Boston College Athletics
Men's Soccer Hosts NC State Friday Night
October 09, 2014 | Men's Soccer
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - The Boston College men's soccer team will take on NC State on Friday night at 7 p.m. at Harvard's Soldiers Field Soccer Stadium.
BC FACES NC STATE AT HARVARD
• Boston College will play five of its seven remaining games in the Boston area beginning with NC State on Friday at 7 p.m. at Harvard's Soldiers Field Soccer Stadium.
• The Eagles won last year's meeting in Raleigh, 2-1.
• BC ended a four-game losing streak by taking down top-ranked and defending national champion Notre Dame last Friday in Indiana, 1-0.
• NC State also earned its first ACC win last weekend by defeating No. 6 Louisville, 2-1. It also beat Gardner-Webb on Tuesday, 5-2.
EAGLES BEAT TOP-RANKED NOTRE DAME
• Sophomore Isaac Normesinu scored the lone goal in the 15th minute to lead Boston College to a 1-0 win over No. 1 Notre Dame at a rain-soaked Alumni Stadium last Friday.
• It was Normesinu's team-leading fifth goal of the season.
• Senior Giuliano Frano had the first good chance of the night when he took a shot at the keeper four minutes after the opening whistle. Patrick Wall made the save and then Notre Dame nearly scored on the ensuing possession. Leon Brown found a streaking Vince Cicciarelli on the right side of the box. He tried to slip a shot into the left post but it rolled just wide.
• The game-winning goal came from Normesinu minutes later. Freshman Henry Balf sent a long pass from the defensive half to the top of the box on the other end of the pitch. A Notre Dame defender got to it first but misplayed it, and Normesinu made him pay as his shot hit the back of the net.
• Notre Dame nearly equalized the match with six minutes left in the half when a nice through ball was sent into Jeffrey Farinia in the box. He redirected the ball towards goal, but his shot barely missed the right post.
• The Irish had a couple of quality chances in the second half as well but BC was able to hold them off. One opportunity came three minutes into the half when Patrick Hodan sent a cross into the box from the left side. Brandon Aubrey was waiting and got a foot on it, but his shot sailed high of the crossbar.
• Max Lachowecki was inches away from scoring the tying goal with 16 minutes left in the match. He handled the ball on the top left corner of the box and decided to take a try on net. His shot beat junior Alex Kapp, but it hit the far post and stayed out of the goal.
• Kapp made three saves for BC while Wall made two for the Irish.
NORMESINU NAMED ACC CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• Sophomore Isaac Normesinu was named the ACC Co-Player of the Week after helping Boston College to a 1-0 win at No. 1 Notre Dame last Friday.
• Normesinu shared the award with NC State's Alex McCauley, who made 12 saves in goal to lead the Wolfpack to a 2-1 win over No. 6 Louisville.
• Normesinu scored the lone goal in the 15th minute to knock off the defending national champions. A Notre Dame defender misplayed a long pass from BC's backline and Normesinu one-timed a shot to the back of the net which held up as the game-winner.
• Normesinu ranks third in the ACC in goals (5) and points (11). He also ranks second with three game-winning goals.
LAST TIME vs. NC STATE
• Boston College scored two second half goals in a 2-1 victory over NC State on September 27, 2013 at Dail Soccer Stadium.
• Matt Wendelken scored his first career goal in the 47th minute to give BC a 1-0 lead. Wendelken scored on a header off a free kick from Zeiko Lewis. He directed the ball into the right far post.
• BC's lead lasted until the 64th minute of play when Clement Simonin scored off a corner kick. It was his third goal of the season.
• The Eagles took the lead for good with 10 minutes left in the match when Atobra Ampadu sent a low shot to the left of goal from the top of the box. Giuliano Frano registered the assist on the go-ahead goal.
• Keady Segel made eight saves to pick up his third win the season. NC State's Nazmi Albadawi had two chances - one in the 82nd minute and a dangerous attempt in the 89th minute - which Segel turned away for the win. NC State's goalkeeper Fabian Otte had one save.
• Boston College had three shots on goal, while NC State had nine. Both teams had six corner kicks in the match.
