Men make big strides in Big East with 1-0 overtime road victory over No. 15 Boston College
By BRYAN KRONK
Sports Writer
One goal has never meant so much so often to the Irish.
In the fourth and final road game in a span of 16 days for the Notre Dame mens soccer team, a goal by Luke Boughen 3:36 into overtime propelled the Irish to a 1-0 upset of No. 15 Boston College on Saturday.
"It was a big win for us," Boughen said. "Some of the guys were talking about how [a loss] might knock us out of NCAA contention."
The victory for the Irish — their third over a ranked opponent this season — puts them back in the mix for a home game in the Big East quarterfinals in November.
The Irish now stand at 6-3-3 overall and 3-2-1 in the Big East, and are tied with Rutgers for fifth place in the conference. The top four teams in the Big East earn a home game in the conference's postseason tournament.
The only goal of the game came off a lead pass from midfielder Justin Detter. He led Boughen down the left side of the field, and Boughen's shot to the far side of the net edged past goalie Justin Singer to give the Irish the hard-fought victory in less-than-ideal playing conditions.
"Justin [Detter] just got the ball, and I just made a run outside," Boughen said. "I just took a long catch and the keeper came out."
The goal for Boughen was his third goal of the season, and Detter's assist was his third assist of the season.
For the most part, the weather controlled the tempo of the game, as rain and wind prevented any large-scale runs or long possessions of the ball.
Despite the adverse weather conditions, both sides had opportunities to put the game away in regulation.
The Eagles' biggest threat came about eight minutes into the second half, as Neil Krause found a wide-open Casey Schmidt, who put the ball past Irish goalie Greg Tait for what appeared to be the first goal of the game.
However, the referee ruled that Schmidt was offsides on the play, and the goal was disallowed.
Five minutes later, an Irish corner kick found Braun with an opportunity for a shot on goal. However, Braun's hard shot was saved on an acrobatic play by Singer.
Statistically, the Irish controlled the Eagles for most of the game, outshooting the Eagles 15-10, and taking six corner kicks to the Eagles' two.
The 1-0 game for the Irish marks their third consecutive 1-0 decision, and fourth in five games. The Irish are 2-2 in 1-0 games this season.
"[After Saturday's win,] I think we're just back on the right track," Boughen said.
The Irish return home for their next game, which will take place Wednesday. The Irish will host Michigan State (8-4) at 7 p.m. at Alumni Field.
All Sports Stories for Monday, October 14, 2002
