Boston University women defeat Albany

Albany, N.Y. - Freshman defender Jessica Morrow scored her first two collegiate goals and senior Emily Pallotta netted her fifth goal in six games, as the Boston University women’s soccer team (9-4-2, 5-0-0 AE) extended its winning streak to seven games with a 3-0 victory over Albany (6-7-1, 1-2-1 AE) on Sunday afternoon at Varsity Field.

The Terriers offense has gelled during the winning stretch, scoring 18 goals during that span with 10 different players finding the back of the net. On Sunday, Morrow scored two goals off set pieces. On the first goal, midway through the first half, senior Casey Brown stepped up to a restart 30 yards out, sending a lob to freshman Adrienne Anderson, who flicked it to Morrow inside the six-yard box. On the freshman’s second goal, senior Farrell McClernon took a corner kick from the left side late in the second half, connecting with Morrow, who headed it home. Pallotta’s tally came off a cross from sophomore Jessica Luscinski at the 47:10 mark.

Senior Janie Reilly made three saves, including a spectacular diving stop early in the first half, to earn her fifth shutout of the season and the defense’s eighth. BU’s backline held the Great Danes to just seven total shots, after averaging 16.58 through its first 13 games.

To start the game, Albany’s Chelsea DeVerna came streaking into the Terriers’ 18-yard box on a clear breakaway in the 20th minute, but Reilly came aggressively off her line and made a diving split save with her foot that stopped the first major scoring opportunity of the game and swung the momentum back to BU for the remainder of the game.

BU’s went up by one goal in the 28th minute when Brown sent in a free kick deep into the Great Dane’s box, where Anderson flicked the ball over to Morrow, who one-timed the ball into the left side of the net.

In a well-played give-and-go, McClernon dished the ball off to Luscinski, who unleashed a rocket for the upper left side of the net that ricocheted off the cross bar with just over four minutes remaining in the first half. Moments later, sophomore Krista Minto struck the ball from the right flank that went just wide.

BU upped its lead 2-0 just minutes into the second half, as Luscinski sent in a perfect cross from the right flank, straight to Pallotta, who headed it home for fifth goal in the last six games. In the 57th minute, senior Taleen Dimirdjian passed it into freshman Megan McGoldrick, who rocketed a one-timed, point-blank shot at Cate Crenson, who came up with the stop.

Luscinski nearly made it a three-goal game in the 67th minute, but her shot hit the right post, and McGoldrick collected the rebound and struck the ball to the far left side, but Crenson collected the save.

BU made it a 3-0 advantage in the 75th minute, as Morrow headed home a corner kick from McClernon. Following the goal, the Terriers defense buckled in and rendered Albany without a scoring threat the rest of the way.

Up next for BU is Stony Brook on Thursday (Oct. 15) at 7 p.m.