Women’s Soccer: Terriers Defeat Army 3-2 for First Patriot League Win

Featured Image by Jenny Chen

By Marianne Zemmes

Boston University Women’s Soccer (4-4-3, 1-1-1 PL) earned its first Patriot League victory of the season with a 3-2 win over Army West Point (7-4-1, 1-2-0 PL) on Wednesday night at Malek Stadium.

The Terriers opened the scoring early. In the fourth minute, senior midfielder Giulianna Gianino’s free kick created a rebound inside the box, and senior midfielder Mackenzie Stickelman finished the chance to put BU ahead 1-0.

Less than two minutes later, Gianino tapped a free kick to senior forward Margy Porta, who turned and struck into the bottom left corner, giving the Terriers a 2-0 lead within the first five minutes of play.

Army controlled possession for much of the first half, recording 14 shots and forcing five saves from sophomore goalkeeper Bridget Carr. BU maintained its two-goal advantage heading into halftime.

Army cut the lead to 2-1 in the 55th minute when midfielder Megan Youngberg lofted a ball over Carr. Nine minutes later, forward Brigid Duffy equalized with a shot from the top left edge of the box to level the match at 2-2.

BU responded quickly in the 73rd minute. Junior forward Ava Maguire broke down the right side and sent a cross into the box. Gianino met it with her right foot to score the decisive goal and restore the lead at 3-2.

Army pushed forward in the closing minutes, earning five corner kicks and receiving two yellow cards, but the Terriers held firm defensively to close out the match.

Army outshot BU 25-15 and held a 10-1 advantage in corner kicks. Both teams combined for 15 shots on goal, with Army leading 8-7. Carr finished with five saves. Stickelman, Porta and Gianino each scored once, while Maguire recorded one assist.

Boston University returns to Nickerson Field on Saturday to host Lafayette for its annual Pride Game. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m., with streaming available on ESPN+.