Women’s Soccer: Terriers secure victory with dominant 6-1 win over Lehigh

By Samantha Genzer

Boston University Women’s Soccer (2-6-3, 2-0-1 PL) earned a home win on Saturday afternoon against Patriot League opponent Lehigh Mountain Hawks (1-6-4, 0-3-0 PL).

The Terriers’ offense came out strong, led by junior forward Margy Porta, who opened the scoring in the 19th minute with her fifth goal of the season, assisted by sophomore forward Samantha Aronson.

Porta’s quick rebound off the goalkeeper’s save gave BU an early lead and set the tone for the match.

“We’ve been away for the last four games, so it feels good to be back on Nickerson,” Porta said post-game. “Getting our first win here is super exciting and just builds a lot of confidence.”

BU kept the pressure on, creating multiple scoring opportunities while holding Lehigh’s offense at bay.

However, Lehigh responded just before halftime. In the 39th minute, Lehigh’s Esther Brossard capitalized on a blocked shot in the box, tracking down the loose ball and sending it into the lower-left corner past BU freshman goalkeeper Bridget Carr.

Just after halftime, BU wasted no time regaining the lead. Junior forward Morgan Fagan doubled BU’s score with her first goal of the season, assisted by graduate midfielder Lily Matthews in the 46th minute.

Seconds later, Porta once again found the back of the net for her sixth goal of the season, assisted by junior midfielder Giuliana Gianino, pushing BU’s lead to 3-1 by the 47th minute.

“We needed everyone today, and the girls really brought it,” BU head coach Casey Brown said. “We were the aggressor and came out strong, but [we] wanted to build on a first-half performance, and we thought we did that in the second half.”

BU continued their scoring momentum just minutes later. In the 50th minute, Gianino added to the scoreline, netting her sixth goal of the season. After intercepting a clearance from the Lehigh goalkeeper, Aronson found Gianino in the box, who slotted the ball to the right side of the net, extending BU’s lead to 4-1.

Then, in the 62nd minute, sophomore midfielder Kaiya Stewart scored her second goal of the season. A give-and-go play between Stewart and Gianino along the left sideline opened up space, allowing Stewart to fire an eight-yard shot past the Lehigh goalkeeper.

“Going into halftime, we felt a confidence, but we also felt the level of urgency and hunger to get more,” Brown said. “We started very well in that second half, which completely dictated and changed the rest of the game.”

The Terriers finished the game with another goal by Stewart in the 81st minute. Sophomore midfielder Ciara Kennedy drove down the right sideline and delivered a cross from the right corner, allowing Stewart to finish from six yards out.

With the win, the Terriers improved to 2-0-1 in Patriot League play, marking an important step in what Coach Brown described as a season-long process of growth and improvement.

“This is a process, and we want to keep building on performances,” Coach Brown said. “As we told the girls, this game isn’t an accident or an anomaly. It’s a progression and a build-up and a process of other games and other moments.”

Porta, one of the standout players of the match, was praised for her consistent performances throughout the season.

“[Porta] is a kid that just does everything right,” Brown said. “She’s so coachable, and she wants feedback … She keeps building on performances, so we’re thrilled for her.”

The Terriers look to continue their winning streak as they head to Connecticut Tuesday for a match-up against Yale, with kickoff set for 7 p.m.