Men’s soccer finishes to 1-1 draw against crosstown rival Harvard

The Boston University men’s soccer team saw another 1-1 draw at home Tuesday night in a non-conference rivalry against Harvard University.  

BU (1-3-8, 1-1-2 Patriot League) matched Harvard’s (1-4-4) aggression from the beginning. With strong performances from both junior defender Aidan Kieffer and sophomore midfielder Jason Zacarias, the Terriers’ strong defense derailed shots from Harvard sophomore forward Dylan Tellado. 

Graduate forward Aidan Bone managed a high shot to no avail. An early corner kick from senior midfielder Aidan Holmes simply wasn’t enough. A good portion of the Terriers’ starting lineup was subbed out with about ten minutes left in the first half as the team hoped to change the nil-nil score.  

Within the first 30 minutes of play, the Terriers had five fouls, opposed to three by the Crimson. By the end of the first half, both teams had tied in fouls and on the scoreboard. The Crimson also received their first yellow card of the game late in the first half against senior midfielder Marko Isakovic, which made for only the team’s 12th penalty this season.

Two minutes into the second half, the Terriers had a great shot from sophomore forward Keke Abai, but it went wide. 

The Terriers’ aggressive play was not enough for long — just two minutes later, Harvard freshman forward Xavier Tanyi scored his first collegiate goal for the Crimson. On a volley back, Harvard junior midfielder Juho Ojanen came close with another shot, only to be deflected by junior goalkeeper Sheraz Saadat.

Coming in with 20 minutes left in the second half, Harvard sophomore forward Andreas Savva took a shot, but it was saved by Saadat. The Crimson received yet another rare yellow card shortly after, this time against sophomore midfielder Ben Kelly. 

At the final 15-minute mark, Harvard head coach Josh Shapiro subbed in several starters as an opportunity to amplify the aggressive play. 

The Terriers made a valiant attempt to turn up their defense, but indecisiveness at crucial moments had fans worried. With seven minutes remaining in the match, Bone scored with assists from Holmes and senior defender Andrew Soczynski.

Yet again, the Crimson and Terriers tied, a result reminiscent of last season’s away match. This draw also means the Terriers possess a whopping eight ties on their record. The Terriers must apply the experience factor to the remainder of the 2024 season, particularly after a rough run of away games. 

“Neither goal tonight was pretty, and that’s sometimes, or a lot of times, goals, but a really good draw for us to come back and build on this,” BU head coach Kevin Nylen said. “I thought the guys showed really good character to respond.”

The Terriers are still capable of achieving greatness this season, with their conference record currently sitting at 1-1-2.

The Terriers are set to face Bucknell University at Nickerson Field on Oct. 12 at 1 p.m.