Going into the season with high expectations and a No. 2 pick in the Patriot League preseason rankings, the Boston University men’s soccer team fell victim to multiple injuries, resulting in inconsistent play.
Anthony Ciccone led the Terriers with seven assists this season.
While the team boasted a roster with five seniors and strong offensive players, the Terriers (6-10-1, 3-6-0 Patriot League) had difficulty scoring and keeping a constant team on the field.
Junior forward Dominique Badji led the Terrier offense with six goals finished third in the conference in shots with 58. The Senegal native was a force all season long for the Terriers, especially down the stretch with four of Badji’s six goals coming in the last four games of the season.
After a 2-0 win against Loyola University-Maryland Oct. 26, BU coach Neil Roberts said Badji had been due for a scoring surge.
“[Badji’s] been doing so much for us,” Roberts said. “He’s probably our most consistent player and doing everything. He just hasn’t been finishing. He’s been getting opportunities, he’s been getting there. They just haven’t been falling for him.”
While Badji did a bulk of the scoring, senior midfielder Anthony Ciccone helped create opportunities for his teammates possessing the ball deep into the attacking territory. He finished with a team-high seven assists, which was good enough for third in the conference.
Unlike the midfield and forward positions, the goalie spot had uncertainty heading into the season. Who would be the starting goalkeeper was unclear for the first part of the season while redshirt freshman goalkeeper Matt Gilbert and junior Nick Thomson split time in net early in the year. With a few strong outings early in the campaign, Gilbert was able to distance himself and took over the position of starting goalkeeper full-time.
Roberts said he had a lot of faith in Gilbert even through a shaky 2-0 loss to Providence College on Sept. 20.
“Gilbert is playing well, he’s really done a fantastic job for us,” Roberts said following that loss. He’s obviously the number-one goalkeeper now.”
While Badji and Ciccone put up strong number for the offensive side of the ball and Gilbert was stout in net, the Terriers still had difficulty getting enough production to win games, getting shut out six times throughout the season. The team ended the season in the bottom half of the Patriot League in points, goals and assists.
Injuries to key players like junior defender Kelvin Madzongwe and sophomore defender Jeroen Blugh also hindered BU’s play defensively. Both players were coming off of knee injuries during the 2012-13 season and were initially eased into action. Despite their ups and downs, the two returned for the final stretch of the season and immediately invigorated the defense.
Roberts said the return of Madzongwe and Blugh not only helped the defensive corps, but also the team as a whole.
“[Their return] allows us so many other things,” Roberts said after an Oct. 26 win over Loyola University-Maryland. “It makes our backs better and our midfield better. It really changes the whole game.”
The success continued as the Terriers went on to win by a score of 3-0 over Colgate University on Oct. 30, Roberts said the return of the duo was crucial.
“It’s great to have them back,” Roberts said. “They’re not just talented players, but they’re experienced players and they give us a physical presence. They’re both physically gifted athletes as well as soccer players.”
Heading into the final stretch of games BU’s record stood at 4-8-1. With the return of Madzongwe and Blugh, the Terriers went 2-2 in the final four games of the season, but just fell short of the playoffs.
Even with the flood of injuries, the Terriers had the opportunity to make the Patriot League playoffs on the final day of the season. Although it put forth a valiant effort, BU lost 1-0 to Bucknell University in overtime, ending the Terriers’ season at Nickerson Field.
The Terriers did not reach the conference tournament, but the Patriot League recognized the play of both Badji and Ciccone, each getting awarded spots on the Patriot League All-Conference Second Team.
Although the Terriers missed out the conference tournament, the future looks bright as 23 of the 28 players are set to return for the 2014 campaign.
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