After remaining positive despite a tough beginning to the season, the Boston University women’s soccer team remains undefeated in league play with one game left in the regular season.
Most recently, the Terriers (9-5-3, 7-0-1 Patriot League) earned their fourth straight victory with a 2-0 win against the United States Military Academy on Saturday. The win led to the Terriers’ first regular season conference title since 2012.
The conference championship may come as a surprise to some, as BU failed to record a win in its first six games. Ever since their first home game on Sept. 13, however, the Terriers have hit their stride, losing only one game (vs. Harvard University) in 11 chances. BU coach Nancy Feldman said she believes her team’s turnaround can be credited to its constant positivity and winning attitude.
“They didn’t fold the tent,” Feldman said. “I would have been surprised if they had because it was early in the season, and some of these things take some time. They stayed positive and trusted each other that they would figure it out, and they have. But we also know that the difference between losing those games in the beginning and winning those games now are really slight. You have to stay focused on the little things and continuing to do those things right because it’s a very fine line.”
Alyssa Parisi, defense earn fourth consecutive shutout
The overwhelming cause of the Terriers’ winning streak is the stellar play of senior goalkeeper Alyssa Parisi and the defense.
The Terriers have recorded four straight shutouts, last giving up a goal against Harvard (7-7-1) on Oct. 6. Throughout the whole season, BU has given up only 16 goals in 17 games. However, Feldman still believes her team can perform better overall on the defensive side.
“I absolutely think there’s room for improvement,” Feldman said. “At halftime of the game on Saturday I thought our defending in the forward field was one of the things we needed to improve to put the game away. On that day, I didn’t think we did a good job of transitioning well to defend on the front half of the field with our forwards and our midfielders.
“Overall, certainly we’re more cohesive and organized,” Feldman added. “We have to keep reminding ourselves that every little moment counts. When it gets down to it, this time of year, one lapse of concentration can mean the difference in a match. We want to be sure that if we’re going to lose, and we’re going to let in a goal, it’s not going to be because we made an error. It’s going to be because someone did something remarkable.”
Freshmen continue to shine
Throughout the season, the contributions of the Terriers’ freshman class have been significant.
In their latest match, forward McKenna Doyle and midfielder Julianna Chen, both freshmen, both tallied goals vs. the Army Black Knights (4-11-2, 2-4-2 Patriot League). It was Chen’s first goal of the season and Doyle’s sixth, as she now leads the Terriers in points with 15.
Freshman midfielder Dorrie Varley-Barrett and freshman defender Chelsea Churchill have also chipped in this season with seven points in a combined 29 games. Feldman had nothing but praise for her freshmen, as well as for her senior leaders.
“[The freshmen] are getting goals and producing in other areas on game day,” Feldman said. “They have meant a lot to the team this season, and they have followed the lead of the older players, [who] have allowed them to bring their strengths and have not squashed them.
“This group of seniors have embraced the freshmen and made them comfortable, and allowed them to be confident enough to contribute,” she added. “The freshmen have taken the lead of the upperclassmen and learned how to go about training every day and how to approach games. It’s a great mixture of young and matured. I think the young players have matured very quickly.”
Nick is currently writing for the Boston Hockey Blog. In the past, he has served as associate sports editor, and has covered men's and women's cross-country, women's soccer, men's basketball, and men's lacrosse for the Daily Free Press. You can keep track of Nick's exciting life by following him on Twitter at @nikfraz14
