Second-Half Goal Lifts Boston University Past Loyola Maryland Women’s Soccer, 1-0
By Brian Hradsky
The Loyola Maryland Greyhounds women’s soccer team suffered a narrow 1-0 loss to the Boston University Terriers on Saturday afternoon at Ridley Athletic Complex in Baltimore. The teams played a scoreless opening half before Boston University freshman Samantha Ryan broke through in the 62nd minute, providing the only goal the Terriers needed to hand Loyola its first Patriot League loss of the season.
Loyola entered the matchup after opening conference play with a 2-1 road victory over Holy Cross. The Greyhounds battled one of the Patriot League’s stronger teams throughout the afternoon but could not find an equalizer after Ryan put Boston University ahead. The loss dropped Loyola to 1-2-7 overall and 1-1 in Patriot League play, while Boston University improved to 5-5-1 overall and 2-0 in the conference.
Scoreless First Half
Boston University generated more pressure during the opening 45 minutes, outshooting Loyola 8-4, but Greyhounds goalkeeper Hannah Goetzer kept the Terriers off the scoreboard.
Loyola actually produced the first shot on goal of the match. Savannah Manset tested Boston University goalkeeper Bridget Carr in the sixth minute, but Carr made the save. Boston University responded with opportunities of its own, including shots from Kat Slott in the 12th and 17th minutes that Goetzer stopped.
The Terriers also generated four corner kicks during the opening half, while Loyola did not have one. Despite Boston University’s territorial advantage, Loyola’s defense repeatedly held up and allowed the Greyhounds to enter halftime tied 0-0.
That gave Loyola an opportunity to steal the match in the second half.
Ryan Breaks Through
Loyola nearly grabbed the lead in the 59th minute when Manset again put an attempt on target, but Carr made another save.
Three minutes later, Boston University finally broke through.
Slott helped create the opportunity before finding Ryan, who scored at the 61:48 mark to give the Terriers a 1-0 advantage. It was Ryan’s second goal of the season and ultimately became the game-winner.
Ryan’s performance later earned her Patriot League Midfielder and Rookie of the Week honors. The freshman played the full 90 minutes against Loyola, and the conference recognized her game-winning goal as part of her weekly honors.
The goal proved especially damaging because scoring opportunities became extremely limited afterward.
The teams combined for only three shots following Ryan’s goal. Boston University protected its advantage, prevented Loyola from generating sustained pressure and closed out the 1-0 victory.
Manset Leads Loyola Attack
Manset was Loyola’s most active offensive player throughout the afternoon, accounting for five of the Greyhounds’ seven shots. Two of those attempts were on goal.
Boston University finished with an 11-7 advantage in total shots and a 7-3 advantage in shots on goal. The Terriers also held a 4-1 advantage in corner kicks.
Carr stopped all three Loyola shots on goal to earn the shutout.
Goetzer was one of Loyola’s biggest bright spots. She made six saves on seven shots on goal and kept the Greyhounds within striking distance throughout the match. Without several of those stops, particularly during Boston University’s eight-shot first half, Loyola could have faced a considerably larger deficit.
Another Tight Game for Loyola
Close games have defined Loyola’s 2026 season.
Through the Boston University match, seven of Loyola’s first 10 games ended in draws. The Greyhounds tied William & Mary and Arkansas 1-1 to begin the season before suffering a 3-0 loss at Princeton. Loyola then played three consecutive scoreless draws against George Mason, Stony Brook and Fairleigh Dickinson before tying Iowa State and James Madison 1-1.
Loyola finally broke through with its first victory Sept. 20, defeating Holy Cross 2-1 in its Patriot League opener. Francesca Curatolo and Manset scored for the Greyhounds in that victory.
The Boston University game continued the same overall pattern. Loyola’s defense kept another opponent to one goal, but the Greyhounds could not produce enough offense to turn the defensive performance into a result.
Through the first 10 matches, Loyola had scored only six goals while allowing nine. The Greyhounds had been shut out four times, but they had also allowed more than one goal in just one match — the 3-0 loss to Princeton.
Those numbers show just how competitive Loyola has been defensively while also highlighting the biggest challenge facing the Greyhounds moving forward.
Patriot League Race
The result was an important early conference matchup.
Boston University entered 2026 picked second in the Patriot League preseason poll, receiving 76 points and four first-place votes. Loyola was selected fourth with 51 points, placing the Greyhounds ahead of Holy Cross, Navy, Bucknell, Lafayette, American and Lehigh.
Boston University’s victory reinforced why the Terriers entered the season with high expectations. BU opened Patriot League play with consecutive victories and extended its winning streak to three games with the victory in Baltimore.
For Loyola, one conference loss hardly changes the season. However, the Greyhounds will need to find more consistent finishing if they want to convert their strong defensive performances into Patriot League victories.
MSB Take
Loyola Maryland has shown throughout the season that it can defend against quality competition. Goetzer delivered another strong performance against Boston University, and allowing only one goal against a Terrier team picked second in the Patriot League preseason poll is nothing to be discouraged about.
The concern continues to be finishing.
Manset generated five shots and was clearly Loyola’s biggest attacking threat, but the Greyhounds finished with only three shots on goal as a team. When games are consistently decided by one goal, Loyola needs to find ways to turn a few more of those opportunities into quality chances inside the box.
This was another match that could have gone either way. One sequence in the 62nd minute ultimately separated the teams.
Loyola has demonstrated that it can stay competitive with nearly everyone on its schedule. The next step is turning more of these close games into wins.
