WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a regular season battle for the top spot in the Patriot League standings, the Boston University men's soccer team came up just short at American, 2-1, on Sunday afternoon.
Extending their home unbeaten streak to nine games (6-0-3), the Eagles (6-7-1) grab sole possession of the No. 1 slot with 15 points (5-0-1). The Terriers (8-5-0, 4-2-0 PL) are now in third at 12 points, just one behind Saturday's upcoming opponent, Lehigh (7-4-3, 4-1-1 PL).
Mustapha Sowe netted the game's first and third goals to lead AU with a brace, while senior
Ethan Gill headed in his team-leading fifth goal of the season for BU. At net, Matthew Tibbetts totaled six saves, and senior
Sheraz Saadat recorded five in a contest that saw the Terriers post a 16-12 advantage in shots.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Junior Andrea Di Blasio forced the game's first save with a header off a dangerous cross in the sixth minute.
- After Gill sent a shot just wide of the left post, the Eagles came right back with Mustapha Sowe putting away a cross at 18:42 that landed at his feet due to a deflection from a sliding BU defender.
- Saadat kept the deficit at one goal with a pair of saves, and Tibbetts made one of his off freshman Sebastian Otero's attempt in the 40th minute.
- Saadat shortly thereafter started the second half with two more saves, and freshman Austin Mobray forced Tibbetts to make another at 51:42.
- One minute later, Mobray played the ball back from the box to junior Charlie Tuckerman, who fed the ball to a charging Gill for a successful diving header for the equalizer.
- After Tibbetts saved a shot from Tuckerman in the 55th minute, Sowe flicked a ball toward the left post from 15 yards out to retake the lead.
- In the 76th minute, the Terriers earned a corner when AU blocked sophomore Dylan Williams' shot out of bounds, but Di Blasio's ensuing shot attempt went over the crossbar.
- Williams forced one more save at 87:58, and Tibbetts leaped up to grab a high curling free kick into the box just before the buzzer sounded.
GAME NOTES
- Seniors John Roman and Diego Rived joined Gill and Saadat in playing all 90 minutes.
- Mobray moved into a tie-for-second on the team at four assists, while Tuckerman became the 12th Terrier to tally an assist this year.
- Saadat totaled at least five saves for the third time in six appearances following wins at then-No. 24 Bucknell (3-2) and vs. Colgate (1-0).
- The Eagles snapped BU's seven-game unbeaten streak (5-0-2) with their first victory since a 2-0 home win in 2016.
UP NEXT
- BU will return home to host Lehigh on Saturday (Oct. 25) at 1 p.m. Fans are encouraged to arrive early for the Senior Day ceremony.
- The Terriers and Mountain Hawks are tied in the all-time series, 6-6-0, following last year's 3-1 loss at Lehigh.
- In 2024, junior Keki Abai tied the game at 55:19 in the second half, but the Mountain Hawks came back 10 minutes later to pull ahead with the insurance score occurring at 67:11.
- In each of the previous two seasons, the Terriers posted a 2-0 home victory against Lehigh.