Back at Nickerson Field Tuesday night, the Boston University men’s soccer team played its final non-conference matchup of the season against Northeastern University and were stifled by a Husky (5-6-1) defense all match as they picked up their first road game of the year 2-0.
BU head coach Neil Roberts said that he was not too disappointed with the match’s result due to the Terrier’s (3-8-3, 2-2-1 Patriot League) injury situation and commended players for continuing to play hard despite tough circumstances.
“It was kind of what we thought it would be, the effort was there,” Roberts said. “… and guys that didn’t play, obviously we needed them out, and even some of the other guys only played half of the game.”
On top of the continued absence of junior forward Matt McDonnell and senior defender Josh Barkoff, Roberts said the appearance of midfielders senior Adam Wright and junior Satchel Cortet allowed them to build their confidence and abilities back after injury.
He also commended the character of freshman defender Nate Cole for playing through an illness.
As the injuries continue to pile up for the Terriers, Roberts called upon his underclassmen once again to carry the load.
Of the eight shots BU produced throughout the match, six came from freshmen and sophomores.
Both teams had offensive chances early with each team getting a corner kick in the early minutes, but both defensive units were able to keep the match scoreless.
In the 22nd minute, Terrier goalkeeper William Bonnelyche was left one-on-one with Northeastern forward Ryan Massoud in the penalty box, but Bonnelyche was able to charge toward Massoud and make the save to keep the Huskies out of the net.
Bonnelyche faced more adversity in the 18-yard box when Husky defender Martin Nygaard collided with him after a free kick was crossed into the box, causing both players to go down in the penalty area.
However, both players were able to remain in the game.
Northeastern scored the first goal of the match in the 36th minute off the foot of Husky forward Dan Munch, notching his second goal of the season, beating Bonnelyche and freshman defender Chris Espinoza.
The first half ended without any more offensive chances for either side as Northeastern held a 1-0 lead going into the break.
“Unfortunately again, we made some mistakes,” Roberts said. “I thought the second half, the young guys, they played better.”
The Huskies doubled the lead less than two minutes into the second half when Northeastern played the counter-attack off a corner, when Husky midfielder Dom Galletti was found with a through-ball and beat Bonnelyche one-on-one.
BU still did not have a single shot on goal going into the 64th minute, but the Terriers had their best offensive chance of the night forcing the ball into the Northeastern penalty box where junior midfielder Jasper Verplancke fired the team’s first shot on net that was saved by Husky goalkeeper Chandler Cree.
The Terriers ended the contest with only two shots on goal compared to Northeastern’s six.
The Huskies continued to search for a dagger goal in the 84th minute when Northeastern forward Tyler Welch took a shot from outside the box that was pushed out of play by Bonnelyche.
BU tried to find a goal in the final minutes, including a late shot from sophomore defender George Abunaw, but were denied by the Huskies defense and ultimately shutout 2-0.
The Terriers now look toward Annapolis, Maryland, where they will take on Patriot League opponent the United States Naval Academy Saturday night.
Roberts said that the injury situation is what it is, but believes his team can come out strong.
“The health thing there’s not much you can do about, what we have is what we have and I don’t think that is going to change anytime soon,” Roberts said. “I think we’ll be as good as strength as we’re gonna be, so no excuses, we got to go out and get the job done on Saturday.”
