over the goalie to put the game away.
“I have been working on those free kicks all year,” Luscinski said. “So it was nice to see that, and then turn around and help set someone else up.”
In light of the award, Luscinski is keeping the same mentality that helped her amass 10 goals and seven assists during the regular season.
“I was absolutely honored to have heard that, that the coaches thought that much of me to give me that award,” Luscinski said. “I just want to keep playing, keep contributing how I’ve been contributing all year. It’s gotten me to where I am this year, and I just need to do my part and help my team out.”
Also chipping in to Sunday’s win were goalkeeper and Rookie of the Year Kelly King, and junior and Goalkeeper of the Year Alice Binns. The duo split playing time on Sunday, each playing a half as they have all season, and extended their lengthy streak of shutouts to 12 games, a school record and the fourth longest in NCAA history.
In fact, the last time an opponent scored on the King/Binns tandem&-then-No. 12 University of Virginia on Sept. 12&-Halloween was in the distant future for students in their second week of the semester, 33 Chilean miners had just over a month to go before they would be rescued and the Red Sox still had a chance at making the playoffs.
King and Binns cannot take all the credit for the shutouts, though, as the Terriers’ defense allowed just one shot all game against Albany on Sunday. Senior and Defender of the Year Corie Halasz has been a big part of BU’s stingy defense. Halasz, one of the team’s three captains, leads a defense that has allowed an average of just half a goal per game, while adding one goal and one assist herself on the offensive end this season.
Senior Shauna Kelleher was named Midfielder of the Year and to the All-Conference team after collecting three assists this season.
Last&-but certainly not least, if you ask any of the Terriers&-is head coach Nancy Feldman and her staff, assistant coaches Liz Driscoll and Jessica Clinton, who were collectively honored as Coaching Staff of the Year by their peers.
“Coach just pretty much gets us ready for everything,” Halasz said. “In practice this week we pretty much went through every scenario: up a goal, down a goal, a man down, [penalty kicks]. We practiced for everything, and I think that’s what gets us ready.”
Feldman said she was honored to have won the award, but insisted her job is far from done this season.
“It is a great honor, [and] all of the end-of-the-season awards for our players are a great honor, but that was based on the regular season,” Feldman said. “Moving forward in tournament time, you’re only as good as your last win, and I won’t feel like Coach of the Year if we don’t win the championship. Whether I have the trophy or not, I won’t feel that way.”
The Terriers will compete for their fourth straight AE Championship on Nov. 6 when they take on sixth-seeded University of Maine.
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