BU Men’s Soccer Hosts Navy in Patriot League Home Opener Saturday

BU Men's Soccer Hosts Navy in Patriot League Home Opener Saturday

Terriers are off to a 3-2 start

The Boston University men's soccer Terriers know what it takes to win a Patriot League conference title, but they recently got a taste of what it takes to win a national championship.

On the road August 24, the Terriers fell 4-0 to reigning national champion Vermont-the top-ranked team in the country at the time-in front of a packed crowd at Virtue Field in Burlington.

"Playing a team of that caliber shows us what that quality looks like and what standards should be set for the remainder of the season," cocaptain Quin DeLaMater (CAS'26) says.

Despite the result, the Terriers had an impressive start to the 2025-2026 campaign, going 3-1 in nonconference games and playing their first three games of the season on the road. The team scored wins away at New Hampshire and Charleston and at home against Brown, but dropped its league opener 1-0 to Army at West Point.

"I don't know how many teams in the country started their schedule [like that]," head coach Kevin Nylen says. "A really good start by our group, and it shows the level that they're at, their mentality, and how they've prepared."

That level of play is why the Terriers have been picked to win the Patriot League off the back of two consecutive regular season league titles and a league tournament title in 2023. In addition, DeLaMater has been named preseason Defensive Player of the Year and fellow cocaptain Diego Rived (Questrom'26) preseason Midfielder of the Year.

Rived, known among his teammates for his incredible work ethic, is the "engine of the team," DeLaMater says.

Diego Rived (Questrom'26) playing at the September 5 home game against Brown. Photo by Eliza Nuestro, BU Athletics

The same is true for the other two team cocaptains-DeLaMater and John Roman (ENG'26)-Nylen notes. "Diego does a lot of work that is not in a statistical category. John and Quin, as center backs, do a lot of dirty work for our group on both sides of the ball," he says.

"These are three guys who embody everything that you want," he adds. "They're three guys who've been unbelievable."

The quality of this year's program goes much deeper than its three leaders. The level of play increases when substitutions come onto the pitch, Rived says, rather than staying the same or decreasing as might be assumed. "We get fresh legs and high quality," he says.

That opinion is echoed by DeLaMater. "Whether they're normal starters or substitutes, they're coming off the bench and they're having an instant impact," he says. "That's been the theme throughout the first couple of games-a lot of our players are contributing."

Among them is new transfer Lapo Romieri (CAS'27), who joined BU this year after two seasons at Bridgeport, a Division II program. In three appearances thus far, Romieri, who has yet to start, leads the Terriers with two goals and an assist. When it comes to offensive skill, according to Rived, Romieri is "one of our best players."

"He's got an understanding of the game, he's technical, and he moves his feet very well. He's a very good attacking soccer player," Nylen says.

DeLaMater says their opponents expect the Terriers to dominate the ball on the field, with Rived adding that "we combine really well and we also work really hard for each other."

Quin DeLaMater (CAS'26), preseason Defensive Player of the Year, during the Brown game September 5. Photo by Eliza Nuestro, BU Athletics

But the Terriers also bring an element of surprise to the game, they say, which works to their advantage.

"When teams come expecting that we're there to surprise them, we make them realize that we are ready for what they have and they aren't as ready as they thought they were," DeLaMater says.

"When a [league] opponent prepares for us, they're scared. One hundred percent," Nylen adds. "In our conference, people are worried about us… We're a tough opponent for everybody. People look at us, and they're saying, 'How are we going to stop BU?' And that's not an easy task."

The BU men's soccer Terriers host Navy in their Patriot League home opener Saturday, September 20, at 1 pm, on Nickerson Field. All soccer games can be streamed live on ESPN+. Admission is free for all home games.

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