With five seconds remaining and trailing 2-0, Harvard University launched a last-ditch free kick into Boston University’s box. The ball bounced off several players before Crimson freshman midfielder Gil de Souza smashed it past BU senior goalkeeper Ben Alexander for a last-second consolation goal.

Until then, the Terriers had gone four games, 89 minutes and 59 seconds of holding their opponents scoreless.

BU head coach Kevin Nylen banged his hand over a nearby Gatorade cooler and threw his arms up in the air in disgust, as the clock expired in the Terriers’ (3-2-3, 2-0 Patriot League) 2-1 win over their Charles River rival, Harvard (1-4-1).

Nylen couldn’t hide his frustration, even as his team walked off Nickerson Field winners for the third straight game.

“We won, but I’m pissed,” he said. “It’s great to win, but I’m not happy about how that game went, specifically the end.”

The Terriers marked another “W” in the win column but ended their clean-sheet streak just shy of five consecutive games — a feat the BU men’s soccer team hasn’t accomplished since 1994. 

Nylen didn’t care about the record. He cared that his team let its foot off the gas in the final seconds.

“It’s 90 minutes. It’s not 89 and 59 seconds. It’s not 45 minutes. It’s not 30 minutes,” Nylen said. “It’s 90 minutes, and hopefully we learned a lesson.”

Despite losing the clean-sheet, BU played a solid match.

The Terriers outshot the Crimson 20-12 and forced Harvard sophomore goalie Jason Broome into a season-high eight saves. BU attacked with confidence, performing nutmegs and skills around the Crimson defense. ​

In the 10th minute, senior forward Andrea Di Blasio netted his fourth goal in three games, finishing off a chaotic sequence that saw three shot attempts before Di Blasio put a rebound away to give the Terriers a 1-0 lead.

BU kept the pressure on the Crimson net and punched in their second goal with just over a minute left in the first half. Off a corner kick, junior midfielder Pharis Petrica connected with sophomore defender Anthony Harper, who headed the ball into the Harvard net for his first goal of the season and the second of his career.

The Terriers’ performance wasn’t perfect. BU took twenty shots and only scored two goals, failing to convert several chances that would have put the game out of reach. 

But at the end of the night, the Terriers retained their place atop the Patriot League standings.  

“I don’t want to take away from us getting a win and continuing to move forward as a group because I think that there’s a lot of positives to take away tonight,” Nylen said.  

The Terriers look to extend their winning streak to four against conference rival Bucknell University on Sunday at Nickerson Field.

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