Men’s Soccer: Terriers Aim to Carry Patriot League Tournament Momentum into Lehigh Matchup

By Jane Guay  

This coming Tuesday, Boston University Men’s Soccer (10-7, 5-4 PL) will be heading to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to face the Lehigh Mountain Hawks (8-5-5, 5-1-3 PL) in the semifinal round of the Patriot League Tournament.

The scene won’t be too unfamiliar for the Terriers, as their most recent matchup with the Mountain Hawks was just a few weeks ago on Oct. 25. That game ended with a scoreless 0-2 loss for the Terriers on their home turf. 

The Terriers have not been able to come out on top against Lehigh since Sept. 16, 2023, but matching up in the Patriot League Tournament could change this streak. 

Despite ending their last five games of the regular season with a record of 1-4, this had no impact on the Terriers’ ability to come out on top against the Bucknell Bison Saturday afternoon. BU secured its first win of the season’s tournament with an ending final of 3-1. 

Senior forward Alex Bonnington played a pivotal role in the match, after scoring the equalizer and then netting another to give BU the lead. Senior midfielder Ethan Gill sealed the win with a third goal, giving the Terriers confidence and control for the final 14 minutes. 

After conceding an early goal in the second minute to Bucknell forward and player-to-watch Drew Roskos, BU regrouped, tightened its possession and built the momentum that carried them through the rest of the match. 

After securing a first-round bye, the Mountain Hawks are heading into their first game of the Patriot League postseason on a tying streak of two. Finishing their last game with a 1-1 draw, with a goal made by midfielder Aiden Gonzalez, Lehigh will be looking for its first win since its victory against BU in October. 

Both teams will be looking to prove themselves in this tournament — not because of rather disappointing ends to their regular seasons but also for the possibility of winning the Patriot League Championship itself. This will be one of the final chances for either team to prove itself, as the win-or-go-home mindset has already set in for the Terriers and will soon reach the Mountain Hawks as well.

Kickoff will start at 7 p.m. on Ulrich Field, with streaming available on ESPN+.