Twelve minutes stood between the Boston University women’s soccer team and yet another premature exit from the NCAA Tournament.
However, over the course of the season multiple players have emerged and rescued the team from near defeat. It happened once more at a frigid Belson Stadium on Saturday.
Junior midfielder Alexandra Cooper, who was denied twice by the crossbar last week in the Terriers’ (13-5-3, 8-0-1 Patriot League) Patriot League final victory over Bucknell University, was determined to avoid the same fate again, and scored her lone goal of the season in the 78th minute to force overtime against St. John’s University.
After a clever BU through-ball from senior midfielder Rachel Blauner at the outset of overtime which found freshman midfielder Julianna Chen in the box, Chen’s shot was saved by the Red Storm (15-4-1) goalkeeper Diana Poulin, only for the rebound to fall to senior midfielder Clare Pleuler. Pleuler slotted in the game-winning goal for a team-leading fourth time this season to give the Terriers a come-from-behind 2-1 victory.
After securing a spot in the NCAA Tournament Second Round, BU will face No. 6 Pennsylvania State University, the top team on its side of the bracket on Friday in University Park, Pennsylvania.
St. John’s dominated the opening half of play, when it used its height to strike first. After a hectic first 20 minutes, where the Red Storm were denied twice at the goal line by stops from senior forward Jenna Fisher, they finally capitalized.
In the 21st minute, St. John’s forced a corner kick, and the set-piece found senior Rachel Daly, who led the Red Storm with 19 goals this season.
Daly’s redirected header found teammate Jesse Schaefer and the defender knocked it past the Terriers senior goalkeeper Alyssa Parisi for a 1-0 St. John’s lead.
BU badly needed the momentum to swing in its direction. BU coach Nancy Feldman believed the shift came after allowing the opening goal.
“I think the most critical time in the game was after their goal was scored in the first half when we started to shore up [defensively],” Feldman said. “We changed our shape to match theirs. … I thought we started to settle into the game a little bit better, and I think we had an easier time sorting out our defensive responsibilities.”
“That really started in the middle of the first half, and not letting in another goal really put us in a good position to win the game,” Feldman added. “We bent a little bit, but we never broke, and not breaking gave us the chance in the second half to win it.”
Cooper made sure she made it onto the stat sheet, unlike in the Patriot League final.
In the 78th minute, an errant Red Storm pass outside of their penalty box found freshman forward McKenna Doyle, and multiple defenders quickly swarmed the Patriot League Rookie of the Year. Realizing pressure was coming, Doyle laid the ball off to Cooper, who one-timed her bending shot past an outstretched Poulin, clanging off the inside post, but this time ricocheting into the net to even the score, 1-1.
Feldman had nothing but rave remarks for Cooper’s play of late.
“She’s an incredibly talented player,” Feldman said, “and we’re seeing it before our eyes, with her putting it together, her responsibilities. … It’s been frustrating at times for her, but she’s put together a couple of good games, her confidence is growing and it couldn’t be a better time than now.
“When we can help a player develop and bring out the best for her, it’s satisfying for everybody, and we couldn’t be more happy for her.”
After another Cooper shot almost ended the game in the closing seconds of regulation, a deflated St. John’s team was relieved it had overtime to turn back into the dominant force it was in the first half of play.
Any chance at rebounding for the Red Storm was thwarted in the 94th minute. After a through-ball found Chen right in front of goal, she turned only to have the ball stripped from her. The loose ball trickled in front of the open goal to Pleuler, who with the simplest of touches, sent her team to victory and extended its season.
