The Boston University men’s soccer team will begin play in the Patriot League Tournament on Friday night in Hamilton, New York, when the Terriers take on American University in the semifinal round.
The two squads have already faced off this season when BU (12-4-2, 6-1-2 Patriot League) defeated the Eagles (13-4-3, 5-2-2 Patriot League) 1-0 on Oct. 3.
However, October does not matter now. It is a winner-take-all game with a conference title and NCAA Tournament bid on the line.
The Eagles are fresh off a 4-1 rout of the United States Military Academy in Tuesday’s quarterfinal contest. Meanwhile, the Terriers’ first-round bye gave them a full week off to rest and prepare.
A week of rest might not be enough for BU to keep up with the Eagles’ high-powered offense, though. They have 10 more goals than any other team in the conference this season. American also has a variety of threats.
The Eagles have five players with at least five goals and eight with double-digit point totals. In contrast, only two BU players have hit those numbers this season.
“I thought at the beginning of the season that they were probably the most talented team in the conference,” said BU coach Neil Roberts. “With the amount of goals they’ve scored, and they haven’t given up much either, there’s not much to change my mind about that.”
Leading the Eagles’ attack will be senior Liam Robley, who tops the Patriot League in assists and is fourth in the conference with 21 points. Meanwhile, forwards Joel Hart and Vinny Barone each have six goals on the season. Stopping American’s high-octane offense is no easy task.
“We have to be sharp,” Roberts said. “We have to make sure we know our assignments and don’t fall asleep. If you give the ball away to a team like that, it’s going to be a problem.”
It certainly helps that BU can rely on junior defender David Asbjornsson. The Reykjavik, Iceland, native was named Patriot League Defender of the Year on Monday. This season, Asbjornsson has been the most consistent and reliable defender for a team that’s dealt with a slew of injuries at the back.
Senior defender Jeroen Blugh will be healthy and ready to help Asbjornsson battle the Eagles’ attack. When asked about the importance of the back line’s play, Roberts said it will take a lot more than their efforts.
“It’s not just [about] the back line, it’s the team in front of them,” he said. “They all need to do their job and make sure the backline doesn’t get exposed. Against that team, if we expose our back line, it’s going to be a problem.”
Complimenting BU’s back line is junior Matt Gilbert, the Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year. He’s made 82 saves on the year and shut out the Eagles on Oct. 3. Meanwhile, Gilbert’s goalkeeping counterpart, Dylan Hobert has recorded a conference-best 10 shutouts this year.
Scoring on Hobert will be challenging, but with sophomore midfielder Anthony Viteri healthy, the Terriers’ offense will be back to full strength. Before Viteri went down against Brown University on Oct. 13, he led the conference in nearly every major offensive category. Along with the resurgence of junior forward Felix De Bona, the Terriers have two potent weapons.
A potential x-factor in this game could be freshman midfielder Magnus Benediktsson. The Patriot League Rookie of the Year is a creative force who can pick apart a defense with his pristine passing and dribbling skills.
Despite their youth, the Terriers aren’t just using the Patriot League Tournament to acquire postseason experience. They’re there to win.
“We have four seniors on the team right now, so we don’t want to say ‘this is great for next year,’” Roberts said. “This is about right now. We have an opportunity and we have to take advantage of it right now.”