SANDGREN EMERGES
• Junior Phil Sandgren is playing his first season with Boston College and he exploded for seven points in two matches on October 16 and 19.
• He played a part in all four goals that the Eagles scored that week.
• The Kristinstad, Sweden product recorded a goal and an assist in a 3-2 overtime loss at Harvard.
• Sandgren then scored both goals in a 3-2 overtime loss to No. 9 Louisville.
• Sandgren ranks second on the team in both goals and points. He ranks ninth in the ACC in goals.
ABOUT THE DEFENSE
• Boston College had allowed just one goal in the first four matches this season - an own goal in the season opener against Iona.
• Junior Alex Kapp recorded three shutout victories in that span and had a shutout streak of 337:19 end at the Clemson game.
• Boston College had just one shutout last season. It has four in 2014.
• It was the first time BC recorded three consecutive shutouts since the 2012 season. It was also the first time since 2007 that the Eagles notched three clean sheets in the first four games.
• In the recent four-game losing streak, BC allowed nine goals.
• The Eagles outscored opponents, 8-1, in the first four matches. They are being outscored 9-5 in the last five outings.
• BC ranks fourth in the ACC in goals allowed (10) and fifth in goals against average (1.06).
STRONG OFFENSE
• Boston College controlled the pace of play against its first four opponents and outscored them, 8-1.
• The Eagles have advantages in shots (115-105) and corner kicks (46-30) this year.
• Sophomore Isaac Normesinu is one of five players in the ACC to score five goals this season and ranks third in that category. He is also tied for third in points.
• No player on Boston College scored more than two goals last season.
• Junior Phil Sandgren is second on the team with three goals and seven points. All of his point scoring came in two matches.
• Junior Derrick Boateng is third on the team with six points on two goals and two assists. He and senior Diego Medina-Mendez are tied for the team lead with a pair of assists.
• Sophomore Zeiko Lewis also has a pair of goals this year.
NORMESINU'S START
• Sophomore Isaac Normesinu has led the Boston College offense so far this season with five goals, an assist and 11 points.
• Normesinu has hit the back of the net in five of the last eight matches. He had a goal and an assist against Rhode Island on September 7.
• He is also seventh in the conference with 25 shots.
• As a freshman last season, Normesinu had two goals and four assists.
NANA
• Junior Derrick Boateng, better known as Nana, was an ACC All-Freshman Team selection in 2012. Last season, he recorded two goals and two assists.
• He has already matched his offensive output from last year, notching two goals and two assists in seven matches this season.
• All six of his points came in a four-game span from September 4-16. He had a goal and an assist in a 2-0 win at Quinnipiac.
LEWIS' FRESHMAN CAMPAIGN
• Sophomore Zeiko Lewis led Boston College with 11 assists and 17 points last season.
• He earned numerous accolades including: NSCAA All-South Atlantic Second Team, ACC Freshman of the Year, All-ACC Second Team, All-ACC Freshman Team and Soccer America All-Freshman First Team.
• Lewis led the ACC in assists (11) and assists per game (0.61) and ranked 10th in the conference in points (17).
• He ranked third in the country in assists per game and fourth in assists.
• Lewis was the only freshman in the top 15 in the country in total assists and in the top 20 in assists per game.
• The only other Eagle to reach 10 or more assists in less than 20 matches was Jorge Montoya in 1983.
• This season, Lewis has two goals and an assist.
NEWCOMERS MAKING IMPACT
• Five newcomers have seen time on the field in the first nine games.
• Freshmen Henry Balf and Mohammed Moro have started all nine matches. Classmate Len Zeugner has started eight contests. Zeugner, a defender, scored a goal in the 2-0 win against Fordham.
• Junior Phil Sandgren has played in eight matches with seven starts and freshman Idrissa Bangura has played in all nine games with two starts.
• Sandgren is second on the team with three goals and seven points.
EAGLES TOP RHODE ISLAND, 3-0
• Sophomore Isaac Normesinu notched a goal and an assist to lead Boston College to a 3-0 win against Rhode Island on September 7 at the Soldiers Field Soccer Stadium.
