Boston University women beat Rhode Island 2-0

BOSTON - The Boston University women’s soccer team (1-0) kicked off its 2009 campaign on a high note, as it defeated Rhode Island (0-1), 2-0, on Thursday evening at Nickerson Field. Sophomore Jessica Luscinski netted the game winner and classmate Cynthia Warman added the insurance tally, as the Terriers broke a 0-0 deadlock midway through the second half. Freshman Megan McGoldrick picked up her first collegiate point, assisting on Luscinski’s game winner.

After a scoreless first half, the Terriers came storming out of the gates in the second stanza applying early pressure to the Rams before breaking through in the 58th minute. McGoldrick, who was positioned on the far left side of the 18-yard box, sent a long, crisp pass to the top of the box that Luscinski - the America East Player of the Game - got on the end of and rocketed a shot into the lower left corner of the net.

Warman added to BU’s lead 29 minutes later with a great individual effort as she maneuvered through two defenders to go one-on-one with URI goalkeeper Jackie Fede. Once inside the box she unleashed a shot into the middle of the net for her first collegiate goal.

BU outshot URI, 15-3, and held a 6-2 advantage in corner kicks. Senior Janie Reilly and sophomore Annie Tooley split time in between the pipes as the Terriers recorded the shutout.

Much of the first fifteen minutes of the game were battled out in the midfield; however, the Terriers started to press more in the 15th minute, as senior Emily Pallotta and sophomore Tiya Gallegos fronted a BU attack with two quick shots toward the URI goal. Both shots proved a turning point in the half as both teams picked up the pace of the game and began to go end to end.               

URI had a nice opportunity when Kaylen Shimoda fired off a shot from the corner of the 18-yard box and her strike skimmed through the box but rolled out of harm's way.

BU threatened again in the 35th minute, when Pallotta scooped up a rebound and then went to put it back into play, but URI’s Jackie Fede, who was outside her six-yard box, leapt to her side to stop the strike from getting back into the middle of the box. The ensuing rebound was cleared by the Rams’ defense.

Senior Farrell McClernon had the best opportunity of the early second half as she went racing into the box off a feed from classmate Taleen Dimirdjian; however, Fede came aggressively off her line to cut down the shot. On the ensuing corner kick a flurry in the front of the net resulted in a shot from Pallotta that went just high.

The Terriers’ aggressiveness paid off in the 58th minute as Luscinski collected the pass from McGoldrick and fired off the game winner. Sophomore Krista Minto nearly upped the lead to two in the 75th minute, but her strike ricocheted off the cross bar. BU continued to maintain its pressure on the URI defense as back-to-back corner kicks resulted in direct shots. Warman made it a two-goal deficit for the Rams at 87:52 - her first collegiate tally.

BU will look to keep its momentum going this Sunday when it takes on Massachusetts at Nickerson Field at 6 p.m. Prior to the match, BU will hold its third annual Terrier Tailgate at 4:30 p.m.