{"id":38452,"date":"2023-09-16T18:02:08","date_gmt":"2023-09-16T22:02:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/?p=38452"},"modified":"2023-09-16T18:02:08","modified_gmt":"2023-09-16T22:02:08","slug":"womens-soccer-terriers-drop-patriot-league-opener-to-loyola-maryland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/2023\/09\/16\/womens-soccer-terriers-drop-patriot-league-opener-to-loyola-maryland\/","title":{"rendered":"Women\u2019s Soccer: Terriers drop Patriot League opener to Loyola Maryland"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Sam Robb O\u2019Hagan<\/span><\/p>\n

Boston University women\u2019s soccer (3-4-2) (0-1 PL) dominated possession and controlled the game, but couldn\u2019t score in a frustrating 1-0 loss to Loyola Maryland (6-2) (1-0 PL) in the Patriot League opener at Nickerson Field.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Terriers did everything right, but they didn\u2019t score.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, the question for BU Head Coach Casey Brown: where can her Terriers find goals?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c[Over] the totality of the game, I thought we were probably better,\u201d Brown said. \u201cWe need to do a little bit more with our possession today in terms of shot generation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut obviously, the performance was very strong.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Terriers dominated possession, particularly in the second half, but finished with only nine shots. Loyola Maryland, starved of the ball for a majority of the game, finished with 11.<\/span><\/p>\n

None of the Greyhounds\u2019 shots asked demanding questions of junior goalkeeper Celia Braun. Even the Greyhounds\u2019 winner, scored 14 minutes into the game by senior forward Chloe Kuminoski, was hardly the strike most could\u2019ve envisioned would decide the game. An errant cross found Braun\u2019s exposed near-post, whose sudden effort helped the ball into the side-netting.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It was about the only blip on the radar Brown could point out after the game.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a tough little spell when they scored because it felt deflating\u2014it felt against the run of play,\u201d Brown said. \u201cWe struggled to respond to that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Brown\u2019s team limped into the break, with a majority of the ball, but without ideas or cohesion in possession. The Terriers put one shot on goal in the first 45 minutes.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the final 45, Brown\u2019s team was reinvigorated with the ball. The game was played at their feet and in their attacking third\u2014in the control of a BU team that wanted to play in possession..<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re a \u2018possession for penetration\u2019 team,\u201d Brown said. \u201cWe did a good job of breaking lines. We were dynamic in the final third. We showcased a lot of what we want to be in possession.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

However, the Terriers recorded just two shots on goal.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to be more ruthless in and around goal,\u201d Brown said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Junior forward Morgan Fagan, who Brown has said plays with \u201cscary speed,\u201d was particularly bright. In tight areas down the right flank, Fagan escaped with the ball. In the open field, she glided past defenders to progress the BU attack forward. But Fagan failed to record a shot throughout the 90 minutes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c[Fagan\u2019s] crucial,\u201d Brown said. \u201cShe\u2019s a threat at all times. She\u2019s a part of creating [goals] because of what she can do in one on one situations. She\u2019s a very dangerous attacking personality.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

At full time, Fagan, the Terriers\u2019 leader in goals and points in 2022, completed her ninth scoreless game of the season. Fagan has only one point in 583 minutes.<\/span><\/p>\n

After the Terriers\u2019 loss, Brown was asked if her team was adequately prepared for conference play. She was blunt.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCompletely,\u201d Brown said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe were certainly in charge of the game, but goals also dictate that, and when you have to chase it, that makes it a real challenge,\u201d Brown said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Brown\u2019s team learned a tough lesson. The Terriers fell victim to the need for ruthlessness in front of goal and the tight margins defending their own which define conference play.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe margins are fine in the Patriot League, and unfortunately, their goal was very against the grain, but that can happen,\u201d Brown said. \u201c[We\u2019ve] got to find ways to come up with points.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But finding points in the Patriot League is only getting harder.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh my gosh, the Patriot League is a very strong conference,\u201d Brown said.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Terriers need goals, and they need points. To find it, they\u2019ll have to keep up with competition that keeps getting better.<\/span><\/p>\n

BU\u2019s next opportunity to find goals, and ground in the Patriot League, is on Wednesday, when the Terriers host Colgate at 6 p.m.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Sam Robb O\u2019Hagan Boston University women\u2019s soccer (3-4-2) (0-1 PL) dominated possession and controlled the game, but couldn\u2019t score in a frustrating 1-0 loss to Loyola Maryland (6-2) (1-0 PL) in the Patriot League opener at Nickerson Field. The Terriers did everything right, but they didn\u2019t score. Now, the question for BU Head Coach […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21477,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[19,1039,1043],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38452"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21477"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38452"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38452\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38453,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38452\/revisions\/38453"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38452"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38452"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38452"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}