Men’s Soccer: Terriers fall in OT to resilient Lehigh
By: Brady Gardner
BOSTON, MA – In the second game of a BU soccer doubleheader at Nickerson Field, the Terrier men’s soccer team (2-6-2) challenged a talented Lehigh squad, but ultimately fell in overtime to the Mountain Hawks (5-4-1) by a score of 2-1.
The two Patriot League sides spent the opening period attempting to get into a rhythm, with BU holding the territorial advantage for much of the first half. While the Terriers managed to threaten with a few corner kicks and crosses, the half’s most dangerous chance came from a Lehigh set piece, as senior netminder Mike Bernardi gathered the ball just inches from the goal line with a bit of help from junior midfielder Satchel Cortet.
Just 12 minutes into the second half, Cortet put his name down for first on the scoresheet. The junior intercepted an attempted Lehigh clearance and fooled the keeper with a low driven strike into the bottom left corner; the effort marked his second goal in the last three games.
While the Terrier back line remained sturdy through the majority of the match, reigning Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year Mark Forrest nevertheless equalized for the Mountain Hawks on a header in the 79th minute. The senior standout’s fourth goal of the season brought him to a team-leading 12 points.
In a game that seemed destined for overtime from the opening whistle, the additional period of play was quickly concluded as Lehigh struck from point-blank range in the 93rd minute. Forrest played provider on this occasion, feeding junior Matthew Peralta, who did the rest from 10 yards out.
The loss will be a tough pill to swallow for the Terriers, who will have felt as though they outplayed their opponent for much of the fixture.
“I think the fight is there in the guys, but we’re disappointed, obviously,” head coach Neil Roberts said.
The Terriers will look to return to winning ways on Wednesday, October 3 as they travel to Holy Cross.