The AU men’s soccer team secured fifth place in the Patriot League standings after defeating the Boston University Terriers 3-1 on Nov. 2.
The win snaps the Eagles’ five-game winless streak against conference teams.
AU got off to a thundering start as junior midfielder Stephen Hauschild scored the first goal of the day in six minutes. Senior forward Chris Kuramoto fed him the ball and collected his first assist of the season.
“It takes a lot of pressure off,” coach Todd West said of the goal. “Playing from a leading positions instead of chasing the game is huge.”
The Eagles’ defense was tenacious in the first half. As soon as BU gained possession of the ball, goalkeeper Billy Knutsen or defender Cristobal Soto would take command of the defense and tell players where to stand and how to defend.
In the 40th minute of play freshman forward Kibu Mbaluku added to the AU lead as he scored his first goal of the season. Knutsen earned the assist as he punted the ball halfway down the field to Mbaluku, who then shot over the out-stretched hands of the Terrier’s goalkeeper for the goal.
Mbaluku took the field minutes before scoring the goal to replace freshman forward Dale Ludwig, who may have suffered from a shoulder injury. The Eagle was unable to confirm this injury after the game.
In the second half, the Eagles continued to guard their side of the field. Knutsen earned seven saves including blocked penalty kick. The only goal he allowed came in the 70th minute off of BU’s Dominique Badji header.
With 2-1 score, the Terriers were desperate to tie the game, playing with a level of tenacity that was not shown before. In the 80th minute Eagle freshman midfielder Chris Fanet all but closed the door on BU with his first goal of the season, assisted by senior midfielder Patrick Mehlert.
AU finished the day with a staggering seven yellow cards. Soto’s yellow card was acquired on purpose so that the defenseman didn’t have to risk, gaining a yellow card against Princeton and then sitting the following game against Colgate. The co-captain has accumulated five yellow cards now, which requires him to sit out a game according to league rules.
The team celebrated Senior Day before the game, honoring their five seniors including co-captains Knutsen and Soto. The seniors have participated in three straight Patriot League Championship finals and are looking to secure their first Patriot League championship this year.
AU will take a break from league play on Nov. 5 in a game against Princeton University.
