BU, Northeastern Battle to 1-1 Draw in Brookline

Sunday, September 3

Brookline, MA

6 PM

Boston University

2-2-2, 0-0-0

Northeastern

2-2-1, 0-0-0

Boston U.

Northeastern

Photo by: Tim Carey

BU, Northeastern Battle to 1-1 Draw in Brookline

September 3, 2023 | Women's Soccer

Box Score Box Score Postgame Audio - Casey Brown and Erin Sullenberger

BROOKLINE, Mass. – Playing in its final non-conference road game of 2023, the Boston University women's soccer program dueled crosstown rival Northeastern to a 1-1 draw on Sunday evening at Parsons Field.

After a scoreless first half, the Huskies (2-2-1) struck first in the 60th minute. However, nine minutes later, junior Erin Sullenberger netted the equalizer to cap the scoring.

Sophomore Giulianna Gianino picked up an assist on Sullenberger's first-career goal. Junior goalkeeper Celia Braun made seven saves in the effort.

Vivian Akyirem scored for Northeastern on a pass from Jessie Hunt. Between the posts, Holland Stam notched two saves.

HOW IT HAPPENED

BU's first shot of the game originated from Fagan's boot from 12 yards out after an Aronson cross from the left corner, but the ball trickled wide right. Ava Nace's attempt a minute later following a Huskies' free kick sailed over the crossbar.
Braun corralled her first save in the 18th minute, when Lauren Dupont got past the back line for a 10-yard chance near the right post.
After the Terriers cleared away a dangerous Northeastern cross, BU generated a corner kick that pinged off the crossbar on the insert in the 24th minute.
Four minutes later, Braun made two terrific saves to keep the match scoreless in the 29th minute. She first redirected Jessie Hunt's 15-yard strike over the crossbar, then tapped Katherine Marchesseault's header in front of the right post.
With less than eight minutes until the half, the Terriers booted a corner kick that Northeastern couldn't clear. Sophomore Margy Porta collected the ball for an eight-yard shot, but the Huskies' back line denied her on the goal line to keep the match scoreless.
In the 56th minute, Avery Levangie shook off a Terrier marker to the left off the goal, but Braun worked to her right to collect the save.
Northeastern's goal arrived after the home side gained possession on a Terrier goal kick. Hunt immediately fed a darting Akyirem in the box for a 12-yard score that sneaked past Braun into the lower-left corner.
Senior Lily Matthews kept the ball in Northeastern's end by deflecting a clear, and Godoy was able to fire a 15-yard shot that was poked out of bounds in the 66th minute.
BU leveled the score in the 69th minute when Gianino curled around the left of the box and crossed the ball by the end line, meeting Sullenberger's left foot for the redirect past Stam and into the lower-right corner.
Sullenberger nearly put the Terriers on top in the 76th minute when she split two Northeastern defenders for a sliding shot atop the box that skated by Stam, but it trickled wide left.
The Huskies gained two corner kicks in the final three minutes, but after Levangie's chance was blocked during the first, the second insert hit the top of the net.

STATS

Northeastern sported a narrow 13-12 edge in shots as well as an 8-4 advantage in shots on target.
Gianino, Sullenberger, and Godoy each had a team-high two shots. Nine different Terriers registered shots.
BU generated five corner kicks to the Huskies' six.
The Terriers won the possession battle at 51 percent, and spent 63 percent of its time with the ball in Northeastern's end.
Braun, Gianino, and junior Eileen Solomon played the entire 90 minutes. Twenty total Terriers saw time on the pitch.

NOTES

Sullenberger's first-career goal comes in her 33rd match as a Terrier. It also marks her first recorded shot on target.
Her score was also the first for a Terrier reserve this season.
Gianino is the first Terrier this season to record a point across three games. She has two assists in her last three games after not registering one in her first 23 career contests.
Braun has notched six or more saves in three of her six appearances in 2023. She had three such performances combined in her first two seasons.
Sunday marked BU's first draw to open the month of September since a 0-0 contest at Arizona State in 2017.
That year also marked the last instance prior to 2023 that the Terriers tied two non-conference foes in the regular season.
The all-time series between BU and Northeastern moves to 14-8-2 in the Terriers' favor. Sunday was the first deadlock between the programs since Oct. 24, 2002.

UP NEXT

BU ignites a four-game home stretch on Thursday (Sept. 7), welcoming former America East rival Maine to Nickerson Field. Opening kick is scheduled for 6 p.m.