Men’s Soccer: BU ties Albany 1-1 in season-opener

By Abbey Chaitin

Boston University Men’s Soccer (0-0-1, 0-0 PL) came into their season-opener with composure and resilience on Thursday night, tying the University of Albany (0-0-1) 1-1.  

Not having won at Albany since 2015, BU was fighting for a victory. In the first half of the game, the Terriers were vocal and strong on the ball. Their communication enabled them to connect passes around Albany’s players. BU spent a lot of time in Albany’s final third, but could not get a shot off. 

Despite BU’s domination of the ball in the early stages, an Andrew Soczynski foul in the box set up a penalty kick for Albany in the 23rd minute, which the Great Danes’ Panteli Pantelis slotted away to take a 1-0 lead. 

After Albany’s goal, the Terriers seemed desperate for one of their own, launching long balls to the corners and then losing them. The constant back-and-forth of possession reflects the chaos that could be found throughout the game. Both teams faced immense struggle when trying to settle the ball, which continuously resulted in fouls. Throughout the 90 minutes, there were a combined 25 fouls and four yellow cards.

While the Terriers had numerous chances in the final third, they didn’t get a goal until the 60th minute. After spending five consecutive minutes in the Great Danes’ half, Quinn Matulis scored the equalizing goal, assisted by Andrew Rent.

Throughout the game, BU maintained control over the ball. Their passing was organized and precise. Despite this domination of the ball, Albany had 11 shots to BU’s 6. When Albany was in the final third, they capitalized on their opportunities and ensured a shot was taken. Once they had the ball, they created chances for themselves in the box.

In the match’s final minutes, Albany was deep into their attacking half. While they failed to connect passes, Albany spent a lot of time in the final third. The Terrier defense responded adequately — making game-saving plays more than once. 

The Terriers will face New Hampshire away on Sunday at 5 p.m. for their next match.