The 2015 season has arrived for the Boston University men’s soccer team and it is shaping up to be one of great promise.
After winning the Patriot League regular season title in 2014 and coming within mere minutes of an NCAA Tournament berth, the Terriers (1-1) were picked to finish second in the conference’s preseason poll.
On the back end of a 12-4-4 record, that recognition comes as no surprise. The Terriers routinely defied expectations in 2014, hovering around a top-25 national ranking and earning numerous postseason awards for their collective and individual efforts.
“We have some talented players and the rankings show a lot of respect for the guys we have coming in and guys we have here already,” said BU coach Neil Roberts. “The kids are working hard and it’s a matter of time before it all comes together, but the ranking is something that we’re proud of.”
While the Patriot League as a whole recognizes the Terriers’ strength and the veteran savvy of Roberts, this year’s team will be vastly different. Key players from 2014 have graduated, creating gaps at crucial positions on the field.
Most notably, graduated forward Dominique Badji, who was the 2014 Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year, is now playing for the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer. His eight goals and four assists will be missed, as will stalwarts like goalkeeper Nick Thomson, defender Kelvin Madzongwe and midfielder Jordan Barker, who have also graduated.
With the spine of the 2014 team no longer donning scarlet and white jerseys, Roberts and the rest of his coaching staff have been diligently working toward replacing their contributions.
“It is what it is,” Roberts said. “It’s an honor to lose very good players. You’d probably be more disappointed if you lost players who weren’t very good, but we cope with it and move on. They all left a mark on the program, and hopefully a year from now we’ll be talking about how to replace some other key guys.”
Conversely, the Terriers are returning a core group of players, too. Sophomore midfielder David Amirani and junior midfielder David Asbjornsson will once again man the center of the field, and look to improve upon their combined six goals and three assists from 2014.
Additionally, senior defender Jeroen Blugh will once again anchor the back line, while junior forward Felix de Bona and senior forward Lucas McBride enter the season with a combined 13 goals for the program.
The Terriers also welcome 15 newcomers to the program including two transfers, which creates a unique blend of youthful experience and veteran guile.
“We have a nucleus of very talented players and hard workers,” Roberts said. “We’re quietly smiling and optimistic that we’re going to be fine. It’s going to take a little bit to piece together, but we’re pretty confident that as the season progresses things will come together and we’ll be a dangerous team.”
Based on their 2014 record and their standing in the preseason poll, the Terriers will not be sneaking up on the Patriot League in 2015. Roberts, who is beginning his 31st season at the helm has a group of promising underclassmen and experienced players that he feels are ready to compete for a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
“We were disappointed last year with our finish and we want to get back there,” Roberts said. “We don’t know a lot about what the conference has in store, but we’re at a good spot with getting guys where they need to be. It will be a work in progress and we definitely have our eyes set on getting back to what we missed out on last year.”
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.
