Men’s Soccer: Eagles Edge Terriers 2-1 in Patriot League Showdown
By Marianne Zemmes
In a matchup that determined the top spot in the Patriot League, Boston University Men’s Soccer (8-5-0, 4-2-0 PL) fell 2-1 to American University (6-7-1, 5-1-0 PL) on Sunday afternoon at Reeves Field.
The Eagles entered the match riding an eight-game home unbeaten streak, and they extended it to nine with the victory. With 15 points, American now sits alone atop the Patriot League standings. BU, meanwhile, drops to third place with 12 points, trailing second-place Lehigh by just one point.
“Come on the road, and you know it’s a tough one,” BU Head Coach Kevin Nylen said. “Really pretty slow start by us in the first half.”
American struck first in the 19th minute. Forward Mustapha Sowe found the back of the net off assists from defender Finn O’Brien and midfielder Chris Sullivan, giving the Eagles a 1-0 advantage heading into halftime.
The Terriers struggled to find their rhythm early, with their best first-half chance coming in the sixth minute when junior forward Andrea Di Blasio’s shot was saved by goalkeeper Matthew Tibbetts.
“We probably found ourselves into the game at the 30-minute mark, but at that point you’re down one-nil,” Nylen said.
BU came out firing in the second half, earning a corner kick in the 51st minute.
The pressure paid off just over a minute later when senior midfielder Ethan Gill headed home his team-leading fifth goal of the season. Junior defender Charlie Tuckerman and freshman defender Austin Mobray provided the assists, tying the score 1-1 in the 53rd minute.
“He came over to us this past spring and has integrated himself really well,” Nylen said of Gill, who transferred to BU this season. “He’s been in the conference. He knows the competition. He knows the teams, and I think he’s done well in our system and has found himself in really dangerous spots.”
However, the momentum was short-lived. Just three minutes after Gill’s goal, Sowe struck again for the Eagles off an assist from midfielder Javi Gonzalez, restoring the Eagles’ lead at 2-1.
“You give up a second goal, and you got to push and try to keep fighting, finding the space,” Nylen said. “Makes for a little longer trip home.”
Despite outshooting American 16-12 overall and posting an 11-6 advantage in second-half shots, the Terriers couldn’t find another equalizer.
Senior goalkeeper Sheraz Saadat made five saves in the loss, while Tibbetts recorded six stops for the Eagles.
Nylen noted the Eagles defended well and looked to counter, with Sowe running down every ball.
“I thought we handled it for the majority of what we had to, but obviously you don’t take care of a couple situations and you get paid the price,” he said.
Four Terriers played the full 90 minutes: Gill, Saadat, Roman and senior midfielder Diego Rived. Mobray’s assist moved him into a tie for second on the team with four helpers, while Tuckerman became the twelfth different Terrier to record an assist this season.
The loss snapped BU’s seven-game unbeaten streak and marked American’s first victory over the Terriers since a 2-0 home win in 2016.
The Terriers will return to Nickerson Field on Saturday at 1 p.m. to host Lehigh in a Senior Day matchup. Before the matchup, the Terrier seniors will be honored.
“Really excited for those guys and their families to come, because they’ve done a lot for the program on and off the field and pushed us forward,” Nylen said.