Boston University
Albany
Terriers Edge Albany with Golden Goal, 3-2
October 31, 2009 | Men's Soccer
Oct. 31, 2009
ALBANY, N.Y. - Seeking a second consecutive conference road victory in the regular season finale, the Boston University men's soccer team (9-6-2, 3-4 AE) edged Albany (0-13-3, 0-6-1 AE), 3-2, in an overtime thriller on Saturday afternoon at UA Varsity Field. Junior Matthew Shea tallied his first career goal and the Terriers' first golden goal since 2006 to assure 25th-year head coach Neil Roberts his 24th winning season.
BU's America East player of the game Michael Bustamante had a hand in each of the three goals by scoring the first and then assisting on the next two. Aaron O'Neal posted his 11th goal of the season, while Shaun Kane and Konner McNamara each had one for the Great Danes.
Bustamante put the Terriers on the board first at 5:21, when he took a pass from Samuel Appiah and rifled it from 25 yards out to the far post for second goal of the year. BU would maintain the 1-0 lead until the 81st minute when the game became wide open.
Taking a loose ball deep in the Terriers' territory, Kane took a few steps and fired to the far post to tie the game at 80:29. Five minutes later, Bustamante dribbled down the left endline and passed to O'Neal, who one-timed the shot at 85:48 for the score.
With the goal, O'Neal now has 25 points on the season, the most recorded by a Terrier since 2001 when Joachim Kaland tallied 44.
The Great Danes didn't give up though and managed to tie the game again at 88:17, when UA's AE player of the game McNamara scored off a pass from Anthony DeSalvo. David Pinto set up the play with a free kick into the box.
Entering their third overtime of the season, the Terriers came through with the first golden goal since defeating Albany, 1-0, in the first round of the 2006 AE tournament. Shea took Bustamante's cross from the right side and shot from 12 yards out to hand the Great Danes their fourth overtime loss of the season.
In his first career start, redshirt-freshman Trevor McManamon posted three saves for the victory, while Adrian Foncette had four for the Great Danes. The Terriers finished ahead in both shots (14-9) and corner kicks (5-4).
They will now enter the America East tournament as the No. 6 seed and will visit No. 3 Hartford next Saturday (Nov. 7) at 7 p.m.
