Looking to extend its unbeaten Patriot League record, the Boston University women’s soccer team will travel to the United States Military Academy on Saturday for its penultimate regular season contest.
The Terriers (8-5-3, 6-0-1 Patriot League) are coming off a 3-0 home win against the College of the Holy Cross on Wednesday, but have struggled some on the road. They are 2-3-3 in such contests this year.
BU coach Nancy Feldman said her team finds away games more difficult because of the novelty of the setting.
“There’s something to say about home-field advantage,” Feldman said. “You’re comfortable. Whenever you go away, your routine is disrupted. I think mature teams do a better job adapting to the change. I like to think, especially with our senior leadership, we’ve gotten good at it, but it’s certainly a challenge.”
While an obstacle, it certainly bodes well that BU is riddled with talent across the board.
In net stands senior goalkeeper Alyssa Parisi. With Wednesday’s win, Parisi registered her third straight shutout.
In front of Parisi stands a strict and sturdy defense. BU’s most recent competitor, Holy Cross (4-8-3, 1-4-2 Patriot League), averages 13.6 shots per game, but the Terriers limited the Crusaders to nine shots. Lehigh University suffered a similar fate against BU. Lehigh registered 10 shots, just shy of its 11.8 average.
Offensively, the Terriers are one of the best squads in the league. Although they rank fourth in shots per game with 12.6, they are second in goals per game (1.81). The Terriers have a few standout goal-scorers, such as freshman forward McKenna Doyle and senior forward Jenna Fisher. The former has 13 points, while the latter has 12 points.
Still, BU’s game is not perfect. Feldman said even the shutout against Holy Cross was a tough match.
“I’d like to see us continue to be consistent,” Feldman said, “to deal with the emotion and passion of the match, but be able to maintain a level of consistency. [We should] bring energy and aggression while maintaining our composure. That’s difficult, but we’re developing. It’s going to be important in the Patriot League Tournament.”
The Terriers have been playing at a high level of performance for weeks. Nearing the end of the season, staying in optimal health is a primary focus for Feldman and her team.
“We are making sure they get rest and recovery,” Feldman said. “We’re monitoring them, especially those with higher playing minutes. Playing two games in a week is pretty grueling.”
Army (4-10-2, 2-3-2 Patriot League) is not necessarily a formidable an opponent, but still a team capable of success. Army has a star player in senior Katie Holder, who has five goals and 14 points on the season.
Midfielder Clare Shea is another prominent player on the Army roster. Not only does the sophomore contribute to goal scoring, but she also serves as a veteran presence to her teammates. She has seven points and has accumulated almost 1,300 minutes on the field this season.
“Army’s tough,” Feldman said. “They’re the Army, we want them to be tough. They are strong-minded, disciplined. Everything you’d expect from a West Point team.”
Although Army averages 0.94 goals per game, it is likely to increase its energy more for this contest than for any game in their 2015 campaign thus far. Only the top six teams in the league move on to the Patriot League Tournament and the Black Knights are clinging onto the final spot.
“They’re fighting for a spot in the tournament,” Feldman said “Each team is going to pour everything they’ve got into these last games. We’re going to get their best effort.”
