For each of the past seven seasons, the Boston University women’s soccer team has earned a place in the field of 64 teams that make up the NCAA Championship for the College Cup.
Six of those seven years, including the last five, the Terriers have won the America East Conference Championship and the automatic berth that comes with it. In only one year, 2006, the Terriers failed to win the league title, but were still able to snag an at-large bid.
Since the first season of this seven-year run, however, the Terriers have failed to make it out of the first round of the NCAA Tournament. After BU upset the University of Connecticut 1-0 in Storrs, Conn., to open the 2005 tournament, the Terriers have lost to four different teams in the first round, unable to advance to the second. Every one of these first round losses has come on the road, a long struggle for BU.
On Sunday, on the familiar turf of Nickerson Field against an Ivy League foe that could have traveled to the game by boat down the Charles River, the Terriers’ first round futility finally met its proverbial match, as the Terriers beat Harvard University, 3-0, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Terriers will advance to the second round for the first time since 2005.
“We’re excited,” BU head coach Nancy Feldman said. “You know, excited to win an NCAA game. It’s been a while. Excited to move on to the next round.”
Besides the aforementioned victory in 2005, the Terriers have managed to advance to the second round of the tournament once before, in 2000. That year, the Terriers also won 1-0 in the first round, over the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, before losing 4-1 at Dartmouth College. In 2005, BU would succumb in the second round to rival Boston College in Storrs.
Both in 2000 and in 2005, and for each of their past five first round losses, BU has had to travel to places their opponents are often far more familiar with. Sometimes, the Terriers have had to travel across the country. Other times, they have simply had to drive up the street to Boston College’s field in Newton (though not always to play the Eagles).
This year, however, was different.
The Terriers were able to stay at Nickerson, where they have not lost since Sept. 4, 2010. Feldman has repeatedly emphasized the team’s goal of remaining undefeated at Nickerson and making it a challenging place for opponents to play. After Sunday’s win, the Terriers are unlikely to return, virtually fulfilling their goal.
According to two of the team’s seniors, playing at home was a relaxing reward for BU’s effort.
“I think it’s huge,” senior forward Jessica Luscinski said. “I think all season we worked for it. I think it was nice to not have to hop in the vans and go down to BC.”
Senior tri-captain Brittany Heist concurred.
“Playing out here today felt like a regular season game,” Heist said. “There wasn’t as much hype.”
The win is BU’s 19th of the season, already a record in the 16-year history of the program. They are currently on a 14-game overall win streak, and have remained in the three major polls for weeks.
As for moving past the second round of the tournament, BU will travel later this week to Winston-Salem, N.C., to play the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest University.
Feldman says her team has one early goal they would like to achieve against their second Atlantic Coast Conference opponent of the year.
“Winning another round,” she said.
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