• Junior Derrick Boateng and sophomore Zeiko Lewis provided the other goals for the Eagles. Junior Alex Kapp recorded his third-consecutive shutout.
• Boston College controlled the pace in the early going, taking the first three shots of the match in the initial 15 minutes. Senior Cole DeNormandie and Lewis both had nice chances that sailed past the left post.
• Rhode Island had a great opportunity to score midway through the half. A cross from the left side of the field made its way over to the right side of the box where Joey Cain was waiting wide open. He faced Kapp but his shot missed the right post.
• Normesinu put BC on the board in the 37th minute. With his back to the goal, he turned and fired from the top of the box. His shot was placed perfectly as it beat the diving keeper.
• Rhode Island nearly scored the equalizer a minute and a half into the second half. Dante Lamb found an open Carlo Davids on the left side of the box. He fired a shot at Kapp who dove to his right and got a hand on it. The ball deflected off the post behind him and stayed out of the net.
• The Eagles controlled most of the possession in the half to keep the lead safe and had a 7-4 edge in shots. The lead doubled in the 87th minute with Boateng's goal. Lewis and Normesinu started the attack on the right side and Normesinu sent a pass into the box. Boateng was by himself and beat the keeper to make the lead 2-0.
• Two minutes later, Lewis handled the ball at the top of the box and scored the Eagles' third and final goal of the match.
BC WINS AT QUINNIPIAC, 2-0
• Junior Derrick Boateng recorded a goal and an assist to lead Boston College to a 2-0 win at Quinnipiac on September 4 at the QU Soccer Field.
• Boateng scored the game-winner in the 42nd minute and then assisted on sophomore Isaac Normesinu's goal in the 84th minute. Junior Alex Kapp made a pair of saves to record his second-straight shutout.
• Kapp made both of his saves in the early going in the 23rd minute. Boateng came on as a substitute in the 24th minute and made a quick impact. He took aim from the top of the box and hit the side netting to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead in the 42nd minute.
• Quinnpiac had a chance to equalize the match in the 57th minute but couldn't get the tally. Shaquille Huggins took a free kick outside the box and bent a shot towards Kapp, but the attempt sailed just wide of the far post.
• Normesinu added to the lead in the waning minutes for his team-leading second goal of the season. Boateng earned the assist on the strike.
• The shots in the match were in favor of Boston College, 11-10, but it owned a 9-5 advantage in the second half. Quinnipiac held a 7-3 edge in corner kicks. Both Kapp and Quinnipiac keeper Borja Angoitia made two saves.
BC BEATS FORDHAM FOR FIRST WIN
• Sophomore Isaac Normesinu and freshman Len Zeugner scored goals as Boston College shut out Fordham, 2-0, on August 31 at Harvard's Soldiers Field Soccer Stadium.
• They were the first goals of the year for each player and it was Zeugner's first of his collegiate career. Sophomore Ado Kawuba assisted on Normesinu's goal while seniors Cole DeNormandie and Diego Medina-Mendez were credited with assists on the second score.
• Junior Alex Kapp made one save in goal for his first career clean sheet.
• The Eagles dominated possession for the full 90 minutes, holding an 18-4 shot advantage and taking 11 corners to Fordham's zero.
• BC got on the board in the 19th minute as Kawuba handled the ball on the left side. He sent in a cross to the right side of the box to an awaiting Normesinu. He handled it with a defender on him and took a shot on goal, but Fordham keeper Sean Brailey made the initial stop. The rebound fell right back to Normesinu's foot and he put it in the back of the net to put BC ahead, 1-0.
• The Eagles nearly scored again with 1:23 left in the half when sophomore Zeiko Lewis stole an errant pass in the midfield. He drove down the middle and sent a pass to Medina-Mendez who was streaking down the left side. Medina-Mendez took aim at the net, but Brailey came off his line and stopped the shot to keep the BC lead at one.
• Midway through the second half, junior Derrick Boateng made a nifty lob pass to classmate Phil Sandgren who stayed onsides. Sandgren had an open path to the keeper and he tried to lift a shot over Brailey, but he made the save to keep the BC lead at one.
