Men’s Soccer: Terriers extend home unbeaten streak against Navy
By Cameron Meyer
Boston University (7-2-2) (4-0-1 PL) took on Navy (5-5-2) (2-1-1 PL) at home today looking to extend their unbeaten streak at Nickerson Field to six games. Amid scattered showers, the Terriers got the job done, beating Navy 4-1.
The last time BU faced Navy at Nickerson Field, the result was far less enjoyable for the Terriers. Last November, the Midshipmen won a nail biter on a penalty shootout, eliminating the Terriers from the Patriot League Tournament.
“You don’t forget who ends your season,” BU Head Coach Kevin Nylen said. “But I think we less focused on that and more focused on what we’re going to do to break them down.”
Whatever Nylen and the Terriers focused on going into the game, it seemingly worked wonders in the early part of the first half.
Senior forward Eitan Rosen, with the torrential rain pounding the Nickerson turf, was able to conjure up a moment of magic in the 18th minute. He received the ball on the right side of the box and turned a defender in and out until he ripped an effort at goal. His strike, with loft and movement, settled into the top right corner of the Midshipmen net. Rosen leads all Terriers with five goals on the season.
“I hit that shot a million times and this was one of the good ones for sure,” Rosen said. “As long as the guys keep on making me look good, I think we’re headed for a lot of success here.”
Soon after the opening goal, the Terriers were dancing in the rain again. Off of a corner in the 28th minute, senior defender Ryan Lee found space on the edge of the box to shoot. He played the ball back into the mixer where reigning Patriot League defender of the year Griffin Roach was waiting—his flick taking the ball past goalkeeper Pierce Holbrook.
Navy battled to get back in the game in the first half. Their effort was awarded with a late goal to cut the Terrier lead to one. Senior midfielder Jason Aoyama received the ball on the edge of the box in the 33th minute and ripped a speculative shot on net. Thanks to the slick turf surface, the ball skipped just under the paws of Francesco Montali at the near post and into the back of the net.
It was the first goal the Terriers have conceded at home since September 3rd.
The goal seemed to inspire the Midshipmen, as they grew into the game from there. They continued to push against the Terrier backline for the remainder of the half—looking to use their height advantage to good use. They had their share of chances after Aoyama’s strike, coming in the form of three corners and two shots, but the Terrier’s survived the deluge into halftime.
The Terriers opened up the second half as they started the first: with a goal. Rosen, again, was the mastermind behind it. He received the ball on the left wing, one-on-one with a Navy defender. He wiggled into a little bit of space and crossed the ball into the box and found senior forward Andrew Rent for his second goal of the season.
“Towards the end of the second half, I thought [Navy] came into it,” Nylen said. “We didn’t need to change much at half and you come out and you score in the first five minutes […] today was a good day for the guys.”
The game largely became a slog after Rent’s finish. With the rain continuing to pour and the Midshipmen continuing to struggle, play became ugly and fouls started to mount. This was evidenced by Navy’s five fouls in the second half.
Despite the conditions, the Terriers were able to find a fourth late into the half. Senior defender Aidan Holmes was the beneficiary of a botched Midshipmen corner in the 83rd minute. The goal marked the first time the Terriers scored four goals in a single game under Nylen tutelage.
“A lot of credit to the depth the guys showed,” Nylen said. “It’s good to be able to do the rotations and find guys minutes and we did it today.”
The Terriers will return to the field across the Charles River on Tuesday, where they will take on Harvard at 7 p.m.