After more than 100 minutes of play, the Boston University women’s soccer team triumphed 1-0 over the Loyola University Maryland on Saturday to extend its winning streak to three games and earn its first road victory of the season.
The game started slow, but the Terriers (3-10, 3-1 Patriot League) eventually gained the advantage. They had more touches and held possession longer than the Greyhounds (5-3-3, 1-1-2 Patriot League), who are in the midst three-match losing streak to BU.
BU outshot Loyola 8-2 in the opening frame, which was good news for a Terriers side that has averaged 12.3 shots per game thus far.
BU’s goalkeeping tandem of senior Bridget Conway and junior Hannah Ciolek split time again in both halves and were rarely tested, but had some troublesome moments.
Following a BU foul early into the second half, the Greyhounds took a kick from just outside of the box. Senior defender Rachel Bloznalis was there to prevent a Loyola player from heading it into the goal, knocking the ball out of bounds. Loyola’s subsequent corner kick was cleared away by the Terriers.
The pace and aggression picked up as the half continued. Loyola picked up a few fouls and continued to push into the Terriers’ end.
With less than 15 minutes to go in regulation, Loyola’s appeared more determined to net the game-winner. A goal kick by Ciolek was trapped in the Terriers end and resulted in a corner kick. The ball sailed in front of the net and though Greyhound senior Nicole Wahlig’s position for the header was perfect, traffic in front of the net prevented the goal.
BU head coach Nancy Feldman was impressed with her team’s performance in the first half but noticed they didn’t have the same control in the second frame.
“In the second half we got a little passive and really allowed them to set the pace,” Feldman said. “The game is long it’s going to have ebbs and flows. The key is having the poise and composure to hold onto your hat when you allow it to get away from you. The real key is getting it back.”
The Terriers had a good chance in the 88th minute when defender Kelsey Targarona shoved senior forward Erica Kosienski, earning a yellow card. On the ensuing free kick, BU squandered its opportunity by kicking the ball right into the four-player Loyola wall.
With only three seconds left the Greyhounds took a corner, but ultimately, the game would need more than 90 minutes to determine a winner.
Ciolek remained in goal for the overtime, which mostly consisted of back-and-forth play between the two teams.
The Terriers had chances in the last few minutes of the first overtime period. A Bloznalis corner saw the ball fly right in front of the net, but Loyola goalkeeper Sumer Rahe snatched it out of the air. Neither team could capitalize, and the game continued past the 100-minute mark.
Just over a minute into double overtime, freshman forward Kelly Park collected the ball and sent it up to Kosienski who tapped it over to graduate student midfielder Rachel Blauner. Blauner’s shot from the far corner of the box went sailing into the net, sealing the Terriers’ victory.
The extra-time win marks the Terriers’ third consecutive 1-0 triumph, and despite an 0-10 start to the year, the team is now behind only undefeated Bucknell University in the conference standings.
Every Terrier played well and contributed to Saturday’s effort, but Feldman felt that sophomore midfielder Julianna Chen was among the standouts.
“Julianna Chen had a brilliant game,” Feldman said. “She was a rock. She is a steady, stable, strong presence in the midfield. She does a lot of the dirty work. She just does all the little things that put the team in the winning position.”
