Harvard Edges Men’s Soccer, 2-1
ALLSTON, Mass .– Participating in a midweek non-conference game, the Boston University men’s soccer team lost a 2-1 decision to Harvard on Tuesday night.
All three goals were scored in the first 23 minutes of action, as the Crimson improved to 4-3-2. The Terriers (1-8-1) forced a dip in the last minute of regulation, but couldn’t convert to the ensuing corner before the bell rang for their fifth one-goal loss.
Missing first eight contests due to injury, sophomore and 2020 Patriot League conference winner André Loyer scored his first goal of the season to lead the offense, while his classmate Andrew Wike recorded a personal best eight saves, including one on a second-half penalty attempt.
HOW DID IT HAPPEN
- The Crimson quickly scored at 3:10 when James Fahmy played a long ball from the Harvard side to the BU area to help set up Martin Vician’s goal.
- Vician had passed the backline of the BU and was able to beat Wike for the ball and toss a chip shot at diving Wike for the empty net.
- Rent tied the game 10 minutes later with a shot from the top of the box inside the left post after his service pass attempt was blocked.
- Harvard struck again at 10:04 p.m., as Alessandro Arlotti slapped a cross from Willem Ebbinge, who managed to keep the ball in play along the goal line and send it over the arms. tense from Wike diving.
- BU got a pair of corners in the 37th minute with the freshman Kevin Torres setting up of a dangerous shooting attempt by a graduate student Pierre Kargbo.
- The Crimson’s endline got the block and then cleared the next corner.
- Wike made three saves in the last five minutes to keep the deficit at 2-1.
- The Crimson nearly added a third goal in the second half when Wike fouled trying to clear the ball over a tackle.
- Wike however responded with an impressive dive stop to his right on Vician’s low ground at 50:34.
- BU returned right away with a flurry of fire that saw Harvard win a save against Kargbo and block against a freshman Brian hernandez.
- The Terriers had one last breath in the last minute, but Harvard got the save and corner clearance to preserve the victory.
PLAY NOTES
- Rent became the fourth Terrier to score a goal this fall and has now scored a goal in three of his six career appearances after starting all four games in the spring.
- Wike’s eight saves are the most important for a Terrier this season, surpassing the previous junior record of six. Francesco montali in a 1-0 victory over the Navy.
- Gianluca Trofa made four saves for the Crimson, who claimed a 20-13 advantage in shots and a 6-4 lead in corners.
- Second year Eitan Rosen led BU with three shooting attempts.
- The home side have now won each of the last six meetings between BU and Harvard, with the teams battling for a 0-0 draw in 2013 at Jordan Field.
FOLLOWING
- BU will resume the Patriot League game at American on Saturday (October 9) with a start at 1 p.m.
- The Terriers have won their last three visits to Washington, DC by a combined score of 5-1.