Terriers Dominate Leopards in 5-0 Home Victory

BOSTON – Senior Mackenzie Stickelman led four different goal scorers with her first collegiate brace to guide the Boston University women’s soccer program to a 5-0 rout over Lafayette on Saturday (Oct. 4) at Nickerson Field.

BU (5-4-3, 2-1-1 PL) broke the ice in the 10th minute and never looked back, potting four more tallies in the second half while outshooting the Leopards (3-4-5, 1-1-2 PL) in the match, 33-6.

Sophomores Olivia Avellar, Alli Powderly and Juliana Osterman all found the back of the net. Seniors Giulianna Gianino and Margy Porta, junior Kat Slott and freshman Georgia Prouty each added assists. Sophomore Bridget Carr earned a three-cut shutout.

Catherine Apker made 10 saves in Lafayette’s net.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Terriers had three shots in the opening five minutes with Porta and Gianino combining for the chances. Gianino had a chance blocked, then sent wide.

BU struck in the 10th minute when junior Ava Maguire crossed the ball from the left sideline into the box. Apker swatted Avellar’s initial shot, but the sophomore was first to the loose rebound and slid to tap the ball into the open net.

Porta unleashed a 20-yard shot from the left corner that Apker redirected over the woodwork in the 33rd minute. In the next 10 minutes, junior Ciara Kennedy had three shots that were narrowly off target, including a chip shot in the first half’s final two minutes.

Just 2:15 out of halftime, BU generated a corner kick that Gianino inserted to Powderly by the right post. Powderly collected, then lofted a shot past Apker for a 2-0 edge.

Lafayette worked in transition in the 52nd minute, where Ava Murphy’s left-footed boost bounced twice before Carr collected it for her final cut of the day.

Four minutes later, after Katrina Santelli was off target, Stickelman found Maguire on the counter for a shot near the left post that Apker snagged in close range.

Stickelman found success with Porta on a give-and-go feed down central. The latter led her classmate for a 12-yard tap that zipped by Apker, making it 3-0.

In the 79th minute, junior Samantha Aronson was tripped inside the Leopards’ box, awarding a penalty kick to the Terriers. Stickelman found the bottom-right corner to extend the gap to 4-0.

Slott dumped a pass at midfield off to Prouty with two minutes on the clock. Prouty found Osterman racing down the right slot, and the latter deked out her marker to deposit a left-footed shot from 15 yards out into the upper-right corner.

STATS

BU also had a 15-3 advantage in shots on target to pair with its 33-6 edge in total shots.

Kennedy led the Terriers with five shots, while Stickelman, Aronson, Avellar and Slott each had four.

Corner kicks also favored BU, 10-0.

Lafayette’s Brooke Commins was issued the only yellow card in the match.

Twenty Terriers saw time on the pitch.

Carr, Stickelman and senior Morgan Weaver played the full 90 minutes.

NOTES

Stickelman is today tied for the team lead with five goals this season, which marks a personal best for the Long Island product. She has three goals in her last two matches.

Avellar has two Patriot League goals in 2025 and is tied with Osterman and Prouty for third on the team with five points.

Powderly’s goal is her first as a Terrier and the second by a defender this year, joining senior Helene Tyburczy.

Osterman scored her first goal since the season opener vs. New Hampshire on Aug. 17.

Slott recorded her first point on the campaign while Prouty registered her first collegiate assist.

BU’s five goals are the most since it defeated Lehigh 6-1 back on Sept. 28, 2024. It is the most goals scored in a shutout win since a 6-0 triumph over American on Sept. 16, 2017.