Men’s soccer attempts to bounce back against Loyola

Coming off its first loss in almost two months, the No. 20 Boston University men’s soccer team will look to rebound at Loyola University-Maryland Saturday in Baltimore.

The Terriers (10-3-1, 5-0 Patriot League) are looking to clinch a berth in the upcoming conference tournament with a win over the Greyhounds (5-6-2, 2-3 Patriot League).

“It’s a big game for us,” said BU coach Neil Roberts. “We didn’t make it to the tournament last year, so it would mean a lot to us. I’m glad with where we are as a team. We just need to forget about this last loss and continue to build momentum as a team.”

BU’s nine-game unbeaten streak was finally snapped by Boston College Tuesday night. The Terriers seemed to dominate play in the first half, as senior forward Dominique Badji recorded his team-high seventh goal in the 25th minute to give the Terriers a 1-0 lead.

The Terriers would relinquish the lead in the 43rd minute, as a ball hit off a BU defender and found its way into the back of the net. The second half was a different story, as play seemed much more balanced. The Eagles (5-5-3) took the lead quickly, going up 2-1 in the 52nd minute. The Eagles sealed BU’s fate in the 78th minute, as forward Nick Butler found the back of the net to extend BC’s lead to 3-1.

The game marked the first time the Terriers allowed more than two goals all season. This is no coincidence, however, as the Terriers played without the services of senior defender Kelvin Madzongwe, junior defender Jeroen Blugh and sophomore midfielder David Asbjornsson. To make matters worse, Badji also got hurt, forcing him to walk off the field during the game.

“They’re a huge loss,” Roberts said. “When you lose someone like Kelvin, you lose someone that pretty much mans your backline. That hurts, it really does. We’re not the same team without them. It’s just really frustrating. We need to get them back out there.”

Contrary to BU, Loyola is coming off its first win in four games. Senior Joseph Cahalan headed in the game-winning goal in the 107th minute to give the Greyhounds a 2-1 win over Lehigh University in double overtime. The Greyhounds boast a 4-1-0 record at home in the Ridley Athletic Complex.

“They’re really good at home,” Roberts said. “Almost a different team at home. They play with a lot more calm, a lot more confidence. It’s going to be a big test for us. Coming off our first loss in so long, we have to respond well. They’ve got a few good players, but so do we. It’s going to be a fun game to watch, no doubt.”

The Greyhounds boast a fair share of playmakers, as senior Connor Thompson leads Loyola with three goals this season, while Cahalan and sophomore Ryan Tuck have two goals each. The Greyhounds have been in several close games this year, as they have been involved in three double-overtime games, and seven other games were decided by just one goal.

Although BU looks like the stronger team on paper, Roberts said he understands that the team cannot lose focus when playing a strong home opponent like the Greyhounds.

“We know how good they are,” he said. “I’ll make sure they know. We’ve definitely played with a lot more confidence this season, but we cannot let that get the better of us. We just need to keep playing how we’ve played all year, and we’ll be fine.”