ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Navy got a first-half goal from junior midfielder Jason Aoyama, but Boston University answered in the 73rd minute to finish with a 1-1 draw Saturday afternoon in Patriot League men's soccer action at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility.
The draw keeps the Midshipmen tied at the top of the league standings with Colgate at 2-0-2, shifting to 4-2-4 on the season, while the Terriers moved to 0-1-3 in league games 2-2-6 overall.
Navy was able to generate some early chances as Aoyama sent a shot wide of the left post in the 5th minute while fellow junior midfielder David Jackson had a shot go off-target at 16', with junior forward Baba Kallie putting the first shot on goal at 24'.
Gianluca Arlotti had the first BU opportunity at 29' but his shot went over the net, while Navy junior defender Zach Wagner headed a ball that BU goalkeeper Francesco Montali had to save in the 30th minute.
After the Mids gained possession off a Boston throw-in, Jackson centered a pass to junior midfielder Jake Granados in the attacking third, with Granados then forwarding a pass up to Aoyama at 35', who quickly raced past two Terrier defenders and let a shot rip from the 18-yard line that beat Montali for the opening tally and Aoyama's first goal of the season.
Navy senior goalkeeper Thomas Pearson, making his collegiate debut with the starting nod in place of an injured Pierce Holbrook, made his first save of the game in the 47th minute coming out of halftime, as Diego Rived put a shot on-target to the right side with Brian Hernandez missing over the top on a shot a minute later.
Boston had another chance at 59' when Aidan Holmes found room to shoot, but his attempt went off-target, while the counterattack saw Jackson's low shot saved by Montali in the 60th minute.
The Terriers finally broke through at 72:34, as Rived's shot was blocked by a Navy defender near the left post and the rebound found Andrew Rent inside the 6-yard line, who tapped it in for the equalizer.
Navy nearly took the lead again when Aoyama's shot was saved at 85' and Jackson's attempt in the 86th minute ringed off the left woodwork, with Aoyama having another shot saved by Montali just a few second later. Navy had another chance when the ball was passed to the backline at 89', with senior captain and defender JD Wagner rifling a shot over the cage after trying to charge towards the right corner of the penalty box.
Neither side would muster a shot in the final 10 minutes, as Boston finished in a tie for the fourth-straight contest and Navy mustered a draw for the fourth-consecutive home match
"It was a tale of two halves," said Navy head coach Tim O'Donohue. "We played well, possessed well and had good chances throughout the first half. They came at us in the second half, but we had some chances to make it 2-0. They equalized with a good goal and we had some really good chances to win it even after that. Overall, it was a good week for us and we will come out healthy and ready for Army."
Pearson would end the day with one save in his first start, while Montali registered five saves in the opposite net.
Saturday also saw Jackson's five-game scoring streak snapped, ending a run that sits as the second-longest in the nation this season.
The Mids outshot their opponent for the second time on the season by recording 12 shots to Boston's 11, while the Terriers had a 9-1 edge in corner kicks.
Navy now prepares for Army-Navy Cup XI on Friday, Oct. 7. Held at the Philadelphia Union's Subaru Park in Chester, Pa., the Midshipmen and Black Knights will kick off at 7 p.m. on ESPN+.
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