In the end, it seems fitting that another close game would draw the Boston University women’s soccer team’s season to a close again.
The Terriers (15-4-4, 8-1 Patriot League) fell to Santa Clara University Saturday by a score of 2-1, effectively ending their road to an NCAA Championship at Blacksburg, Va. It was the team’s fourth loss of the season, and the fourth loss decided by one goal.
BU’s aggressive offense that had been previously outscoring opponents 19-2 in the past thirteen games was stalled by the stellar Broncos defense, and the team only had nine total shots with four shots on goal for the entire game. Key playmakers such as senior forward Madison Clemens, senior midfielder Megan McGoldrick and freshman forward Erica Kosienski combined for only two shots and zero goals.
The lone goal for the Terriers came from a shot at the 41st minute by senior midfielder Kylie Strom. The ball crossed from the left side of the goal post and ended up at the right set of the net, which tied the game up before both teams went into halftime.
“That didn’t happen a lot this year,” said BU coach Nancy Feldman with regards to the team’s low offensive output. “That said, I liked how our team rebounded. There could’ve been a lot of disappointment, a lot of frustration and we could’ve let things gotten out of hand. I think when we have strong-minded players, disciplined players that could play our game, when they have the belief [that they could win] and when they are competitive, then we can deal with these things pretty well.”
Meanwhile, Santa Clara (16-4-4) played a consistent attack of its own, forcing BU to play catch-up early when junior forward Sofia Huerta scored from the right post about a minute and a half into the game.
Averaging nearly three goals a game, the Broncos’ high powered offense proved to be a challenge to senior goalkeeper Andrea Green and the rest of the backfield, as the team gave up more than one goal for the first time since Sept. 8 when BU beat the University of Akron 3-2.
For the rest of the half both teams played equally in terms of ball control, and even tried to physically outmatch each other on the playing field. In the 76th minute, however, Broncos senior forward Morgan Marlborough managed to maneuver herself inside the box and lifted the ball to the open net, allowing Santa Clara to regain the lead with less than 15 minutes left in the game.
“[Santa Clara’s players] are tough to keep under wraps,” Feldman said. “They have very good attacking players and some special personalities on that front line. When you get into individual battles with them, you can’t really defend them as a unit and it really becomes a lot to handle for one player. That was what happened with regards to those two scores.”
BU had ample opportunities to even the match following the second goal, as Santa Clara earned two yellow cards soon after. But a final effort orchestrated by senior midfielder Emma Clark’s corner kick ended in futility, and once again the Terriers left the NCAA playoffs in the second round.
“I thought our team played really well, but obviously I’m sad and disappointed to see it end,” Feldman said. “I was pleased how our team came back in the first half after allowing a goal early on. I thought that summarized our entire season, how our team was a persistent bunch, and they responded really well to that. Those couple of moments where they got some special effort from a couple of their players — that was enough to be the difference.”
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