Rutgers Upsets Men's Soccer

For his players, it was a level of devastation none had experienced at the collegiate level.

For Boston College men's soccer coach Ed Kelly, though, the feeling was an all too familiar one.

Four years after losing their first match of NCAA tournament play as the No. 1 national seed, the No. 4 national seed BC fell yesterday to Rutgers on penalty kicks in Newton, 1-1 (4-3).

"Its just an awful way to lose," Kelly said. "I feel bad for them, especially the seniors, who had a game that was theirs and let it slip away. "

Just like in 2007, the Eagles had a bye to the second round and a home game. They took an early lead and appeared to have the game under control, as did Kelly's squad four years ago. And just like the last BC squad to earn this high of a seed, they conceded a late goal that ultimately led to a heartbreaking loss.      

Last time around, it was UMass' Mike DeSantis's who delivered the death knell, scoring in the 85th minute to lead the Minutemen past BC, 2-1. After Saturday, Ibrahim Kamara is the name that will haunt Kelly and his Eagles for what is sure to be a long offseason.

Trailing by a goal for much of the second half, the Scarlet Knights scored in the 87th minute to knot the game at one and breathe life into their season. A wide corner kick from Sam Archer bounced off several players before finding itself at the feet of Kamara. The senior striker was able to get a foot on the ball and redirect it past helpless keeper Justin Luthy.

"We just put bodies in there, trying to create traffic so that the goalie can't navigate his way through the box," Rutgers head coach Dan Donigan said. "We were fortunate to get to penalty kicks, fortunate to get through extra time, and then we were very confident about the penalty kick because we love our goalie."

The Scarlet Knights' keeper, junior Kevin McMullen, didn't let his team down during the shootout. The first three shooters all converted their shots before McMullen dove low to stop Amit Aburmad's effort and put the visitors up. BC managed to tie it up at 3-3 heading into the final round, and after Joe Setchell nailed his shot, the stage was set for McMullen. He seized the moment by snagging Steve Rose's penalty shot, pushing Rutgers through to the next round and brutally cutting short what the Eagles thought would be an extended postseason run.

It was an agonizing end to a game that saw many BC opportunities go to waste.

Statistically, BC outplayed Rutgers. The hosts notched seven more shots and defended well enough that Luthy was only forced to make two saves. But goals are the sport's only currency, and the Eagles' inability to cash in more than one doomed them.

"I thought we had most of the plays," Kelly said. "We didn't get enough done up there when it was quality time to slip and really send some of them in that should have been at least a goal."

The Eagles' lone score came in the 53rd minute after an errant cross from senior Patrick Chin slipped past McMullen and into the net. BC kept the pressure up for the rest of the half, ripping 11 shots and earning four corner kicks. But the Scarlet Knights kept extra men back on defense to help prevent the Eagles from earning high-quality looks on goal.

The strategy didn't lead to many quality chances for Rutgers. It did, however, allow them to keep the game close.

 "When your back's up against the wall and you have a talented opponent, you have to do the simple things," Dunigan said. "That's defend your asses off and hopefully get some chances offensively."

All they needed was one of those chances to be converted. With their opponents pushed into a corner, the Eagles were unable to keep them from getting out. The game was a squandered opportunity for the players, which will stay with them long after their careers at BC are over. And it's a tormenting flashback for the coach who has been there before. That doesn't mean it will hurt any less.