It’s not the holiday season, but with its second straight Ivy League opponent, the Harvard University Crimson, on deck, the Boston University men’s soccer team might be getting a present.
And the Terriers certainly would not mind one.
Since its season-opening victory, BU (2-5) has scored just three goals over the course of a 1-5 run that has stretched throughout the month of September. Most of those losses were thanks in part to the brutal non-conference schedule the Terriers have endured, including three games against nationally-ranked opponents.
“I think we’re trying to find our identity still,” said BU coach Neil Roberts.
Today’s game against Harvard – kickoff for which is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Harvard’s Soldier Field in Allston – is mercifully the penultimate game on the Terriers’ nonconference slate.
Despite the Terriers’ struggles, Harvard has not met a better fate thus far. The Crimson are off to a 2-4-1 start and just wrapped up an uninspiring 0-2-1 road trip that included a 1-0 loss to Stanford University and a 0-0 tie with Santa Clara University.
Likely at fault for its record is the Crimson’s offensive output. Harvard has scored three goals the entire season, and it last found the back of the net in a 1-0 overtime win over the University of Massachusetts on Sept. 16.
One of the goals, off the foot of midfielder Scott Prozeller, came on a penalty kick in that recent win over UMass, but forward Brian Rogers – owner of the other two goals and a team-leading 17 shots – presents the greatest offensive threat, one that could present a problem for a BU defense that will be thinner than normal.
The Terrier defense has averaged one goal allowed per game, and will be without senior defender Colin Henry for the second-straight game. Henry hurt his hamstring on Sept. 18 versus UMass and has been out of action since.
Roberts said Henry would be a game-day decision, but did not sound confident in the defensive anchor’s chances of playing Tuesday afternoon.
Joining Henry in the ranks of questionable-to-play is freshman forward Dominique Badji, who injured his arm against Brown, leading to him sitting out the entire second half against Brown.
Luckily the injury is not expected to be serious – it is “just a bruise,” according to Roberts – but the team will take it slow and see how Badji feels during the pregame. With or without those two starters, BU will need to overcome a few problems that have plagued it recently. The Terriers have averaged more than 17 fouls per game their last four games, which is way too many, Roberts said, especially compared to their opponents’ average of less than 11.
“We don’t want to commit as many fouls as we have the last few games,” Roberts said. “We don’t want to allow teams to get set-play goals [as they have the last two games.] That’s the main thing, and then it’s getting to finish, try to score goals, try to be overall better than we were against Brown.”
As Roberts noted, allowing set-play goals has been a problem for BU of late. Against UMass and again on Sept. 23 against then-No. 22 Brown University, the team dug itself into early holes by allowing a first-half goal on free kicks. The Terriers managed a comeback against the Minutemen, but weren’t so lucky against the Bears.
Troubles and struggles aside, Roberts put his confidence in the team simply and succinctly.
“I think the team believes in themselves. We want to win, but we have to do things right to get that,” Roberts said. “They’ll be ready to play Harvard.”
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