After facing a difficult non-conference schedule, the Boston University women’s soccer team came away with a 1-1 tie against the Loyola University Maryland Greyhounds in the season opener of the Patriot League.
BU head coach Casey Brown emphasized the importance of capitalizing on a clean slate as the team comes into Patriot League play.
“We went into [conference play] with a real fresh mentality,” Brown said. “I feel like today it was a good demonstration of our character. I think it was a really heartfelt battle and a really important point to take on the road.”
Fifteen minutes in, junior forward Margy Porta headed the ball into the goal after a miscommunication between the Loyola goalkeeper and defense, making the score 1-0 for the Terriers (0-6-3, PL 0-0-1). This was Porta’s second goal in two games.
The intensity beat on as freshman goalkeeper Bridget Carr made her first career start. After a free kick from Loyola senior midfielder Baylee DeSmit, Carr made a save and then another stop off Loyola freshman forward Leah Carter’s right-side shot.
As the first half went on, the Greyhounds (4-2-3, PL 0-0-1) started to challenge BU after they found their footing and gained more possession. The Terriers held up and went into halftime 1-0 looking consistent and confident.
In the second half, BU picked up where it left off, but the Greyhounds continued to press. They challenged the Terriers’ defense with 11 shots, while BU only had four.
After BU sophomore midfielder Kaiya Stewart fouled right outside the box, DeSmit scored off the direct free kick — her seventh of the season. Carr could not shut down the powerful shot, and the Greyhounds tied the game 1-1 with 26 minutes left on the clock.
This setback pushed the Terriers harder. They picked up their intensity and won a few fouls as they scrapped to take the lead again. DeSmit still gave BU’s defense trouble with three close shots within ten minutes. Carr made a save against one of DeSmit’s shots, keeping BU in the game.
“I think [Carr’s] presence and her confidence are really big,” Brown said. “We thought she had an awesome game overall.”
With four minutes left, a foul by the Terriers put them in dangerous territory. DeSmit had the ball for another free kick — it was a close call, but her shot hit the crossbar.
Unable to pull off a game-winner in the final minutes, the Terriers ended their first Patriot League game of the season tied against a strong Loyola team.
BU showed some flashes of greatness by dominating possession and creating positive offense plays. Carr led a disciplined defense, as she recorded an impressive six saves in her first career start.
The Terriers look to use these positives in their upcoming game as they travel to Hamilton, New York, to face Colgate University on Sept. 25.
