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09/12/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 09/13/2024 03:16

Men’s, Women’s Soccer in Search of First Wins Ahead of Conference Play

Men's, Women's Soccer in Search of First Wins Ahead of Conference Play

Men host Army West Point in Patriot League home opener Saturday, women begin PL play September 21

Giulianna Gianino (Sargent'26) during the game against Northwestern at Nickerson Field August 15. The women's soccer Terriers, ranked third in the Patriot League preseason poll, are looking for their first win Sunday when they play Rhode Island. Conference play begins September 21 in Maryland vs. Loyola Maryland. Photo by Tim Carey/BU Athletics

Varsity Sports

Men's, Women's Soccer in Search of First Wins Ahead of Conference Play

Men host Army West Point in Patriot League home opener Saturday, women begin PL play September 21

September 12, 2024
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The Boston University men's and women's soccer teams are gearing up for Patriot League play following a turbulent nonconference schedule. The men's team had four-straight draws before their first loss, at the hands of Santa Clara last weekend. Meanwhile, the women's team went back and forth between losses and draws before a three-game losing streak.

The men's team starts its Patriot League slate this Saturday against Army West Point on Nickerson Field at 1 pm. The women's team will face off against out-of-conference Rhode Island on Sunday before beginning conference play against Loyola Maryland on September 21.

Men's soccer

The men's soccer Terriers enter the season coming off the mountaintop-their first Patriot League championship. They have begun their fall campaign 0-1-4, with draws against No. 9 New Hampshire, Northeastern, UMass Lowell, and St. Mary's. The BU team ranked second in the Patriot League preseason poll. Their goal is to "raise the standard" and "compete every day," says Kevin Nylen, Terrier head coach.

"There's an expectation and a standard that the guys bring every day, and the standard is nonnegotiable from a training perspective and how we want to operate," Nylen says. "Every season's a new group."

The team experienced some turnover from last season, losing point leaders Eitan Rosen (Questrom'24) and Colin Innes (CAS'23, Wheelock'24) as well as starting goalkeeper Francesco Montali (COM'24). Nylen has emphasized the importance of "depth succession," making sure the team continues to rotate in quality talent.

Cocaptain and forward Andrew Rent (Questrom'25) says the offense will be more spread out this season, and who scores will be game-by-game. Thus far this season, the team has seen four goalscorers, with Quin DeLaMater (CAS'26), Aidan Bone (Questrom'25), Daniel Kim (Questrom'25), and Jason Zacarias (CAS'27) scratching a tally.

Congratulating Quin DeLaMater (CAS'26) (#14) after he scored his first career goal on August 27 against Northeastern at Parsons Field. The men's team, coming off the Patriot League Championship, is also in search of its first win ahead of Patriot League play this weekend. Photo by Jim Pierce/BU Athletics

"We have a bunch of talent and kind of all the positions up front," Rent says. "We all have the ability to step up and equally contribute and hopefully add more than we did last year."

Graduate student and cocaptain Andrew Wike (Questrom'25) says the younger players have helped fill the gaps left by last year's graduates, noting that the team has a new identity.

"Kudos to the younger guys that have stepped up. They've done a really good job," Wike says. "It's still early days, but we're just working for one another, trusting one another, believing in ourselves, believing in our team."

Wike will be taking on a bigger role in net after backing up Montali for the last three seasons. In two games this fall, he earned a clean sheet against New Hampshire and allowed one goal to Northeastern on a penalty kick, in addition to 10 saves.

"He's in constant competition every day with our group of goalkeepers," Nylen says. "He's done well up to this point, and I'm really happy for him."

Wike has split starts with goalkeeper Ben Alexander (CAS'26), who played two seasons at South Carolina before transferring to BU.

Nylen says it takes five games, at a minimum, to get into the groove of the season. The team is readying itself for matchup number six, against Army West Point, on Saturday as the team hunts for its first win.

"I look for us to continue to progress and continue to get our legs underneath us," the coach says. "I like our resiliency there in terms of response, and so I think it's going to be a case of us getting better every day."

Women's soccer

The women's soccer team placed fourth in the Patriot League regular season last year, falling to Bucknell in the conference tournament semifinals. The loss "sits with you," says head coach Casey Brown (COM'10).

"I really think it sets a fire in your belly," she says. "We're really focused on ourselves, but I think this group has a real determination to take a step in terms of what we feel like we can do in conference."

The Terriers are 0-5-2 on the season, with draws against Northeastern and Vermont, and losses to Northwestern, UMass Lowell, UConn, Harvard, and New Hampshire.

Following a competitive game against Vermont, BU was shut out in three straight contests. Their most recent matchups were a pair of one-goal losses to Harvard and New Hampshire. After the September 5 loss to Harvard, Brown was still impressed with her team's performance against a "really good side," she says. "This nonconference part of the schedule is a lot about continuing to figure out relationships and different pieces and timings working off of each other. It's something that we'll continue to build on."

The coach is bringing back her signature hard-nosed style of play, which is "very much in my DNA," she says.

"This runs through the identity of who we are as BU's women's soccer team program, and there always is a toughness to this team and a grittiness," Brown says. "That has to be in the recipe. That has to be in the ingredients of success to do big things as a team."

The Terrier women's soccer team celebrating Giulianna Gianino (Sargent'26) (right), who scored a goal against Northwestern on August 15 at Nickerson Field. Gianino, Natalie Godoy (COM'26), and Eileen Solomon (ENG'25) were recognized as Preseason All-Patriot League players. Photo by Tim Carey/BU Athletics

Where the men's soccer team lost a couple of top scorers to graduation, the women's team is returning four of its top-five point leaders. Giulianna Gianino (Sargent'26), Natalie Godoy (COM'26), Morgan Fagan (Questrom'25), and Mackenzie Stickelman (COM'26) were all major contributors to the team's highly productive offense last year.

"There's a really strong, experienced group just in general for our team, so we feel like there's a strong foundation," Brown says. "We have a lot of versatility in our attack. We think that we can break down teams in different ways."

Gianino has been a standout forward early in the season, with three goals in the team's first five games. She is one of three BU players selected to the Preseason All-Patriot League list, along with Godoy and defender Eileen Solomon (ENG'25).

Goalkeeper Celia Braun (CAS'25) is in her second season taking the lion's share of starts between the pipes for the Terriers. She has started in each of the team's seven games and is expected to play a significant role for the team as the Terriers prepare to begin conference play.

"I'm super fortunate to have such an amazing backline, keepers, midfield, and forwards who spend a lot of time making sure we're on the same page," Solomon says. "When we're in those game opportunities, we know exactly what to do and how to problem-solve."

The BU men's soccer team hosts Army West Point in the Patriot League opener on Saturday, September 14, at 1 pm. The BU women's soccer team will travel to Rhode Island Sunday, September 15, for a 1 pm game against the Rams before traveling to Baltimore, where they'll take on Loyola Maryland on Saturday, September 21, at noon, for the start of Patriot League play. All soccer games can be streamed live on ESPN+. Admission is free for all home games.

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