For the third straight game to start the season, Stony Brook Women’s Soccer failed to come away with a win Thursday night and fell victim to Boston College in a 3-0 loss in Newton, Massachusetts.
The Seawolves were tasked with containing Eagles senior forward McKenzie Meehan, the Atlantic Coast Conference’s leader in goals in 2015. It was evident early in the match that Meehan would not be stopped. She notched two goals in the first 16 minutes of the game.
The first came in the ninth minute off of a cross from freshman forward Jenna Bike, followed by her second goal unassisted between two defenders from 18 yards out.
Amid Meehan’s two-goal first half, the Seawolves offense appeared to be stumped when it came to getting through the Eagles’ back line. Through the first half, Stony Brook had just two shots, while Boston College ended with 12.
Behind Meehan’s strong start, the Eagles never looked back. By the game’s finale, they had a total of 25 shots compared to the Seawolves’ seven. Freshman forward Olivia Vaughn scored at the 74th minute to bring the game to its final score of 3-0.
Stony Brook falls to 0-2-1 under new head coach Brendan Faherty. The team has not yet seen a real boost in offensive output under Faherty, being outscored 5-1 in three games this season. However, under Sue Ryan last season, the start of the season was similarly ineffective, as the team was outscored 6-1 in its first three games.
Often, introducing a new coach and new system leads to a learning curve. It may take time for the new coach’s offensive and defensive philosophies to sink in. Fortunately for the Seawolves, conference play does not begin until September 27, giving the team ample time to gel under the new system.
The team will continue its quest for its first win of the season when it plays its next game against Yale at in New Haven, Connecticut on Wednesday.