Enos Named MVP As Terriers Win Tourney
November 5, 2000 | Women's Soccer
It was the second conference tournament win of the weekend for a Terrier, and the fourth overall this fall. On Nov. 4, the field hockey team edged New Hampshire, 2-1, to win the America East title. Earlier, on Oct. 28, both the men and women's cross-country teams won their America East titles.
The women's soccer team improved its overall record to 15-6-0 with the win over Hartford, but, more importantly, it gave the Terriers their first bid to the NCAA Tournament.
It also broke Hartford's hold on the conference tournament title. The Hawks, whose overall record slipped to 17-3-0, had won the America East title the last three years. In addition, they had won the North Atlantic Conference tournament, the predecessor to America East, in 1994 and 1995.
"I am really excited for this team," said an ecstatic Terrier head coach Nancy Feldman. "They have worked very hard from the beginning of pre-season camp in August until today, and they really deserve this title."
"This is a very connected, unified team, and they would not be denied," said the coach.
This team also has a great player in Deidre Enos, whose two goals brought her season total to 20 and her career total to 51, both of which are school records.
She also assisted on a goal by freshman Katie Smurthwaite (West Hartford, CT).
Enos finished the tournament with three goals and as assist, as she scored the team's game-winning goal in the 2-1 win over Towson in the semifinal game on Nov. 3.
"She is a true finisher," Feldman said of Enos, who now has 43 points for the season and 121 for her career. "She has an incredible sense of the game."
Enos opened the scoring for the Terriers at the 4:07 mark after taking a beautiful feed from sophomore Allison Merkle (Baltimore, MD). Merkle threaded the ball past a couple of defenders and found a streaking Enos in the box. She dribbled around a Hartford defender and beat Hawks' goalie Anne-Lise Nilssen with a low shot into the goal.
Merkle came back to score a goal of her own at 9:54. She drilled a direct kick into the upper right corner of the goal on an outstanding shot that a leaping Nilssen could do nothing but wave as it went by.
Feldman was a little concerned the Terriers had too big a lead too early in the game.
"I was worried when we took the 2-0 lead," said the coach. "I didn't want us to get complacent and play not to lose rather than to win. I thought there was still a lot of game to play."
Indeed, as there were still 34:06 to play in the first half and 45:00 in the second half.
The next goal would be big, reasoned Feldman.
"If they made it 2-1, that would be huge," said the coach. "However, if we scored and made it 3-0, that would give us some breathing room."
Smurthwaite provided that breathing room with help from Enos.
It was in the 62nd minute, and Enos had possession of the ball as she was dribbling into the box. Rather than rush her shot, she feathered the ball over to Smurthwaite who was on Enos' right. With Nilssen coming over to cover up on a possible Enos shot, Smurthwaite delivered the ball into the right side of the goal.
Enos ran over to Smurthwaite and tackled her to the ground in sheer excitement knowing that Hartford would have a tough time coming back from a three-goal deficit.
Less than three minutes after the Smurthwaite goal, Hartford's Hege Lauvik fired a direct kick from about 40 yards out that beat Terrier junior goalie Danielle Demers (Portland, ME). It was reminiscent of Merkle's first-half goal.
It was also the first goal Hartford had scored against the Terriers this year.
On Oct. 20, the two teams met at Hartford, and B.U. came away with a 3-0 win as Demers had four saves.
Lauvik's second-half goal, coming at 64:10, ended a streak of 154 minutes and 10 seconds in which B.U. had blanked the high-powered Hartford attack.
Hartford continued to press the Terriers hoping to cut the deficit to 3-2.
"We just didn't possess the ball long enough," said Feldman.
With the clock winding down, Enos stepped forward again and scored a goal that was a microcosm of the way she has combined speed, finesse, and the ability to finish off a play.
She was streaking down the right side of the field chasing a ball with a Hartford defender. Suddenly, Enos put her motor into overdrive and streaked past the defender. With the ball in her possession, she crossed into the middle of the field and headed into the box. By this time, another defender had come over and was trying for force her off the ball. Instead of relinquishing it, Enos warded off the defender with her left side and moved in for the goal. Rather than rush her shot, Enos held on waiting for Nilssen to commit herself. Once she did, Enos pushed the ball into the right side of the cage.
The clincher came at 85:56.
All that was left was the final countdown and the presentation of the championship trophy to the Terriers.
"We have come a long way since that first game against St. Joseph's," said Feldman.
The coach was referring to Sept. 9, 1995 when B.U. played its first varsity women's soccer game. The Terriers blanked St. Joseph's that afternoon, 5-0.
Feldman, who had amassed an impressive 75-11-5 record at Plymouth State, was the first varsity coach for the Terriers.
During the ensuing six years, she has an equally impressive 74-36-5 mark.
"When I came here, I had set a goal of making it to the NCAA tournament in five years, she said. So, last year, was when I had hoped we would make the tournament."
"But, we lost to Hartford, 2-1, in the title game, she went on. It was a tough pill to swallow. I think that loss, though, set the tone for this year."
"The players came back for this season with the primary goal of winning the conference tournament and advancing to the NCAAs, and they reached that goal, concluded the coach."
"That's why I am so excited for them today."
All-Tournament Team Backs: Lesley Garvey (Boston University) Tina Cuevas (Hofstra) Natalie Klisas (Towson) Kate Kiley (Towson) Hege Lauvik (Hartford) Katie Gardiner (Hartford)
Midfield: Allison Merkle (Boston University) Megan Cross (Boston University) Elaine O'Connor (Hofstra) Katharina Lindner (Hartford)
Forward: Deidre Enos (Boston University)
Most Outstanding Player: Deidre Enos (Boston University)
Scoring
Hartford 0 1 - 1 Boston University 2 2 - 4
B.U.: Deidre Enos (Allison Merkle), 4:07 B.U.: Merkle (unassisted), 9:54 B.U.: Katie Smurthwaite (Enos), 61:30 UH: Hege Lauvik (unassisted), 64:10 B.U.: Enos (unassisted), 85:56.
Shots: B.U., 7; Hartford, 9
Saves: Danielle Demers (B.U.), 1; Anne-Lise Nilssen (UH), 2
Corner Kicks: B.U., 1; Hartford, 4
