For the first time since September, the No. 16 Boston University women’s soccer team will face off against a non-conference opponent as the Terriers take on Dartmouth College Wednesday night.
The Terriers (14-2-1, 7-0 America East) have won nine-straight contests in the past month, seven of which were against conference teams, and two of which were against Ivy League opponents.
This past week, BU had two victories that displayed the depth and ability of the squad.
The first game, against Stony Brook University, gave one of the Terriers’ younger players the opportunity to shine.
After a relatively even first half of play, freshman midfielder Jamie Turchi notched her first collegiate goal and what would become the game-winning tally in BU’s 2-0 shutout over the Seawolves.
“It was a huge goal against Stony Brook on Thursday night and right before the half,” said BU coach Nancy Feldman. “We were definitely in a back-and-forth affair in the first half and [Stony Brook is] a very potent attack and they can strike in a second.”
For her efforts, Turchi, a Santa Margarita, Calif. native, was named the America East Conference Rookie of the Week.
“Jamie’s a kid who really wants to do really well for her teammates,” Feldman said. “It’s just great to see a kid like that who really does care a lot about it. She wants to be a part of a successful team and have her teammates and coaches respect her.
“She has worked really hard to prepare herself to come into her first year and contribute and have her day in the sun, score an important goal and get properly recognized.”
During Sunday’s contest against the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, the Terriers netted eight goals for the first time since Sept. 16, 1998 when BU defeated Providence College 8-3. The eight tallies were also the second largest margin of victory by the team since its inaugural season when it shutout Howard University 11-0.
“There’s a confidence booster to score goals no matter who you are playing against: the best team in the league or right now UMBC, they’re at the bottom of the league,” Feldman said. “It doesn’t really matter . . . when you can put the ball in the back of the net and you can do it in some really creative and dramatic ways like we did on Sunday, it’s a confidence boost for not only the individual players but the team.”
Six different Terriers scored during the offensive barrage, including sophomore midfielder Megan McGoldrick who notched her first two goals in over a year.
“I think that’s one of those games where the entire squad played up to their ability and had a lot of goals scored, a lot of assist-getters,” Feldman said. “The starters started it well; the substitutes finished it well.
“You can start to see that we’re playing connected soccer, both offensively and defensively, really.”
Dartmouth’s (3-9, 1-3 Ivy) season has been on an entirely different spectrum than what BU has experienced.
Unlike the Terriers, who have 14 different players who have scored at least one goal, the Big Green have five. Out of those five, only one, freshman Tasha Wilkins, has scored more than one goal.
Wilkins currently leads the team with two goals on the year.
In their most recent game, the Big Green were silenced for the seventh time this season by the University of Pennsylvania. Penn outshot Dartmouth 7-5 in the loss.
When the Terriers met up with Dartmouth last season, BU defeated the Big Green because of the play of current senior midfielder Jessica Luscinski. Luscinski scored the game-winning, and only, goal in the 61st minute of play.
Sophomore Kelly King and senior Alice Binns worked together to earn the shutout with Binns getting two saves in the second half of the game.
The victory was the 200th in the program’s history.
Wednesday’s game will be the last non-conference contest for the Terriers, who are tied with the University of Hartford for first place in the America East. BU will face off against Hartford in its last game of the season on Sunday.
“Whether we win or we lose one game, it’s done, and the next one is upon us,” Feldman said. “The only carry over is what we’ve learned from it, and we’ve gotten better.”
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