When it comes to the 2013 Patriot League playoff picture, the Boston University men’s soccer team is on the outside looking in.
The Terriers (6-9-1, 3-5-0 Patriot League) still have a chance, though, as they are battling with several teams for the sixth and final playoff spot in the Patriot League Tournament. BU trails Colgate University by one point (Colgate’s 10 to BU’s nine) with one game to go for each team. American University sits in fifth place with 11 points, while Lafayette College is eighth with eight points.
If the Terriers can notch a win against Bucknell University in their final game Nov. 9, they will advance to play postseason soccer.
The Terriers can still clinch a spot in the playoffs if they draw with Bucknell, but that would only happen if the Raiders (4-12-2, 3-4-1 Patriot League) lose and if Lafayette (4-4-8, 2-4-2 Patriot League) draws or loses. If this scenario happened, the Terriers would advance into the playoffs, as BU won the matchup with Colgate on Wednesday by a 3-0 margin.
However, if BU draws and Colgate loses, Lafayette will earn the final spot if they win.
“We don’t have to worry about anyone, we just have to take care of our business, that’s all,” said BU coach Neil Roberts regarding his team’s potential playoff chances.
Offense finally turning around
Through their last three games, the Terriers’ offense has been a key to the playoff push. They have outshot their opponents 41-32 while outscoring them 6-3 in that three-game span.
Junior forward Dominique Badji is leading the charge with four goals in the Terriers’ last three games, as his numerous shots on target are producing results. Not only is he second in shots per game in the Patriot League, amassing 51 shots in 15 matches, but he is also fourth in the conference in goals, recording six on the season thus far. While he has indeed played well since the beginning of the year, his dominance is finally starting to show up in score sheet.
“He’s been getting chances all season,” Roberts said of Badji. “Now he’s starting to finish them off. That’s what his position is, that’s what he does.”
It has been a team effort on offense, though, as Badji has received help from several teammates such as senior forward Ali Sozeri, who registered his second goal of the year against Colgate, and junior midfielder Jordan Barker, who has recorded two assists over the last three games, and is now second on the team with four assists.
The Terriers have finally started to string passes together and push the ball with cohesion, allowing them to possess the ball efficiently.
“We need goals, obviously,” Roberts said. “It’s been our mission all year. We still have to put our chances away when we get them.”
Bench being used efficiently
During the 2012 season, the Terriers were plagued with injuries from the outset and struggled to have a consistent starting lineup. This year, they have again been plagued by injuries, including the 2011 America East Defender of the Year, junior defender Kelvin Madzongwe, who was out for an extended period of time, and junior midfielder Cameron Souri.
The lack of depth was apparent in the Terriers’ two games against the top two seeds, the U.S. Naval Academy and U.S. Military Academy. Dealing with injuries, BU fell to No. 1 seed Navy (12-3-2, 8-0 Patriot League) 1-0, and lost in heartbreaking fashion to Army (12-2-2, 6-1-1 Patriot League) in double overtime by a score of 3-2.
The coaching staff has tried to combat this problem by using the bench efficiently, even using 15 players with more than 30 minutes each at one point during the season. Although the team has not stayed at full health, they have been competitive in most contests. Even with multiple players hurt, the team is still in contention to make the playoffs heading into the final game of the regular season.
“Kids have been coming in and stepping up,” Roberts said. “Guys have been doing it all year. It’s difficult not having the consistency, but it’s something you have to deal with.”
CORRECTION: The original version of this article stated that BU must win and Colgate must draw or lose for the Terriers to advance to the postseason, but actually, the Terriers are in the postseason with a victory no matter what.
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