The turf was slippery from light rain showers, and dark clouds peppered the sky as Boston College men’s soccer made the short trip to Boston University on Tuesday.
Weather set the tone for BC (2–2–3, 0–1–1 Atlantic Coast) and BU (2–2–3, 0–1 Patriot League), and in a slippery battle that saw four total yellow cards and 24 total fouls, neither team could edge out its respective crosstown rival, and the game ended in a 0–0 tie.
Freshman CJ Williams reentered BC’s starting lineup after serving a one-game suspension for a red card he acquired in the Eagles’ 2–1 loss to Clemson on Sept. 10. In his first game back, Williams continued his aggressive style of play and picked up a yellow card in the fourth minute of the game, setting the tone for a high-intensity, physical game.
BU midfielder Quinn Matulis took the free kick that the Terriers earned from Williams’ card, but it hit the crossbar. The near miss sparked the Eagles to life, and BC began to take control.
Williams’ return to the starting lineup demonstrated BC head coach Bob Thompson’s continued use of his freshman class this season. Six BC freshmen appeared in Tuesday’s game, and Thompson alternated between two freshmen—Augustine Boadi and Camilo Ponce—to lead BC’s attack at forward alongside leading scorer Stefan Sigurdarson.
The first half was a battle in the midfield. Adrian Zenko and freshman Ted Cargill led the charge for BC. The referees called foul after foul, as both teams continued their scrappy play.
BC recorded three shots in the first half, one each from Ponce and Boadi and the other from Zenko.
The second half had the same physicality as the first as the stalemate drew on.
But BC showed signs of offensive life in the last nine minutes of the game. Captain Amos Shapiro-Thompson led the Eagles during the final minutes, inserting himself into nearly every play. The Eagles fired shot after shot, but BU goaltender Francesco Montali had an answer for every last one.
