The Boston University men’s soccer team, now the No. 1 seed in Patriot League standings, secured their third in-conference win at Colgate University, 1-0, on Saturday.
This also marks the first time this season the Terriers (3-3-8, 3-1-2 PL) emerged victorious in opposition territory, as they had clinched their two previous wins at Nickerson Field.
“That’s a big result for us,” head coach Kevin Nylen said. “Good to get a clean sheet, good to get three points, good to find a goal late.”
In a relatively even first half, BU had a few chances to get ahead but failed to convert against the Raiders (4-6-3, 2-2-2 PL).
Nearly 10 minutes into the contest, senior forward Andrew Rent clipped a precise ball toward sophomore forward Andrea Di Blasio, who made a shot but couldn’t get it in the net.
Raiders freshman forward Blake Pipkin kept the Terriers’ backline on their toes, while junior defender Ryan Lau swept a cross-shot from the corner late in the first half. A tough and physical first half ended at 0-0.
“I thought we were better than them in the first half,” Nylen said. “We said [at halftime] we didn’t need to change anything.”
From the moment the second half whistle blew, the Terriers kicked it up a gear or two. They began to dominate possession and connected crisp passes in the buildup.
Colgate threatened first when Pipkin laced a ball as far upfield as he could. Colgate sophomore midfielder Aidan Wright gave chase, but two Terrier defenders managed to catch up right around the 18-yard box. The Raider midfielder tried to split the pair, but a third defender came in to clear the ball just in the nick of time.
Just five minutes later, junior midfielder Diego Rived brought down the ball after a deflection and took a ground shot. Once again, Colgate senior goalkeeper Oliver Townend had the answer as he dove and pushed Rived’s effort for a corner kick.
Until the final whistle, the BU forwards continued to get themselves in scoring positions but very often skied their shots.
As the game seemed to head for a draw, a lifeline appeared with two minutes to spare.
Di Blasio found himself with the ball right around midfield, with two Raider defenders emerging on the scene in the blink of an eye. Di Blasio carved through them and sprayed a pass to Rent, who delivered an accurate through ball back to his teammate. Just as Di Blasio went to make contact with the ball, he fell on the ground and the referee blew his whistle for a penalty.
The call stood. Di Blasio, who scored BU’s game-winning goals in its other two wins this season, stepped up to the spot.
“I think we’ve seen [Di Blasio] grow in his role and grow in his confidence,” Nylen said. “I was happy to see him step up and take that responsibility.”
The Terriers will head back home and look to build on this four-game undefeated run when they face off against American University Oct. 26 at 1 p.m.
