Suffolk University men’s soccer team visited the Boston College Eagles Oct. 14 in Newton, Massachusetts, falling 5-1 to the Division I squad.
It was only the second meeting between the squads, as Suffolk lost 2-0 to the Eagles in their first meeting last season. The Rams fell to 6-5-3 on the season with the loss and are 2-2 through four October games.
Overall, Boston College outshot Suffolk 29-3 on total shots and 9-1 in shots on goal. Despite the lopsided box score, team captain Taj Jensen had different feelings about the game.
“I felt like the score didn’t really represent the game. They had two penalties and three set piece goals, so you can’t really do much to control that,” said Jensen. “On another day with other bounces, it might be a different result.”
It did not take long for the Eagles to get on the board, as Danny Istambouli scored just 1:35 into the game. Boston College continued to control play to start before Suffolk’s Edward Abouzeid found the equalizing goal in the 19th minute, tying it up 1-1 on his second goal of the season.
The Rams gained more momentum and were able to hang with the Eagles until getting into some foul trouble late in the half. With a foul leading to a BC penalty kick, Leo Guarino sent his shot past Suffolk goalkeeper Mateu Farre-Torres to put the Eagles ahead 2-1. In the last minute of the half, Ask Ekeland converted on his penalty kick chance for the Eagles to make it 3-1 through the first 45 minutes.
At halftime, Suffolk head coach Bill Maddock made a change in net. Farre-Torres departed and in came freshman Ian Caldwell, making his second appearance of the season and first since a 6-1 win over Massachusetts Maritime Sept. 17, when he made four saves.
According to Maddock, the change was planned before the game.
“Those two have been working really hard in practice,” said Maddock. “Our normal starter Nathan [Harlow] played against BC last year, so we wanted to give those guys the opportunity to go out and showcase themselves against an ACC opponent. Predetermined, but I think both of them played really well.”
Caldwell and the Rams kept the Eagles off the board until the 62nd minute, when Xavier O’Neil let off a powerful shot from range that beat Caldwell to make it 4-1. Bryan Toro added an insurance goal for the Eagles in the 88th minute to seal Suffolk’s fate.
The Rams found themselves in foul trouble throughout the contest. In the first half, Tommy Handelsman, Francisco Valck and Diego Pierantozzi were all whistled for yellow cards. Not long after Boston College’s fifth goal of the game, Matthew Moreno was whistled for a red card and ejected from the game.
“Just a little bit of a rash challenge,” said Maddock. “He was a little bit late, left his feet a little bit early and the circumstance of the game kinda determines it too. It’s unfortunate.”
There was a statistical oddity in this game as well. Boston College goalkeeper Thomas Jordan picked up the win but did not make any saves, as the one shot on goal the Rams sent at him went in the back of the net.
Farre-Torres made one save on four shots on goal in the first half for the Rams, while Caldwell had three saves on five shots on goal in the second half.
Suffolk finished their non-conference schedule with this game. Their final five contests of the regular season are all against Conference of New England rivals, with three of those games at home in East Boston. Maddock is optimistic about how the next five games will go if the Rams showcase the same effort they did against the Eagles.
“I hope that we take the effort level that we had today and we bring it in every game,” said Maddock. “We have a tough schedule in the CNE in the next five games, but if we continue to compete and battle like we did today we’re gonna be tough to beat.”
