The early weeks of the Boston University men’s soccer team’s season have largely been defined by the production of sophomore midfielder Anthony Viteri, a transfer from St. John’s University.
However, another transfer rose to the occasion Saturday, as junior forward Mark Wadid, who previously attended Pennsylvania State University, scored BU’s (3-2) lone goal against Princeton University.
Usually deployed out on the wing where he can whip in crosses and attack on the dribble, Wadid instead found his scoring touch against the Tigers (2-2). After starting in all five of BU’s games this year and coming close to finding the back of the net before, Wadid’s strike was a moment of individual reward.
“He played a little bit up front on the weekend, but Mark’s been coming along as far as doing what we need him to do and getting used to the system,” said BU coach Neil Roberts. “He’s got a lot of speed, which is good, and he took the goal well.”
Roberts added that he expects to utilize Wadid’s speed in order to get the 5-foot-10 striker more chances.
“It was just a beat-the-goalkeeper-to-it-and-finish-it-off kind of play,” Roberts said of Wadid’s tally. “There are certainly a lot more goals left in Mark, so we’re just waiting for him to get comfortable and things will start going his way.”
Adam Wright paves way into starting lineup
After missing out on BU’s first two games of the season altogether, freshman midfielder Adam Wright has become an ever-present part of Roberts’ starting eleven in recent weeks.
“He was just trying to work his way in as a young kid,” Roberts said. “He’s been training well and it can be difficult for freshman, so it was just a matter of him settling in and finding his role.”
The San Diego, California, native has made the most of his time on the field, as he has played 163 minutes and provided the helper on Viteri’s opening strike against the University of Massachusetts Amherst on Sept. 13.
A major reason for those developments is that Wright offers pace in wide positions and a willingness to track back and defend. Because of these qualities, Wright has made it hard for Roberts to not to hand the freshman the starting nod.
“Adam is a left-footed player and we don’t have a lot of left-footed players,” Roberts said. “He’s got some speed and is a big, strong kid. We’re hoping to get his left foot involved and get some services in for us.”
Terriers learn difficulty of road battles
BU’s 2-1 road loss to Princeton offered lessons on many fronts, but perhaps none was greater than the fact that going on the road in college soccer is no easy task.
An unfamiliar playing field, long bus ride and unpredictable conditions often combine to create a less-than-desirable situation. And while players are well-versed in dealing with each obstacle that comes their way, the challenges of playing on the road are still tough to overcome.
It is difficult to pinpoint what exactly caused the struggles at Princeton’s Roberts Stadium, but BU quickly realized that adversity can make even earning a draw away from home extremely difficult.
“Going on the road is difficult and the better the competition, the more difficult it is,” Roberts said. “Princeton has a beautiful field, it was a great setting, it was a good crowd. It was their first game and it was a very emotional game for them, so they had a lot of motivation and showed it in the game. The road is what it is, and we just have to deal with that.”
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.
