Boston College wins Battle of Rivals; BU falls to 2-1-0

by Tristan Hobbes

Sophomore All-America keeper Jillian Mastroianni made five second half saves and the 16th ranked Boston College Eagles (2-0-0) scored a goal in each half on their way to a 2-0 victory over the Boston University Terriers (2-1-0) Wednesday night at the Newton Soccer Field.

"This was the first time all season we were tested," head coach Nancy Feldman stated after the game. "I thought we competed well…and I thought our defending as a team was very, very good and very, very strong."

After a very fast-paced start to the contest, Boston College finally got a break on the offensive end with twenty minutes to play in the half. BU senior keeper Janie Reilly ('10) came out to play away a loose ball but her clearing attempt deflected off of BC's Victoria DiMartino. DiMartino was able to pick up the loose ball and put into the empty net. The goal, however, seemed to bring life to the Terriers.

"We gave up a soft goal in the first half, which was discouraging, but we didn't sit around and pout about it," noted Feldman. "We got ourselves some good chances after that and also we created some really good chances in the second half."

BU’s best chance in the second half came off the head of senior defender and tri-Captain Casey Brown ('10). Off of a corner, the ball was played short to senior back and fellow tri-Captain Mara Osher ('10), who played a beautiful ball into the box. Brown was able to leap above an Eagle defender but her header hit the post and was cleared out of danger by the Eagles. Moments before Brown's chance, BU nearly tied the game off a set piece from just outside the 18 yard box. Sophomore midfielder Jessica Luscinski ('12) took the kick and her low liner tipped off the fingers of a diving Mastroianni and laid in the six yard box but BC was able to clear the ball before a BU player could knock it home.

"It is frustrating to get a lot of good chances on net and balls sitting inside the six," said senior midfielder and tri-Captain Emily Pallotta ('10). "I think we just have to, down the road, capitalize on those chances. Against great teams, top 25 ranked teams, you are only to get one or two of them a game so I think you learn quickly those are the ones you have to put in the back of the net."

For the third straight game Janie Reilly and sophomore Annie Tooley (’12) split time in net for BU. Reilly made one save and allowed one goal in the first half, while Tooley found herself very busy in the second half. Tooley, under pressure all half, finished with four saves including a beautiful save on BC’s Julia Bouchelle. Bouchelle thought she had chipped it over Tooley for a goal, but Tooley made an acrobatic play and punched the ball over the crossbar to keep the game 1-0. On the ensuing corner kick, junior midfielder Chelsea Regan headed home the cross from classmate Hannah Cerrone to put the game away for BC.

BU will continue their tough six-game road trip on Friday when they travel to Baltimore, MD to take on Loyola. On Sunday, the women travel to West Virginia for a match-up with the Mountaineers before heading to Storrs, CT next weekend for the UConn Classic.

"You don’t get better if you don’t play better teams," stressed Feldman. "If we meet our goals we will probably see these guys again in the playoffs."