It hasn’t always been fun, and it certainly hasn’t been easy, but at least it’s almost over.
“It,” of course, is the six consecutive road games the Boston University men’s soccer team is playing before returning for a matchup at Nickerson Field, a stretch that wraps up this weekend when the Terriers visit a pair of Big East teams.
BU (1–3) will play Providence College at 3 p.m. on Friday before taking on No. 4 University of Connecticut at 7 p.m. on Sunday.
“I’m happy the way the team’s responding to these games and I think that we just need to get a couple points,” said BU coach Neil Roberts. “We’re creating some good chances, scoring some goals and we hope to continue that. Just keep getting better.”
The Friars have played to a 1–3 record identical to that of the Terriers, albeit against lesser competition. While BU has played four nationally ranked teams, including No. 1 University of North Carolina, PC has lost to Northeastern (2–1, double overtime), Monmouth (3–1) and then-No. 24 Brown (1–0).
Redshirt sophomore Keasel Broome has been impressive in goal early on for the Friars, putting up a 1.25 goals-against average and a .733 save percentage in three games.
“Providence has a new coach [Craig Stewart] this year, so they might look a little bit different,” Roberts said. “But we know what to expect. They’re a good team and they’re still trying to find themselves early on in the season. They’re one of the top teams in the country every year.”
On offense, meanwhile, Providence has scored exactly one goal in each of the three games it hasn’t been shut out and no Friar has scored more than one. Forward/midfielder Wilder Arboleda, forward Keith Jecewiz and midfielder Anthony Baumann have each found the back of the net once.
In that sense, PC is much like BU. Roberts has said since the preseason that he doesn’t expect any of his players in particular to carry the team in terms of scoring, and that has held true thus far.
The Terrier offense has also mustered just three goals, one apiece from junior midfielder Derek McCaffrey, sophomore forward Dominique Badji and redshirt freshman defender Parker Powell.
On Sunday, though, the Terriers will need someone to come through when they go through an even bigger test.
UConn has scored four goals — just one more than the Terriers — but they all came in victories for the 3–0 Huskies.
“Connecticut’s style of play is a little bit different than some of the teams we’ve played,” Roberts said. “A little bit more cautious, they’re a very skillful team, they like to possess the ball … So you have to be a little more patient.”
A key to the Huskies’ early undefeated record has been defense, which has limited opponents to a single tally in nearly 300 minutes of play.
Matching that steady defense may prove to be a problem for a Terrier back line that is suddenly young and untested.
Junior Kelvin Madzongwe suffered a knee injury on Aug. 31 against then-No. 16 Wake Forest during what Roberts called an “innocent” play. The team doesn’t yet know how long the 2011 America East Defender of the Year will be out, but Roberts said it could be for quite some time.
“Kelvin definitely won’t be playing this weekend,” Roberts said. “Guys in the back, Sanford [Spivey] and Jeroen [Blugh] are doing a good job for us, goalkeeper [Nick Thomson] is doing well. We’ve got to get our midfield being a little bit more consistent.”
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