Backed by a strong defensive unit and a young core of players, the BU men’s soccer team is looking forward to a chance to make the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2008. After earning the America East regular season title last season, the Terriers (11-5-1) faltered in the conference tournament, losing 1-0 in overtime to AE runner-up University of New Hampshire.
BU coach Neil Roberts is entering his 27th year as the Terriers’ coach and is only one win away from 300 in his career. Twenty-five out of his 27 seasons were winning ones.
Early this season, the Terrier players have been finding their roles on the team and learning meshing with their teammates. After winning its first game 2-0 against College of the Holy Cross, the team fell to both then-No. 21 Monmouth University and St. John’s University 1-0.
“We are starting to really get the identity of this group and the personality of this group. We just know we are not as composed and experienced on the ball as we would like, but that will come in time,” Roberts said. “These games are only going to help in the long run. We will be able to get results before very long against this competition I’m sure.”
The biggest question mark coming into the season is in goal with a position battle between two freshmen since former starting goalkeeper Brandon Briggs transferred to Monmouth.
Freshman Nick Thomson from Cramlington, England won the battle in the preseason, and has shown Roberts he is talented enough to not only play in this league, but to succeed.
“Nick is a very talented goalkeeper — he is very confident, very composed and very experienced for a young kid,” Roberts said. “I really think that as time goes on he has the potential to be as good as any goalie we have ever had here.”
From a defensive standpoint, the Terriers have one of the best groups in the AE. The team will bring back senior defender Colin Henry, who was AE Defender of the Year last season, as well as 2010 Rookie of the Year Kelvin Madzongwe to solidify the back line. Madzongwe is returning from injury early this season, but should soon earn his way back to the starting lineup.
Also showing great potential early in the season has been freshman defender Sanford Spivey, who has started all three games early this season.
“Spivey was a pleasant surprise,” Roberts said. “We knew he was very good and a tough kid, and he has done a good job back there.”
The midfield for the Terriers is very deep and young, featuring sophomores Derek McCaffrey, Vicente Colmenares, and Anthony Ciccone. Also figuring to make an impact is freshman Cameron Souri, who has been a key member of the team’s bench due to his versatility.
“Souri could be starting but he is so valuable because he can play so many different positions for us,” Roberts said. “We have used him up front, out wide, in the middle of the midfield, so he plays as many minutes as anybody just coming off the bench.”
However, due to a season-ending injury to senior midfielder Michael Bustamente, the midfield will be even less experienced.
“It was very disappointing for us and for him, but it is something he has dealt with very well,” Roberts said. “Ciccone and Souri are kind of sealing the hole there. It is a work in progress but it will work out fine.”
The key man for the Terriers in the midfield is senior captain Stephen Knox. Knox plays on the wing for BU, and has scored the only two goals of the season so far. He and senior forward Ben Berube have been the vital players for the team with their leadership and skill.
“[Knox and Berube] are really going to play a major role, there is no doubt about it. We have some young kids out there, but it is going to be up to them to be a force for us so the young kids have time to mature,” Roberts said.
Also figuring to make an impact on the offensive end is freshman forward Dominique Badji, who has shown great speed and athleticism so far this season. He is going to be crucial in the Terriers efforts to capitalize on more of their scoring chances.
“I think our possession last year was pretty good, our goals against was pretty good,” Roberts said. “We just have to generate more goals as the season goes on.”
Many expect the AE to be a very competitive league this season, with the defending champion University of Maryland-Baltimore County returning 15 players from last year’s team as well as UNH, a team that will be returning last season’s Goalkeeper of the Year Colin O’Donnell.
But despite the competition and the grind of the season, Roberts is looking forward to watching his team compete and come together.
“I think we are going to have a very good conference,” Roberts said. “It will be a battle all the way to the end, and it will be fun.”
This is an account occasionally used by the Daily Free Press editors to post archived posts from previous iterations of the site or otherwise for special circumstance publications. See authorship info on the byline at the top of the page.
