Revenge on mind of m. soccer

After snapping a four-game losing streak to capture Boston University coach Neil Roberts’ 300th win against the University of Massachusetts this past weekend, the men’s soccer team will look to carry its momentum into a matchup against Brown University on Friday night.

BU (2-4) has struggled in the early part of the season partly due to its tough schedule, one that has three games against Big East Conference teams, two of which were ranked in the top 20 teams in the nation.

Having faced elite competition early on, Roberts thinks this tough schedule is going will help the team improve as the season goes on.

“I think it will help us grow,” Roberts said. “We are hoping this group understands we are close to being a real good team.

“But we are not training well enough yet and we are making small mistakes that are going to hurt us against good teams. So we are going to learn from that and when it is all said and done this will be a great experience for us.”

Brown (4-2) fell to the University of Kentucky 5-1 in its last game at the South Carolina Tournament, but had enjoyed a four-game winning streak prior to its loss. The Bears have won both of their games at home, and will look to remain unbeaten at Stevenson Field behind a stout defense.

“They are usually very tight defensively and they attack very fast,” Roberts said. “They are an experienced team.”

Last season against Brown, BU could not put away any of its chances despite controlling possession most of the game and fell by a score of 2-0. The Terriers outshot the Bears 17-9, and led in corner kicks 9-2.

BU will have to look out for talented Brown forward T.J. Popolizio, who is the team’s leading scorer. In five games this season, Popolizio has scored five goals and had one assist. The senior from Rexford, N.Y. has already scored more goals this season than the four goals he scored last season, one of which was against the Terriers.

One player who was not there last season for the Terriers’ losing effort is freshman forward Dominique Badji who has impressed the coaching staff in the past three games. The Alexandria, Va. native now leads the Terriers in points with three, including his two assists against UMass.

“He’s a young player that is figuring it out,” Roberts said. “He is going to be a good player so I think you are going to see him consistently contribute to us as the season goes on.”

BU may be without senior defender Colin Henry, who injured his hamstring in the UMass game. According to Roberts, Henry, who is the defending America East Conference Defender of the Year, is “questionable” for Friday’s match.

While the team struggled offensively early in the season, the Terriers found success in pushing their outside defenders forward to jump into the offense against UMass. However, Roberts sees Brown as a much different style of opponent than UMass.

“That is what UMass gave us — they played us really deep, but I don’t think that will be the case with Brown,” Roberts said. “Every game is different.”

Looking beyond the Brown game, BU will face more stiff competition on the road in the upcoming weeks. The Terriers will face cross-town rival Harvard University on Sep. 28, before traveling to West Hartford, Conn. to face University of Hartford in the Terriers’ first conference game. Roberts is looking to create some momentum for these upcoming games by winning their second-consecutive game on Friday.

“It’s important to try to build up the momentum of playing well and getting better,” Roberts said, “and that is what we are trying to do.”