Men’s soccer welcomes red-hot UMass Lowell to Nickerson Field

In the final encounter of a three-game home stretch, the Boston University men’s soccer team will take on the University of Massachusetts Lowell on Wednesday evening at Nickerson Field.

Coming into the contest, the River Hawks (5-3) are riding high. They have won four of their last five contests and made the most of a four-game homestand, dropping one decision and emerging victorious in the other three during that timespan.

Leading the charge for the River Hawks is undoubtedly midfielder Wuilito Fernandes. The Cape Verde native leads his team with two goals and three assists, and was named to the watch list for the 2015 MAC Hermann Trophy, which is awarded to the best player in college soccer.

Stopping Fernandes’ marauding runs out of midfield and eye for creative passes will be of the utmost importance for the Terriers (4-2-1, 0-0-1 Patriot League), but BU coach Neil Roberts is not intimidated by the task at hand.

“We’ve seen players like him, but he’s a good individual player,” Roberts said. “It will be nothing real different than we’ve done in the past in terms of collective defending and just making sure we’re putting pressure on the ball like we’ve been doing the last couple games. He’s a talented kid for sure, though.”

Outside of Fernandes, the River Hawks boast impressive offensive balance. 10 players have registered at least one point, and the team is currently scoring 1.13 goals a game. On the defensive side of things, goalkeeper Austin Kroll has posted four shutouts and owns a .710 save percentage.

All of those elements will pose unique dangers for BU on Wednesday, but the Terriers are playing arguably some of their best soccer of the season. They are coming off a 3-0 thumping of Harvard University on Thursday and a draw with Bucknell University, 1-1, to open up Patriot League play Sunday.

While the scoreline does not necessarily prove it, Roberts feels as though the Bucknell game illustrated some of BU’s best play to date. All that was missing was the final touch, which junior forward Felix De Bona or sophomore midfielder Anthony Viteri can dependably provide.

“The second half of the Bucknell game is something we want to build on,” Roberts said. “That’s what we’ve been looking for all season and it’s been a process. It’s going to be how we can keep getting better, which we seem to be doing. If we get possession like we did in the second half of the Bucknell game and keep creating chances like that, we’ll get our goals.”

As BU’s identity has taken form over the last several games, its depth has impressed. Starters such as De Bona or Viteri are the offensive leaders of the team, but upwards of 17 or 18 players can now offer reliable minutes when it matters the most.

Of note, freshman midfielder Magnus Benediktsson is broadening his reserve role, junior midfielder Peter Brodeur is making the most of his limited opportunities and sophomore backer Eric Udelson is plugging gaps here and there. That sort of depth was missing earlier in the year, but now is a foundational aspect of an up-and-coming Terrier squad.

“Peter is getting some [time] and Eric, too,” Roberts said. “It’s a luxury we usually don’t have, but we still have young kids who were playing in the beginning who are still looking to get more time. It’s a good position to be in, but difficult to spread out the minutes. The guys are fighting hard in training and deserve to get on the field.”

The match will likely come down to which team can capitalize on the mistakes of its opponent, but Roberts is confident ahead of the contest.

“It all seems to be coming along and this group works extremely hard,” Roberts said. “They listen and keep getting better. There’s still a long way to go, and the kids know it, but we’re going to keep striving to achieve that. It’s a good situation for us.”