Sloppy Play has been Terriers Weakness this Season

by Nathaniel Lowenthal

With the loss to Boston College Friday night, the Boston University Terriers fell to 3-2-1. The recurring theme in both losses this season for the Terriers has been one thing: sloppy play.

It has been a season of extreme highs and crushing lows for the Terriers, and sloppy play is the reason. In both their losses to Harvard and BC respectively, the Terriers were unable to execute a few specific things that ended up costing them the game.

BU has to put an end to this trend. These two losses could have been avoided if the Terriers could have fine-tuned some of their play. If the passes were a little bit crisper, and the spacing by the defense was a little better, the scores might have been 1-0 in favor of the Terriers instead or Harvard or BC.

With out-of-conference play winding down, BU must end their non-conference schedule on a good note before America East play begins. As the America East defending champs, they will have a big target on their backs. If they continue to play sloppily, their chances of repeating will be in question. The Terriers have shown this season that they can compete with the national powers, defeating #12 UConn and top-ranked St. John’s. They now have to play with the same efficiency and intensity they played with against UConn and St. John’s against their America East opponents.

There have been many positives for the Terriers this season, especially when you remember that senior forward Shaun Taylor (’10) has played only one game due to a foot injury. Once Taylor (’10) returns and that the rest of the team is fully healthy, BU will pick up some much needed size and scoring ability. Junior forward Aaron O’Neal (’11) has done a tremendous job picking up the load, accounting for half of the team’s goals. With Taylor, they will form a formidable one-two punch that could be lethal to America East foes, especially with the speed of the Terriers midfield.

There is a lot more time out on the pitch for the Terriers this season. If they can correct these minor flaws, then expect to see them at the top of the standing come the end of the America East regular season.