BOSTON, Mass. – The Navy men's soccer team (5-5-2, 2-1-1 PL) could not overcome an early 2-0 hole on Saturday afternoon, as the Midshipmen fell to Boston University (7-2-2, 4-0-1 PL) by a 4-1 score in Patriot League action at Nickerson Field.
 
Led by a three-point performance from Eitan Rosen, the host Terriers used the win to stay atop the league standings, while senior Jason Aoyama's 33rd-minute goal could not prevent the Mids from suffering their first Patriot League loss of the campaign and halting a five-game undefeated streak.
 
After a pair of early chances on the Boston side and a shot from Navy sophomore Andrew Schug that went just wide of the left post in the 11th minute, Eitan Rosen beat a pair of defenders in the 18th minute and pinpointed a shot from 16 yards out that beat junior goalkeeper Pierce Holbrook to the top-right corner.
 
Griffin Roach added to the BU lead in the 28th minute when he deflected a Ryan Lee cross with his heel, but Aoyama was able to cut into the deficit in the 33rd minute when he collected a clearance, got off a shot as he was falling just outside the 18-yard box and beat a diving Francesco Montali to the left post.
 
Boston quickly extended its lead coming out of halftime, as Andrew Rent's header on a Rosen cross into the box redirected past Holbrook to the right side of the net in the 48th minute. Holbrook kept the margin at 3-1 with saves in the 65th, 67th and 69th minutes as the rain picked up, but the Terriers put the game away in the 83rd minute when Aidan Holmes knocked in a failed clear attempt. Navy tried to cut the lead again in the 87th minute when junior Charlie Kriel put a header on net, but Montali stopped what ended up being the Mids' last chance.
 
Montali ended the day with two saves for the win, while Holbrook recorded three save in the losing effort.
 
Head Coach Tim O'Donohue Comments
"We were disappointed to be down 2-1 at halftime, but I thought we played very well in the opening half. Their third goal was well executed, and we were then chasing the rest of the game. It was a tough opponent and a tough place to play, but we have to have a short memory and continue to go after our goals to win the Patriot League."
 
Match Notes
• Navy is now 2-7-2 all-time against Boston.
• Saturday snapped a five-game unbeaten streak for the Mids, as well as senior David Jackson's three-game goal streak and four-game point streak.
• The loss also ended a 10-game undefeated streak for Navy against Patriot League competition, a stretch that lasted a full calendar year since an Oct. 7, 2022 loss to Army.
• This marks the first time Navy has given up four-or-more goals in back-to-back games since the 1983 season.
• Aoyama's goal was his second of the season and the seventh of his career.
 
Up Next
Navy will head to Subaru Park in Chester, Pa., on Oct. 13 for Army-Navy Cup XII. The Mids and Black Knights are set for a 7 p.m. first kick as part of the 2023-24 Army-Navy Star Series, presented by USAA.