Coming off its first win of the season in a conference matchup against Army West Point, the Boston University men’s soccer team traveled to face Brown University in Rhode Island on Tuesday. The Terriers recorded their second defeat of the season –– a 5-1 loss and the worst goal differential since a 0-4 loss against Colgate University in November 2017.
The beginning of the season has been less than kind to the Terriers (1-2-4, 1-0-0 Patriot League), who so far have scored eight goals while allowing 12. This is their worst start since 2021, when they went 1-4-1 in the first six games to start a .344 season without a postseason appearance.
Luckily for BU, its one PL matchup represents its sole win thus far. A brace by sophomore forward Andrea Di Blasio propelled the team to a 3-2 win and landed the Syracuse University transfer with a Patriot League Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week award.
That level of performance did not translate for any of the Terriers in Providence, while the early concession carried on from the weekend.
The Bears (2-2-1) and their relentless flood of goals were a consistent threat in the first half. Coming in just around the fourth minute, sophomore forward Lorenzo Amaral hit a goal, followed by a header from freshman defender Stefano D’Agostini and a long-range shot from junior midfielder and defender Mads Stistrup Petersen. Amaral scored for a late-half addition, and freshman midfielder Andre Romo hit a goal five minutes later.
“[It was] a really slow start from us. We got punished and paid and conceded five goals,” BU head coach Kevin Nylen said. “[That’s our] second game in a row giving up a goal in the first five minutes, and now we’re clawing back.”
Up to this point, BU hasn’t held an opponent scoreless since the first game of the season against then-ranked University of New Hampshire. Tuesday’s game was a harsh contrast –– the Terriers appeared visually frustrated with themselves and with one another as small mistakes piled up.
“We were a pass off, a touch off, a step behind,” Nylen said.
After halftime, BU managed to regroup with three total shots on goal. It outshot Brown 4-3, a vast improvement over the 2-12 line from the first half.
“[The team] worked hard, and they were a little more cohesive [and] in shape at times, so I thought that was a bright moment for the group,” Nylen said of the second half.
In the concluding moments of the game, freshman midfielder Markus Ramsey found a half-volley shot off the deflected corner kick from senior midfielder Daniel Kim for a goal and a shutout denial.
“We as a group have to take this loss and learn and move forward and prepare for now another really tough conference game on Saturday,” Nylen said.
The Terriers will stay on the road to face Loyola University Maryland, which finished as the top-ranked team in the 2024 Patriot League Men’s Soccer Preseason Poll. The Greyhounds, however, have managed a worse start than the Terriers, as they are winless through six games for a .167 record.
Kickoff between the struggling sides is set for 3 p.m. as each team looks to defend its top-two ranking from the preseason poll.
