Playing in its first road matchup in Patriot League play Wednesday night, the Boston University men’s soccer team defeated the College of the Holy Cross 1-0.
The Terriers (7-2-1, 3-0 Patriot League) were forced to come out playing hard in the early stages of the match, as the Crusaders (4-4-2, 1-2 Patriot League) started the game with intensity.
The most worrisome moment occurred in the eighth minute when a Crusader counterattack led to a strong save from Terrier senior goalkeeper Nick Thomson, whose five stops paved the way for his fifth shutout of the year.
After this initial scare, BU quickly gained a stranglehold on the proceedings, settling into a passing rhythm, garnering some quality chances and displaying tactical and defensive discipline.
“[Holy Cross] came out with a lot of energy and moved the ball well,” said BU coach Neil Roberts. “They are well coached and are a good team. They’re young but are a good team. We weathered the storm a little bit and later in the half got control of the game so we’re happy with that.”
BU’s first opportunity of the game came in the 19th minute when senior midfielder Jordan Barker and freshman defender Bjarki Benediktsson worked the ball through the left channel before finding sophomore midfielder David Asbjornsson in the center.
Asbjornsson collected the ball 30 yards from goal and unleashed a right-footed strike that resulted in a comfortable save for Holy Cross goalkeeper Kevin Wright.
Senior forward Dominique Badji fired several shots on target as the game continued, but it was his classmate Barker that ultimately put the Terriers on the board in the 44th minute.
On the stroke of halftime, BU was fouled on the left sideline. Barker’s ensuing free kick evaded everyone in the penalty area and found its way into the right side netting for his second goal of the season.
“We got the goal, and we were able to come out of a pretty even half up 1-0, which is good,” Roberts said. “We battled, and I liked how we got the free kick that led to the goal. David Asbjornsson chased a guy down, won the ball and fought hard for the foul. We took advantage of it.”
The second half saw the match sway more in the direction of the Crusaders, who came out with pace and energy. Holy Cross’s play was matched by a high level of physicality that disrupted the creativity and quality of chances, as evidenced by the teams’ combined 22 fouls on the evening.
“We tried to play, but once a team gets a goal, things change,” Roberts said. “They were throwing balls in our box, and we had to deal with it. The team that’s up would like to keep the ball and make them chase, but that’s what happens when you are down. They did a good job pressuring us and in a conference game that’s what happens, especially when you’re on the road.”
The first chance of the second half for either side came in the 72nd minute when Crusaders midfielder Justin Carfora burst through the heart of the Terrier defense and forced Thomson into a diving save down to his right.
Holy Cross continued to pile on the pressure as the match wore on, but the BU backline held strong for the win.
“Fortunately, we’ve been in that situation before,” Roberts said. “I thought we did a good job with relieving pressure, taking time off the clock and bringing the ball into the corner. They were pushing for the goal and pushing numbers forward. It became a battle in each other’s box, but we fought hard and did what we needed to do.”
Jonathan's a New Englander who writes about sports, features and politics. He currently covers men's hockey at BU, worked as Sports Editor during the spring 2016 semester and is on the FreeP's Board of Directors. Toss him a follow on Twitter at @jonathansigal.
