The Boston University women’s soccer team entered its three-game homestand winless, and now heads back out on the road looking more like the same team that has won the Patriot League the past two years.
Offensive struggles for the Terriers (3-4-2, 1-0 Patriot League) on the road were apparent as they tallied just three goals in six games.
Once BU came home to Nickerson Field, however, it dominated teams in the attacking third by putting together long, masterful possessions capped off by beautiful finishes. Three of the Terriers’ eight goals during the homestand were strikes from beyond 25 yards out, including senior midfielder Clare Pleuler’s overtime game-winner against Hofstra University on Sept. 13.
During the three-game stretch, Pleuler was a magician in the middle for the Terriers, helping spread the ball from touchline to touchline. Her nifty dribbling skills were vital to avoid high-pressure defensive attacks from both Providence College and Bucknell University. Her passing abilities got underclassmen involved, which led to four Terriers scoring their first career goals in the scarlet and white.
Sophomore defender Erin Neville had the fourth goal Sunday vs. Bucknell (4-5-1, 0-1 Patriot League) from long-range and two freshmen — defender Chelsea Churchill and midfielder Dorrie Varley-Barrett — all notched their first collegiate goals during the three games.
BU coach Nancy Feldman commented on what has made her offense so efficient as of late.
“We’re moving the ball,” Feldman said. “Our mobility off the ball is better and if you can do that, then your speed of play is better, you’ll be able to attack faster before the opposing team gets organized.
“We’re doing everything right with better tempo and better mobility,” Feldman added. “It’s not like we’re scoring more because we’re shooting better. We’re scoring more because we’re giving ourselves a better position because we’re playing quicker.”
Rachel Bloznalis earns Patriot League Defender of the Week distinction
As explosive as the offense was this past weekend, the Terrier defense stifled opponents and kept the ball out of its defensive third.
Junior defender Rachel Bloznalis was dominant for BU, aggressively winning tackles while managing the shape of the back line. She collected Patriot League Defender of the Week honors as the defense only allowed one goal in its last two games.
After losing eight starters from last year’s team, Bloznalis was one of many Terriers called upon to step up and she has answered the call beautifully. The Upton native has already played more minutes (598) than she did in the first two years of her BU career. Feldman is pleased to see Bloznalis get recognized by the Patriot League.
“I think it’s well-deserved,” Feldman said. “Rachel has worked very hard to get back on the field after missing all of last year and is a very good defender, a great reader, a good server and she’s a really important person on our team. She won that award and was recognized. Our team did well and so our players get recognized. They know that when the team doesn’t do well, individual players don’t get accolades. It’s an individual honor and also a team honor.”
Patience key for Terriers’ success
The Terriers asserted themselves as the aggressors during the homestand, as they were quick to pressure on defense. But on the offensive side of the ball, their disciplined and patient attack proved to outlast their opponents.
For example, Bucknell is second in the Patriot League in shots per game at 15, but it managed just three against the stout back line of the Terriers. Against the Bison, a team that wants to speed the game up, BU applied heavy pressure in the midfield and offset their tempo with longer offensive possessions to stretch the game out.
Feldman has effectively adjusted to different opponents by using an array of different lineups. BU has 17 different players that average at least 24 minutes per game, which speaks volumes about Feldman’s newfound confidence in her young players.
“It’s probably the best depth we’ve had in a long time,” Feldman said. “That is a real positive for this year’s team. It’s going to be very important for us going forward because people get injured. If players are happy to sit a game because they got a knock, we have other players who have real game experience.”
Having such a strong bench will allow BU to compete against the best teams in the Patriot League again this season.
“The season can be very much of a grind physically and mentally,” Feldman said. “It’s harder if you have only 13 or 14 players playing game after game. You want to make sure you have enough in the tank for the end of the year. We have really been able to count on a lot of players playing significant minutes.”
