Looking to build on the momentum of an undefeated weekend, the Boston University men’s soccer team will head to Long Island to start off America East conference play on Saturday against Stony Brook University.
The Terriers (5-3-1) are riding a two-game winning streak, having won home contests against the University of Rhode Island and local rival Harvard University last weekend.
In those wins, the Terriers outscored their opponents, 5-1, held an 11-2 advantage on corner kicks and outshot their opponents by a margin of 33-13. Much of this offensive rejuvenation can be credited to junior midfielder Ben Berube, who tallied three of the Terriers’ five goals over the weekend while playing forward in place of suspended players.
Berube will likely return to the midfield, but BU coach Neil Roberts looks to keep the reigning AE Player of the Week integrated in the Terrier attack.
“Everybody’s back now so he’ll probably start in the midfield but he’ll play up front as well,” Roberts said.
Equally as impressive in the two wins was the BU defense only allowing a single goal – off of a set piece – that accounted for the only shot on goal the Terriers surrendered in this span.
BU will be facing an entirely new challenge against the Seawolves (6-4-1), the defending conference tournament champions.
In their only matchup last season, the Terriers routed the Seawolves 3-0 behind two goals from then-senior midfielder Samuel Appiah, now a member of the Houston Dynamo of MLS.
Stony Brook is led by sophomore midfielder Leonardo Fernandes, whose seven goals and 16 points last year propelled him to the honor of AE Rookie of the Year. Thus far, Fernandes is among the team leaders in points, having recorded four goals and one assist.
Containing and limiting Fernandes, as well as the Stony Brook midfield as a unit, is critical if BU hopes to extend its win streak to three.
“They’ve got a very good midfield and I think that’s the key,” Roberts said. “You have to contend in the midfield. That’s where the battle will be.”
Up top, Stony Brook is led by sophomore forward Berian Gobeil, who leads the team in both goals (five) and points (10) despite having only started in one of the Seawolves’ 11 matches this season.
In 11 games this season, the Seawolves have scored 15 goals while giving up 16, meaning Stony Brook has struggled at times to produce goals and struggled at other times to prevent them just like BU.
Despite getting off to a 1-4 start, Stony Brook has rebounded considerably, coming into its game against BU on a six-game unbeaten streak.
Perhaps more than anything, the dawn of conference play represents a chance for the Terriers to make amends for a forgettable AE campaign last year. Entering conference play last season with a 6-2-2 record and a top-15 national ranking, the Terriers only won three of seven conference games and ultimately bowed out in the first round of the AE tournament with a 2-1 loss to University of Hartford.
Roberts and the Terriers look at the beginning of the conference schedule as a fresh start of sorts, a chance to start over and begin a run to an NCAA tournament berth.
With the elevated play of several veteran players as well as a number of newcomers, BU now finds itself hitting its stride at an all-important juncture in the season.
“We’re starting to play like we want to play,” Roberts said. “I don’t know if you call it momentum, but I think we’re really starting to get our form and find out exactly what we want to do.”
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