Terriers to Conclude Non-Conference Season at Northeastern
By: Akshai Wadhwani October 16, 2017
BOSTON – The Boston University men’s soccer team has the opportunity to earn its first victory in a non-conference road match when the Terriers head a short way Southeast to face Northeastern on Tuesday evening.
The Terriers (5-7-1, 4-1 PL) are coming off a recent 2-1 loss to Loyola Maryland, which put an end to their perfect record and four-match shutout streak in the Patriot League. However, they are still outshooting opponents 129-126, with an average of 10 shots per match, but display a low 0.380 SOG percentage.
BU goalkeeper Michael Bernardi owns the second-lowest number of goals-allowed in the Patriot League, with only 10 against him; he is also tied for third place in the league with four shutouts.
Meanwhile, sophomore Matt McDonnell has seen a magnificent return to form after missing several matches at the start of the season due to injury. The forward has scored three times, bagged an assist and taken 21 shots since returning to the starting lineup. McDonnell continues to be the Terriers’ premier threat up front. Other players on the BU roster continue to step up as well, including Mana Chavali – two goals and two assists from six matches – and Satchel Cortet – two assists, 16 shots.
Toti Knuttson’s exceptional play on the right wing has earned him two goals and three assists this season; the freshman looks to be on his way to an excellent career at BU.
The Terriers will retain high optimism for the fixture, in leu of Northeastern’s current form. The Huskies (2-10-2, 1-4-1) have not won a match in over a month, and have only a single point in their last eight fixtures. The past week has been especially rough on them, with a 6-0 loss to SMU followed by a 4-0 defeat at Elon.
Northeastern has scored eight goals while giving up 28 — an alarming opponent average of two goals per match. They also have yet to win a road game, with seven losses and two draws composing their away record. One bright spot for the Huskies has been junior forward Harry Swartz, who has three goals and an assist under his belt, as well as 35 shots. However, the hosts will need standout performances all across the board if they are to challenge a BU team which has been in formidable form since the start of Patriot League play.
The Terriers lead the all-time series, which began in 1984, at 21-7-1. They have won the last three meetings, including a 3-0 victory last year where Northeastern saw two of its players sent off in the first half. Kickoff from Parsons Field in Brookline is set for 6 P.M.