Men’s Soccer: Terriers lose PL Semis in penalty shootout vs. Navy

By Cameron Meyer

The No. 2-seeded Boston University Men’s Soccer (6-5-7, 4-2-3 PL) came into Tuesday’s home semi-final matchup against No. 4-seeded U.S. Naval Academy Midshipmen (6-4-9, 3-1-5) looking to make history by reaching the Patriot League Championship game for the first time. However, after the game was deadlocked 0-0 through overtime, the Terriers fell to the Midshipmen in a penalty shootout 9-8.

The game was largely dominated by the Terriers, but their scoring boots were as cold as the windy November night that enveloped Nickerson Field on Tuesday, as BU were unable to score in regulation. 

“[We] maybe deserved more tonight,” BU Head Coach Kevin Nylen said. “I thought we were the better team for the entire duration, but that doesn’t really matter.”

Although the game finished without a goal, the Terriers looked like a team destined to score from minute one. Their midfield press consistently put Navy on the backfoot in the first half, and midfielder Quinn Matulis found Terrier attackers in behind throughout the opening stages. 

The best chances for BU came by way of First Team All-League midfielder Colin Innes, who had the Terriers’ only shot on target in the first half and forced Navy goalkeeper Pierce Holbrook airborne from another shot that grazed past the bar.

“They packed numbers in behind the ball in the box, and we just didn’t find ourselves on the end of it,” Nylen said. “Goals change games, and we didn’t find ourselves on that side tonight.”

Despite not finding much luck holding possession, Navy had the best chance of the half. Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year Francesco Montali had to make a double save after the Terriers failed to clear a cross from the box in the 38th minute.

“I think he’s been the best goalkeeper all year,” Nylen said. “I thought that [moment] was a pretty consistent one for him.”

The second half saw much of the same Terrier domination and the same lack of defensive penetration. Bunkered down in a low block, the Midshipmen made sure BU had no clean looks on goal. Although the Terriers accumulated 13 shots throughout the game, only two of them were on target. BU also failed to capitalize on their 13 corner kicks. 

As the night progressed and the temperature sank, so did the amount of chances for either side. The latter stages of the second half and the two overtime periods saw little offensive sparks. The closest either team came to a goal in the last 40 minutes of the game came from a nifty 1-2 from Innes on the top of the Navy box. But before the senior could get on the end of the move, Holbrook comfortably came out to claim the ball. 

In the penalty shootout, Navy went in front early. Matulis, who stepped up first for the Terriers, was able to send Holbrook the wrong way but placed his penalty onto the post. However, Montali rectified his teammate’s mistake in the fourth round of the shootout by comfortably saving a Navy penalty to put the Terriers level.

It would take six extra rounds after that save for the contest to be decided. Andrew Rent stepped up and skied his penalty over the crossbar in the 10th round, sending Navy to the Patriot League Championship. 

“Life of [penalty kicks], it’s a cruel way to go,” Nylen said with watery eyes. “I told our group to keep their heads up and be proud of who we are in representing the program, the department and the university, and I thought we did that tonight. I got 27 sad men that poured everything they had tonight.”