Boston University and Bryant University finished in a scoreless tie Sunday afternoon at Nickerson Field.
BU Head Coach Megan Burke said the shot count (20-7) “says everything.”
“We have nine to one in our favor of shots on goal,” Burke said. “We need to learn how to put goals away, and that sums up the match. We played really well.”
BU (3-3-2) came tantalizingly close to taking the lead in the opening moments of the first half. Just under three minutes into the game, the Terriers earned their first corner kick, and seconds later, senior midfielder Mackenzie Stickelman rose to meet the ball with a header that struck the crossbar.
“I honestly didn’t even realize how hard I hit it,” Stickelman said. “I thought it was going in and when it hit the crossbar, I was like, ‘oh come on.’”
During the opening 20 minutes, Bryant generated three corner kicks, illustrating their mounting pressure.
As the first half continued to unfold, both teams fiercely pursued victory. The tension heightened when senior midfielder Jennah Quill unleashed a header that soared over the crossbar, a missed opportunity for the Bulldogs (3-2-3) to break the deadlock.
The action remained fast-paced, with both teams aggressively probing each other’s defenses. Junior forward Kat Slott found herself in a promising position and took a shot, only to be thwarted by Bulldogs’ senior goalkeeper Selena Negron, who made a crucial save and kept the game scoreless.
With under 10 minutes left in the first half, Slott again nearly secured an early advantage for the Terriers, but her shot veered wide to the right of the goalpost. BU maintained the offensive momentum, continuing to press hard in the closing minutes of the half.
Despite their relentless efforts, the first 45 minutes concluded without either team finding the back of the net, leaving the anticipation hanging in the air as they headed into the final 45 minutes of the game.
“We struggled a little bit to build out of the back,” Burke said. “That was something that we talked about at halftime. Just the pressure they were putting on us. [It was] then the same in the other side, in their defensive thirds, when they were building out. Our pressure needed to be a bit better.”
To start the second half, the Bulldogs made a goalie change, with junior goalkeeper Shannon Mejia replacing Negron in the net.
In the opening minutes of the second half, freshman midfielder Georgia Prouty looked to score the first goal of the game for the Terriers, but Mejia made a glove save, stretching to make the catch. The Terriers aggressively attacked the Bulldogs’ zone early in the half, with five shots on goal compared to the Bulldogs nine shots.
Despite the Terriers applying pressure in the Bulldogs’ zone, BU was unable to capitalize, and neither team scored.
“I think it gave us a lot more confidence, and that was great, but again, just being a little bit more clinical in the final third is what’s going to win us games.” Stickelman said.
This game marked the last non-conference game of the season for both teams and was especially significant for the Terriers, as it was their first home game since Aug. 21.
BU will travel on the road to face Navy next Saturday, as they begin their Patriot League conference play.
