After having remained unbeaten for three straight games, the Boston University men’s soccer team broke its streak when it fell to Brown University 2-1 in a close game on Tuesday night. The Terriers (2-6-1 1-0 Patriot League) scored an equalizer near the end of the contest, but another goal from Brown (5-1-1) sent the Terriers home without a win.
The Bears came in with a strong record and BU head coach Neil Roberts noted the difficulty his team would have facing its opponent in Providence, Rhode Island.
“[The team knew] they came into a place that’s difficult to play, and they played the team,” Roberts said.
Brown scored its first goal just after the 10th minute as forward Toby Howell kicked the ball past transfer sophomore goalkeeper Michael Bernardi on the first shot of the game, after midfielder Daniel Schiller intercepted one of the Terriers’ passes.
BU was in search of an equalizer after putting up seven shots in the first half and the Bears were looking to cushion their lead. However, neither team was able to get a shot past Bernardi or Brown’s senior goaltender Joey Cipicchio.
Sophomore midfielder Satchel Cortet had two solid chances in the first half at the 17th and 36th minutes, but could not convert those into goals as the Terriers finished the half leading in shots, 7-4.
But Bernardi was essential in keeping BU in the game. Near the 50th minute, the Bears forced a turnover in the goalkeeper’s box and Bernardi made a kick save to force the ball away from the goal.
Eventually, in the 78th minute, the Terriers scored their first goal of the game.
As sophomore midfielder Mana Chavali attempted to retrieve a pass, he was fouled by Brown defender Zac Anderson. The Terriers were given a penalty kick and freshman midfielder Toti Knutsson scored a goal halfway through the 78th minute.
This marked Knutsson’s first goal at BU and the fifth player on the team to find the back of the net.
However, just a minute later, the Bears came back as Howell would net a goal from the far post for the second time of the game to give Brown a 2-1 lead.
Despite the goal against BU, Roberts commended the team for their hard work especially in the second half.
“We played really well,” Roberts said. “In the second half, we dominated the game. We had them in the ropes, we scored a goal. The kids fought hard. It was a good team. We went to their park, and we outplayed them [in the second half]. They scored, we tied it, so they did well.”
Despite the final score, the game had not gone without any controversy.
With five minutes remaining, junior back David Riccio shot a goal from the middle of the field and landed the ball through the goalposts past BU junior back Josh Barkoff who was running toward Cipicchio after misjudging the ball.
However, the officials stated that Barkoff had touched the ball with his arm, effectively nullifying the goal.
“If it weren’t for a decision, we would probably still be playing,” Roberts said in an interview after the game.
The team now has a 1-1-1 record against its three Ivy League opponents this season after beating Harvard University and tying with Princeton University. This game marks one of the last non-league games BU will have.
Nevertheless, Roberts found praise for his team even as they struggled through the hard loss and return home to Boston empty-handed.
“It was a hard game,” Roberts said. “Our guys played hard and that’s what we wanted to do. They were young guys and they fought hard.”
Nicole Havens contributed to the reporting on this article.
