The Colgate men’s soccer team traveled to Boston University Thursday night not knowing whether this would be the end of their 2017 season. The Raiders knew qualifying for the Patriot League tournament was a toss-up, and that they would have to perform at their highest level to defeat current first-place Boston University and guarantee a spot in the postseason.

Colgate has clinched its spot in the Patriot League tournament after a strong performance Friday night. While it’s no surprise the Terriers are ranked where they are, the Raiders certainly didn’t let that intimidate them, with four goals scored by four different Raiders and a 4-0 win overall.

“The team is feeling really good – it was a great result to get before the Patriot League tournament. We’re feeling as confident as ever,” junior forward Uyi Omorogbe said.

The Raiders were on the board less than three minutes after the starting whistle when sophomore defender Christian Clarke saw on opportunity to put away a loose ball. This was the defender’s first goal of the season, and the start to a trend for the Raiders Friday evening.

Two more goals came in the first half, just about a minute apart, to bring the Raider lead to 3-0.  The first came from junior forward Steven DeLeo, with an assist from senior captain Jared Stroud, his ninth of the season. Beating a record previously shared by himself and Sean O’Sullivan ’04, Stroud now independently holds the single-season assists record.

About a minute later at 22:59, junior forward Freddy Jonsson finished off a ball from sophomore midfielder Kentaro Morrison, which deflected off a BU player before making its way into the net.

Previously, it had taken the Terriers the first eight games of their season to give up three goals, but now with less than 25 minutes on the clock, the Raiders forced them to do it again within the span of one game.

Going into the second half leading 3-0, the Raiders fans were feeling confident, but a goal from junior defender Aram Ouligian grew the Colgate lead to a safe 4-0. Ouligian’s goal at 47:15 was his seventh of the season.

Despite their 15-11 shot advantage on the Raiders, the Terriers were unable to convert any shots to goals and were handed their second loss of the season. With senior goalkeeper Peter Tappenden injured, sophomore Jacob Harris had to step up in goal, as he has for the past few games.  Seven saves, a career-high for Harris, ensured a shut out for the Raiders.  The strong defense exhibited by Harris and the rest of the Colgate defenders was key on Friday and will be vital going into the Patriot League tournament.

“It was a great team effort on Friday night against a good BU team, but we’re past it now and focusing on a big match up against Bucknell on Tuesday” Harris said.

Colgate will face No. 3 Bucknell in the quarterfinals of the tournament. The team, who will be traveling to Lewisburg on Tuesday, has already begun preparing for the matchup.

 “We’re excited for Bucknell, but are focused on these next few training sessions to make sure we are as prepared as possible come Tuesday,” junior defender Matt Glick said.

Contact Abby Waxler at awaxler@colgate.edu.