Entering the 2006 season it was unknown how the Boston University women’s soccer team would fare with such a young lineup. Coming off a season where the Terriers won the America East Tournament and upset UConn in the NCAA Tournament, the team needed to deal with the departure of eight seniors and replace 21 of the 28 goals it scored last season.
Behind a defense which shattered school records and a dynamic young attacking squad, the Terriers earned the first NCAA at-large bid in the history of the soccer program. Though the season ended anti-climatically with a 3-0 loss
to BC in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, 12th-year head coach
Nancy Feldman says this year was an important one for the program.
“There are always positives and there’s some things we wish could’ve been better,” Feldman said. “In some years there are more positives and other years it’s the other way around. This year is somewhere in the middle. Expectations were high for the team and we wanted to win the conference, but we didn’t. That was a disappointment. We feel like we have the support here at BU and we can attract some student athletes to win in the America East.”
“Despite a disappointing end, I thought our team had a very successful season,” said freshman attacker Farrell McClernon. “We did a lot of great things like getting our first ever at-large bid and breaking into the Top-10 a couple times. Our seniors are absolutely incredible and were all incredible leaders all season. I don’t even know where to begin.”
As a part of tradition the Terriers opened the season against Boston College. BU recorded the first of a record-breaking 12 shutouts on that August day in Chestnut Hill with McClernon scoring the game-winning goal in overtime during her collegiate debut. The win announced to the East that this year’s Terriers squad would be no pushover.
“This season was a pretty successful one,” said senior co-captain Lauren Erwin. “It is just hard to see that sometimes because it did not end the way that we had wanted it too. It was great that we were able to prove to people that this year was not a rebuilding year like so many had thought.”
After a setback against UMass-Amherst to end August, BU would enter a stretch where the team lost just one game in the next month and a half. After disposing of four eastern non-conference foes, the Terriers took their national ranking out West to play in a pivotal tournament featuring some of the country’s top teams.
Friday, Sept. 15, may have marked not only one of the top moments of the season but perhaps of the entire program’s history. On a balmy field in Stanford, Calif. the Terriers defeated the No. 3 team in the country, Santa Clara University, behind a goal from senior co-captain Lauren Erwin. The win was the second victory over a top-five ranked team in program history, and though BU lost to Stanford the next day, its efforts against Santa Clara earned them the No. 10 spot in the polls.
“It put us on the map and legitimized our program beyond the win against UConn last year,” Feldman said. “For the world to take note and for the polls to take note, that’s probably the game that got us in as an at-large. For the players that came before that group, I think the alumni shared joy in that win. [We thought], ‘who should we fear now?’ It was a big psychological stride for our group.”
Though the season was merely half over and the conference season hadn’t begun, some trends were quickly forming for the young Terriers squad. Already with five shutouts, BU’s defense started to establish itself as one of the best in the region. Behind the leadership of senior co-captain Erica Lee in the backfield and the lock-down goalkeeping of senior Stephanie Dreyer, the Terriers forced teams to adjust their attack on a game-to-game basis.
But the real story may have been up front for BU. Coming into the season with no true scoring threat, some of the underclassmen stepped up to fill in the holes, led by America East Rookie of the Year McClernon.
McClernon led the Terriers with seven goals and finished just behind Erwin in overall points (16). Her prowess along with sophomore Marisha Schumacher-Hodge-the America East Midfielder of the Year-kept defenses guessing as the Terrier defense allowed practically no scoring chances.
After the elation of the Nike Tournament in California, the Terriers returned to a place where they rarely lose-Nickerson Field. BU played five of its next six games at home and would outscore their opponents 10-2 in the process. The biggest matchup of the home stand came Sept. 28 when BU hosted the undefeated University of Maine in a critical early season conference bout.
The good times kept rolling at Nickerson as McClernon netted the only goal of the game in the 72nd minute and the Terrier defense kept Maine at bay for the 1-0 win.
Playing a majority of conference games on the road in October, BU’s conference season was blemished only by a tie at Vermont. McClernon continued her offensive output with her team leading fourth game-winning goal of the season against the University of Maryland-Baltimore County.
Unfortunately, that would be the last victory of the season for the Scarlet and White. Despite being on top of the America East standings all season, the final game of the regular season featured a match between the Terriers and Hartford, who also sported a perfect conference record.
A heartbreaking 1-0 defeat to Hartford ripped a second consecutive America East title away from BU and ensured the conference tournament would be played in Connecticut, not Boston.
The America East semifinals pitted BU against the Black Bears of Maine. After a classic defensive duel the game headed into penalties. The young BU squad was unable to find the net on any of its three kicks and Maine advanced to the finals with a 2-0 win on penalty kicks.
“Obviously playoff situations are a lot more intense than regular season,” McClernon said. “Everyone’s giving everything they have and I think we just got down on ourselves after a couple unfortunate losses. It was great feeling that I contributed to our team’s success this year. I think I have a ton of improvements to make in my game and so it’s exciting to look forward.”
Despite a national ranking for most of the season there was some doubt whether BU’s season would continue into the NCAA Tournament. As players gathered at T’s Pub for the selection show, 48 of the 64 teams were announced with no sign of BU. But just as hopes seemed to be fading, up popped Boston University and Boston College on the ESPNEWS screen and pandemonium ensued. The Terriers had done the unthinkable in securing an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.
“Hartford had two at-large bids in the past but this was enormous,” Feldman said. “It was another level of accomplishment. We established ourselves as a legitimate national level program. It’s hard to get recognized. Even when you get there, sometimes the challenge is getting recognized that you’re there. This team is legit.”
Though BU would travel to the campus of Rutgers University, which, a day earlier had seen a miracle win for its football team over No. 3 Louisville, the same magic wasn’t there for BU as it fell to Boston College that later defeated Rutgers to advance to the Sweet 16.
“How we ended this season was a disappointment,” Feldman said. “We didn’t play a very good game against BC and when you don’t play your best in an important moment, it’s disappointing. You have to bring your ‘A game’ in that situation. I don’t think its lack of effort, and we weren’t overconfident but we had a lack of focus and more concentration was needed. I was hoping we’d rise above it in that match.”
“I am sad that I am done,” Erwin said. “I had so much fun this year and I cannot believe that it is over. Our team is very close and it is sad to think that I won’t have a chance to be a part of it again. My four years on the team flew by, but they were amazing.”
The leadership of seniors Erwin, Lee, Dreyer and Paula Moniz will be tough to replace next season, but the Terriers have now set a precedent that they are indeed a top team in the east. This year’s BU squad set a new school record in shutouts with 12 and led America East in multiple categories including shutouts, assists and corner kicks. With most of the attack and defense returning next season, Feldman may have her best team yet at Nickerson Field in the fall of ’07.
“I think the future looks bright,” Feldman said. “We have to make advances and the players have to do so physically. Some younger players have to get stronger and get more stamina and more agility. That’s going to take a load of work. Over winter and spring we’ll focus a lot on our technique. That is something we have to train and those are the big steps we have time to do.”
“I am extremely excited for next season,” McClernon said. “It’s going to be really hard to see our seniors go because they are all such leaders but I’m confident that we’ll be able to work and grow in the off season and come back next year with a clean slate and high expectations.”