Boston University edged out American University 1-0 after the Eagles (6-4-5, 3-2-2 Patriot League) scored an own goal in Sunday’s contest. The win extended the Terriers’ (5-4-6, 3-1-3 PL) divisional unbeaten streak to six, which is the program’s longest since 2014.
BU continued its season-long strong defensive efforts, allowing American to only record three shots, none of which were allowed in the first half. In fact, the Eagles ended with more yellow cards than shots on goal with two cautions and no shots on target.
Freshman defenders Ryan Lau and John Roman, as well as senior defender Griffin Roach, all played exceptional in their defensive roles, keeping AU pinned to the outside of the pitch. At points, the Eagles changed tactics by shooting the ball upfield to disorient the defense. BU, however, was unbothered by their attempts.
“We had a good plan going into the game,” said head coach Kevin Nylen about the team’s defense. “[American is] a really good team in terms of how they set up and they pull guys in certain positions wide and invert guys. We were really good in limiting the overall space to them.”
The BU offense looked alive, shooting a combined 10 shots with four on goal. Junior midfielder Andrew Rent led the Terriers with three shot attempts and two shots on goal. Sophomore midfielder Daniel Kim and senior midfielder Colin Innes notched two shots apiece, adding to BU’s offensive pressure.
The lone goal did not happen until the 80th minute of the game, when senior defender Gianluca Arlotti centered a ball toward the AU goal. The ball ricocheted off of Eagles sophomore defender Nicholas Shirley and into the back of the net. AU’s sophomore goalkeeper Dominic Dominguez did not have the chance to react as the ball passed right by him.
“It’s not the prettiest of goals, but it doesn’t really matter how it goes in,” Nylen said.
Despite the loss, American had great offensive efforts from their forwards, particularly graduate student Jerry Zouantcha and sophomore Zemi Rodriguez. In goal, Dominguez played a stellar game for the Eagles, facing 11 shots and saving three on goal.
This is the third straight victory for BU over PL opponents, which puts them in sole possession of second place in the conference. The winning streak has come at a crucial time as the Terriers prepare for the Patriot League tournament in November. BU hopes to continue this streak as they host their final home game of the year against Lehigh University this Saturday.
