Coming off a heartbreaking defeat by Northeastern University, and a week without a competition, the Boston University women’s soccer team is hungry for a win this weekend. BU will first travel to play Central Connecticut State University on Friday, and will return home to face Hofstra University on Sunday on a revamped Nickerson Field.
The Terriers (0-4-1) have twice as many losses as goals scored this year, which is never a good stat, especially for the reigning Patriot League champions.
Surprisingly absent for BU to this point is senior striker Jenna Fisher. Last year, Fisher found net in the Terriers’ first two matches. After that achievement, she was named Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week. She finished the 2014 season as the Terriers’ team leader in goals with seven, and could give BU the jumpstart it needs if she sends one home this weekend.
The Terriers will look to correct their early season scoring woes in the Blue Devils’ (2-1-1) home opener Friday night. Despite the offense’s struggles, BU coach Nancy Feldman is relaxed and motivated to make positive strides in helping improve her team’s quality of play.
“The key is for us to continue to be comfortable and to play our style, continue to play ferociously, win tackles and be organized defensively,” Feldman said. “Those are the keys, not just finishing offensively.”
Feldman is well aware of her team’s winless record, but she was quick to note its tough early season schedule. The Terriers’ opponents, including Boston College and Northeastern (5-1), have gone a combined 17-9-3 to start the year.
“The competition is a big part of it, probably half of it,” Feldman said.
Following an eight-day layover, the recharged Terriers had extra time during the week to watch film and work on basic technique drills, which Feldman believes will be crucial leading up to the start of Patriot League play. Despite the extra prep time for Central Connecticut, the Terriers are only focused on improving their own team.
“I couldn’t tell you one thing about Central Connecticut right now,” Feldman said. “It is less about the opponent and more about what we are doing.”
The Blue Devils boast better results than BU this season, but they have also struggled to score this season, with just two goals in the last three games. The Terriers have been stuck in low-scoring games already this season, making it is easy to get caught up in the big plays, but they are more concerned about repeating their game-plan in all thirds of the field.
“The game of soccer is a 90-minute game,” Feldman said. “The processes to get goals and the processes to not let up goals is really the key, not necessarily the finishing moment.”
The second of the two weekend matches will likely prove the more difficult for BU. Hofstra (4-2) has won its last four games, two of which were shutouts.
Hofstra’s starting goalkeeper Friederike Mehring, has a 1.66 goals against average and has made 21 saves this year. She started every game last season, and finished with 63 saves. However, BU’s senior goalkeeper Alyssa Parisi currently has a .759 save percentage, besting Mehring’s .677.
Hofstra’s success cannot be pinned on a strong offense or defense because the team has dominated both sides of the field. Eight members of the Pride have scored a goal. Meanwhile, eight players have also registered assists. Senior Leah Galton leads the Pride with five goals. She finished last season with 17 to co-lead the Colonial Athletic Association.
Stopping the Hofstra offense has proven difficult for their opponents. The Pride have outscored their opponents 16-10. They average 17.33 shots per game, which leads the CAA. Almost 50 percent of their shots are on goal, an impressive margin over BU’s 34 percent.
Hofstra has committed 63 fouls through six games, nearly twice as many as the Terriers’ 33. Additionally, the Pride have registered four yellow cards and two red cards, showcasing a lack of discipline.
If the Terriers can capitalize on Hofstra’s mistakes and give their offense better chances to score, they can send the Pride home humbled. Feldman is confident that by focusing on their own play, the Terriers can turn their season around.
“We are focusing on areas that we need to make improvements on after the first five games,” Feldman said. “There are a lot of other moments that have to be better to get goal-scoring opportunities.”
