Box Score The American University men's soccer team picked up a pivotal win in Patriot League play on Saturday afternoon at Reeves Field, beating Boston University, 3-1, on senior day. It was the regular-season home finale for the Eagles, who moved ahead of BU in the conference standings with only one league game remaining this year.
The Eagles tallied two first half goals and got excellent goalkeeping from senior Billy Knutsen who made seven saves in the match, including a stop on a penalty kick early in the second half.
"We really relied on our seniors all week long at practice. I challenged them to step up, letting them run portions of practice and the team absolutely responded," said head coach Todd West. "It is a good, important win for us and we jump BU in the standings. We need to carry this momentum into our final two matches, especially at Colgate next weekend."
American got the scoring started early as senior Chris Kuramoto found a streaking Stephen Hauschild for the score only 6:11 into the match. The Eagles made the most of their offensive opportunities, scoring on two of five shots in the first half, while the Terries did not convert on any of their eight chances.
AU made it a two goal lead with just over five minutes left in the first half as rookie Kibundila Mbaluku scored his first career goal, taking the long goal pass from Knutsen and putting an excellent touch strike on the ball, which went just over the keeper's outstretched arms before falling back down in the net.
Knutsen's penalty kick save proved to be an important one as BU striker Dominique Badji made up for the P.K., miss later in the match, heading one home in the 71st minute, cutting the Eagle lead to one.
It was another senior who stepped up however as Patrick Mehlert found freshman Chris Fanet for his first career goal as the rookie headed in the set piece off the foot of Mehlert in the 81st minute.
The physical Patriot League "war" lasted throughout the match with American totaling 20 fouls and seven yellow cards.
The Eagles close out the 2013 season on the road with a Tuesday night matchup at Princeton at 7 p.m., before an important league tilt at Colgate on Saturday, November 9, at 3 p.m.
