BU Men’s Soccer to Host Army West Point in Patriot League Home Opener
Members of the men’s soccer team show their team spirit during their August 28 game against Northeastern. The Terriers lost a close one to the Huskies, 2-1. Photo by Jenny Chen
BU Men’s Soccer to Host Army West Point in Patriot League Home Opener
Terriers seeking first win of the season
In a tightly contested Patriot League where every point matters, the Boston University men’s soccer team has separated itself from the pack since 2022.
The Terriers are the only team in the conference to reach the semifinals in each of the last four seasons, a run capped by a 2023 tournament title and two regular season championships. In 2026, they ranked second in the Patriot League preseason poll, receiving 70 total points.
“It’s not four championships, but it is four consistent seasons of playing, giving yourself an opportunity to play for really meaningful games,” says head coach Kevin Nylen.“It has become part of our standard of how we want to see ourselves within the conference.”
Senior forward Andrea Di Blasio (CAS‘26) attributes the team’s successful history to the work the players put in beyond gameday.
“We’ve gone to those highs because of how well we train day in and day out, how serious we take the lifts, the off days, the recovery days,” Di Blasio says. “This all builds a culture, which then creates consistency throughout the year.”
Di Blasio and junior midfielder Pharis Petrica (CAS’27) were selected as preseason All-Patriot League honorees. Di Blasio was also named to the 2026 United Soccer Coaches DI Men’s Players to Watch list.
Petrica—who transferred to BU last year—led the Terriers in assists last season. Now an upperclassman, he’s thinking about his role both on the field and off.
“Of course I have my own goals for myself, to score goals, to have many assists, to help the team in terms of my performance,” he says. “Not just on the field but off the field, being an upperclassmen and being a leader on the team.”
That leadership will be tested early, as BU brings in a wave of new talent this season.
With 11 seniors having graduated, this year’s roster has a new look, including three new transfer students and eight freshmen.
Two of the transfers, Louis Crofts (ENG’28) and Ben Bagshaw (CAS’28)—both from England—led their respective teams in points last year.
“You’d love to see them continue what they’ve done at their previous institutions,” Nylen says, “I think we’ve already seen it. Maybe not in the score sheet, but [we’re] hoping that will come at some point.”
The Terriers know they have work ahead of them. Currently 3-2-0, the young team is experiencing normal growing pains while getting their bearings and seeking their first win of the season as they prepare to host Army West Point in their Patriot League home opener Saturday at Nickerson Field. According to Di Blasio, all signs point to a course correction that’s already underway.
“The past results aren’t the ones we wanted, but there were so many positives coming out of those games and so many lessons,” Di Blasio says. “There’s so much to look forward to that the results don’t really faze us.”
Petrica echoes the sentiment.
“It’s hard with this amount of new players to make everything work right away. We’re still in the process, but I’m confident and positive about what we’re going to do and how this is going so far.”
For his part, Nylen says he’s not focused on the wins and losses at this point in the season and observes that the team is making steady progress with every game. The Terriers have matched up with five difficult opponents and played their first three games on the road, he notes. Despite those challenges, he believes the team’s mentality and work ethic are in the right place.
“Everything is right there, and it’s early in the season where you hope that you continue to progress,” Nylen says. “[The team] has had a really good overall holistic focus to continue to push, and that’s the exciting part.”
The BU men’s soccer Terriers host Army West Point in their Patriot League opener on Saturday, September 12, at 6 pm at Nickerson Field. All soccer games can be streamed live on ESPN+. Admission is free for all home games.