Women’s Soccer: Terriers close out non conference schedule against Harvard

By: Akshai Wadhwani

BOSTON, MA  –  Having successfully surfed a six-match wave of Patriot League fixtures over the past three weeks, BU women’s soccer will now head to nonconference oceans for the final time this season as they prepare to visit Harvard in Cambridge on Tuesday evening.

At the moment, the Terriers look to be nothing short of formidable. They are currently riding a four-match win streak and five-match undefeated streak, and have not conceded a goal in 449 minutes of play. They marked their third straight week of earning Patriot League individual accolades when freshman Taylor Kofton and sophomore McKenna Kennedy were named Midfielder of the Week and Defensive Player of the Week, respectively; senior Chelsea Churchill, sophomore Anna Heilferty, and freshman Morgan Messner have taken similar awards in previous weeks.

Keep in mind, however, that BU’s nonconference performances have been considerably less prolific. At 1-7-1 in non-league competition, the Scarlet and White have had a tough time of things outside their division this season. Even so, Harvard hardly qualify as uncharted territory for the Terriers; the latter own an 8-7-5 advantage in the all-time series and have triumphed in seven of the last 11 matchups.

BU’s Heilferty tops the points table with five goals and four assists on the year—and she also netted the game-winning tally against the Pilgrims in a 1-0 win last season. Meanwhile, her fellow underclassman, Kofton, has vaulted into the second-place spot behind her with a trifecta of goals (including a last-minute decider against Navy on Friday). Seniors McKenna Doyle (2 goals, 2 assists) and Churchill (1 goal, 2 assists) follow close behind.

Harvard (5-4-1 overall, 2-0-1 in Ivy League) matches BU with four straight shutouts after recording a 2-0 win against Cornell this weekend. The Pilgrims demonstrate a more even nonconference record at 3-4, and are currently conceding less than a goal per game. Senior Leah Mohammadi owns the lead in points with five goals and a helper, while freshmen Sophie Hirst (3 goals, 1 assist), Taylor Nielsen (1 goal, 2 assists), and Trinity Thomas (2 goals) spearhead the best of the rest.

Kickoff for Tuesday’s match is slated for 7 p.m.