Looking into the Scoring Drought

by Marc Filippino

The late Boston University professor, Jack Falla, once said the basic fundamental of any sport is, “The team with most points wins.” Right now, any points for the women’s soccer team would be an improvement.

BU has scored one goal in the last six games. That’s right folks, just ONE goal. They have already been shut out the same amount of times they were in the entire 2008 season. As a result, a road trip where the Terriers could prove they are a national power turned into a 0-4-2 debacle.

The worst part is that the Terriers are much better than the team who has scored only five goals all season. The 2008 team led the America East with 27 goals. Aside from the graduations of Marisa Schumacher-Hodge (’09) and Jennifer Herman (’09), the same offense is back this year.

So what is the problem here? BU has played some very tough teams. The out-of-conference schedule contains three ranked teams; West Virginia (7), Boston College (16) and Penn State (23). The combined record of those teams is 12-6-3, so BU has faced some decent competition.

They’ve also caught some tough breaks. As my fellow beat reporter, Tristan Hobbes, has pointed out, the Terriers number one enemy has been the cross bar. It seems that no matter where the Terriers shoot from, they come just inches short of putting it in the net.

The Terriers have also seen injuries to some key players. Junior Lina Cords (’11), who had two goals in the ’08 season, is out for the year. Senior defender Casey Brown (’10) is out with a sprained ankle, forcing some of the midfielders, like Corie Halasz (’11) and Mara Osher (’10), to abandon their offensive posts and play back more often.

It’s not only bad luck, however. The Terriers have playing sloppy soccer. Rushed shots on goal and reckless passing have been a key part of the Terrier’s turnover rate.

BU Head Coach Nancy Feldman feels that the expectation to score has had a hand in the Terrier’s impotent offense.

“The tension is building, pressure is building, the frustration is building to be the one to score the goal,” Feldman said.

Feldman also said that the offense is trying too hard to create opportunities individually instead of sharing the ball.

“You can’t bust through ten defenders and score, it’s not how the game is played,” Feldman said. “They have to read the game and flow with the game.”

The bottom line is that Terriers need to score. Having a great defense is nice, but you can’t rack up wins without hitting the back of the net. Because when it comes down to it, the team with the most points wins.