• Fordham's best chance to score came with 21 minutes left in the game. Following a BC foul near the right corner, Andrew Hickey took the free kick and sent a ball into the box. Jon Agostino was able to head it toward goal, but the shot sailed over the crossbar.
• BC put the game away in the 74th minute with Zeugner's goal. DeNormandie and Medina-Mendez shifted the ball from the right side to the left and found Zeugner at the top of the box. He fired from 14 yards out and found the back of the net to double the BC lead.
THREE CAPTAINS NAMED
• Junior Atobra Ampadu, senior Giuliano Frano and sophomore Zeiko Lewis have been named captains for the 2014 season.
• This is Ampadu's second season serving as a captain. Last year, he scored a pair of goals while adding two assists for six points.
• Frano led the team last year with four goals and was second with 10 points. He also recorded two assists.
• Lewis led the team with 11 assists and 17 points while adding three goals in 2013. His assist total ranked fourth in the nation and he earned numerous accolades including ACC Freshman of the Year.
REVS JOIN SOCCER STAFF
• Former Boston College soccer standout Charlie Davies and Lee Nguyen were named assistant coaches for the Eagles.
• Davies and Nguyen currently play for the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer. Davies starred for the Eagles from 2004-06 while Nguyen played one year at Indiana before turning professional.
• Davies played three seasons for the Eagles and earned numerous accolades. As a junior, he was an NSCAA first team All-American and the ACC Offensive Player of the Year. He was also one of three finalists for the Hermann Trophy, given to the nation's top collegiate soccer player. As a freshman, Davies was the Big East Rookie of the Year. The Manchester, N.H., product played with Hammarby (Sweden), Sochaux (France), D.C. United and Randers FC (Denmark) before joining the Revs.
• Davies has recorded three goals and three assists in 15 matches. He has 11 starts.
• Nguyen played one year for the Hoosiers and was named the National Freshman of the Year by Soccer America. He was also a first team freshman All-American, a third team All-America selection and the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Nguyen started his professional career with PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands) and also played for Randers FC, Hoang Anh Gia (Vietnam) and Becamex Binh Duong FC (Vietnam) before coming to New England.
• Nguyen leads the Revs with 14 goals while adding five assists. He ranks seventh in MLS in goals scored.
BEDOYA IN THE WORLD CUP
• Former Boston College men's soccer standout Alejandro Bedoya and the United States Men's National Team advanced to the Round of 16 at the 2014 FIFA World Cup before falling in extra time to Belgium, 2-1.
• The United States finished second in Group G with four points and advanced over Portugal on goal differential.
• Bedoya played in all four matches in the midfield and started three of them, including the contest against Belgium.
• The US and Belgium were scoreless in the first 90 minutes which forced 30 more minutes of extra time. Belgium's Kevin De Bruyne broke the tie in the 93rd minute and then the Red Devils added to the lead 12 minutes later with a Romelu Lukaku goal. The United States responded in the 107th minute when young Julian Green scored on his first touch of the game. A flurry of late equalizing chances for the stars and stripes fell short, and Belgium advanced to the quarterfinals.
• Bedoya's star continued to shine when he scored the only goal of the match to lead the United States Men's National Team to a 1-0 victory against the Czech Republic on September 3 at Generali Arena.
• Bedoya scored unassisted in the 39th minute which proved to be the game-winner. Mix Diskerud picked up a loose ball in the midfield to start the U.S. attack. He shot from 17 yards out and the Czech keeper made the initial save. The rebound fell to Bedoya, who slipped the shot past a defender and into the open net.
• Bedoya emerged for the USMNT during the CONCACAF Gold Cup as the U.S. won its fifth title on July 28, 2013 at Chicago's Soldier Field.
• Bedoya was instrumental in the semifinal and final matches, recording three assists on four American goals. He assisted on both of Landon Donovan's goals - including the game-winner - in the semifinal against Honduras, a 3-1 victory on July 24 in Dallas. Watch the two goals by clicking here and here.
• He also sparked the only goal in a 1-0 triumph over Panama in the CONCACAF Gold Cup final on July 28.
• The two assists against Honduras were the first two of his international career.
• Bedoya has 33 career caps and currently plays for FC Nantes in France's Ligue 1.
