Boston College Takes Down Siena With Late Flurry
By: Grady Daniels
Boston College Men’s Soccer faced off against the Siena University Saints for the second time in as many seasons in Newton on Sunday. After falling to the Saints last year 1-3, the Eagles flipped the script and emerged victorious thanks to a scoring burst in the late stages of the game, 3-1, moving them to 2-0 on the season.
Photo Courtesy: Meg Kelly, BC Athletics
Coach Francesco D’Agostino would run out the same lineup that defeated Merrimack 4-0 earlier in the week, and found the scoresheet early once again through the boot of Michael Asare, his first of the season, off of a pearl of a freekick from Bryan Toro from 25 yards out. Despite conceding, Coach Graciano Brito’s Saints played a strong first half, mounting offensive pressure following Asare’s goal. Connor Gibson would pick up an early yellow for accumulation after holding back dynamic winger Bruno Osoro a few times in the opening minutes.
Osoro, a Vermont transfer, was the focal point for Brito’s attack, and proved a difficult task to cover in the opening half. Siena would equalize after continuing to dominate offensive opportunities in the 71st minute, when a cross from the substitute Sean Kelly would skip past a few players of both sides into the 6 yard box for Lucas Almeida to put past Andrej Borak. The Eagles’ netminder was the busier of the goalies on the night, making 4 saves compared to Bennet Glinder’s 3, and having to claim several dangerous crosses following the open goal.
After being set in a defensive shape for much of the time following Asare’s opener, the Eagles did well to immediately get back on the front foot, responding to Almeida’s equalizer with a high press, garnering several chances before Fynn Henze would get into an advanced position and play a good ball in, where a tumbling Bryan Toro would add a goal to his assist with a finish. Glinder got a hand on the attempt but couldn’t stop the Eagles from going up 2-1. Siena would then work to push further up the field, eventually winning a corner with around a minute remaining. The ball would find Tin Vastic at the edge of the box, who would propel the counter attack with a good ball up to Michael Asare, whose cross found Russell Brown, who iced the game. Brown’s goal marked the second consecutive year he has scored against the Saints, and his second goal of the season.
Andrej Borak had a backline of Christian Bejar, Henry Wassarman, Moritz Gundelach, and Fynn Henze in front of him. The midfield was composed of former Saint Ismail Dia at the 6, with Bryan Toro and Connor Gibson ahead of him, and Dylan Mafong completing a midfield 4 in more of a free roaming advanced role. Charlie Pons and Michael Asare started up top for BC. In this game, they were countered by a back 3 from the Saints. Of note tactically, we saw Ismail Dia drop in between Gundelach and Wassarman frequently, to allow either Fynn Henze of Christian Bejar to work up the sidelines, with the opposite fullback remaining in the back 4.
In the current phase, the Eagles play in what could be described as a 4-1-2-1-2, with Dia as the defensive mid, Toro and Gibson the double pivot, and Mafong the most attacking midfielder. Pons has been the attacker to most frequently drop in, while Asare channels his runs into the wider spaces often afforded to a team playing in a more narrow formation. Subbing in for the Eagles was Alexi Karalis, Tin Vastic, Ryan Scuro, Jonah Funk, Russell Brown, and Jack Burkhardt. Of the subs, Karalis had a substantial impact on the game, coming in after the second goal had been secured at right back and effectively stopping Osoro for the minutes remaining. Vastic and Brown were both involved in the final goal and Scuro battled well in the center of the park.
The Eagles secured a victory in a tense affair, as the Siena staff and bench took offense with quite a few of the referee’s decisions, resulting in yellows to the team and some players on both sides towards the beginning of the second half. It was a more youthful Siena team than last year’s NCAAT team and MAAC Championship squad, with 2 freshmen in the starting 11 and and 3 coming off the bench. Luca Wust, a freshman midfielder was especially impressive, and among the returning Saints, Jacob Humienny had a do-it-all performance at the back.
Looking forward, the Eagles take on Dartmouth at home once again on August 28, at 7:00. The Big Green will play Boston College in their first official match of 2026, as BC looks to improve to 3-0.