Terriers Stage Late Rally to Open 75th Season with 2-1 Thriller over UAlbany

Thursday, August 24

Boston, MA

7 PM

Boston University

1-0-0

UAlbany

0-1-0

UAlbany

Boston University

Photo by: Jon Ratner

Terriers Stage Late Rally to Open 75th Season with 2-1 Thriller over UAlbany

August 24, 2023 | Men's Soccer

Box Score Box Score Highlights Aidan Bone-Coach Nylen Postgame

BOSTON – Facing a one-goal deficit, the Boston University men's soccer team struck twice in the final five minutes for a thrilling 2-1 come-from-behind victory over the University at Albany on Thursday night at Nickerson Field.

Both graduate student Quinn Matulis and senior Aidan Bone provided the late-game heroics to help the Terriers (1-0) open their 75th season with the win, as the Great Danes dropped to 0-1.

UAlbany struck first by converting on a giveaway in the 62nd minute, and Matulis netted the equalizer on a perfectly-placed penalty kick at 85:49. Bone pushed BU ahead three minutes later by intercepting a back pass to the keeper and sending the ball into the empty net for his first career game winner.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Great Danes earned a pair of corners during the first 12 minutes but were unable to get off a shot.
After Santiago Frias' header off an UAlbany free kick sailed wide at 16:13, BU had a quality opportunity in the 21st minute when senior Eitan Rosen worked his way down the left side of the box to set up a cross that led to classmate Andrew Rent firing six-yard blast right at the keeper.
Senior Francesco Montali made a pair of saves and helped the Terriers clear three corner kicks over the last 15 minutes of the half to keep the game scoreless.
The Terriers earned a corner at 50:37 but were unable to get off a shot until graduate student Colin Innes just put a little too much under a cross and sent a shot attempt over the crossbar seven minutes later from 10 yards out.
Mohamed Soumah gave UAlbany the lead by deflecting a pass from the BU backline up the field and then sprinting into the box to send Saad Faiz's pass toward the left post at 61:24.
BU earned a corner kick in the 81st minute, but Bone's header off the service pass from Innes went over the bar.
The Terriers earned a free kick just outside UAlbany's box, and Matulis made the Great Danes pay by firing a shot through the wall at the far post to tie the game, 1-1, with 4:11 remaining in regulation.
Bone then grabbed the lead for good with 71 seconds remaining by pouncing on the back pass.

GAME NOTES

Matulis scored his 10th goal in his 33rd appearance as a Terrier after coincidentally also scoring the equalizer in a 1-1 draw at UAlbany in the 2022 season opener.
Coming off the bench during the 72nd minute, Bone earned his second career goal.
The Great Danes edged the Terriers in shots, 11-10, with a 5-3 advantage in corner kicks.
Montali ended the game with two saves, while Wilson earned one stop.
Freshmen Keke Abai, Luke Dunne and Jason Zacarias all made their debut in the second half.
BU improved to 12-3-3 all-time in the series against the former America East rival with a 6-2-1 home mark.
The Terriers snapped a six-game winless streak (0-5-1) in home openers, last posting a 2-1 victory over UMass in 2016.
BU opened a season with a home victory for the first time since edging Fordham, 1-0, with one second remaining in overtime in 2014. BU was 0-2-0 during that stretch in combined season/home openers.
The Terriers last opened a season at home victoriously with multiple goals in a game that ended in regulation back in 1998 against the Minutemen (3-0).

UP NEXT

The Terriers will face a second America East squad in defending champion and current No. 23 New Hampshire with a visit to Durham on Sunday (Aug. 27) for a 5 p.m. start.
BU stunned the then-No. 9 Wildcats, 1-0, on the road last year with senior Ryan Lee delivering the game-winning goal in the 73rd minute.