BC’s 25 Goals Dismantle Cavs

“I just think they’re on a mission right now,” BC head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein said. “And I think, you know, we knew that a couple weeks ago that it was time for us to start to really improve each week. And I’m hoping that we’re continuing to do that because heading up to Syracuse is, you know, again like today, the biggest game of the year.”

With a packed crowd in Alumni Stadium on Saturday afternoon, the No. 7 Eagles (12–3, 7–1 Atlantic Coast) put on a show against No. 12 Virginia (10–5, 5–3), taking the game by a final score of 25–13.

“I think they’ve just upheld a legacy for this program that is incredibly difficult to do,” Walker-Weinstein said of BC’s 10 seniors and graduate students.

“And I think, you know, getting to the top is really hard, but staying there is harder and these guys are responsible for that and I think that’s going to be something I hope they hold close to their heart for the rest of their life because it may feel normal to them, but it’s not normal to go to five consecutive championships.”

After the win, dozens of fans flocked to the turf of Alumni Stadium to get autographs from their favorite BC players.

Jenn Medjid said inspiring these young fans is the legacy she will leave behind at BC.

“I mean, it was a dream come true for me to get the chance to come to Boston College and play lacrosse here and it was exactly as I had hoped and dreamed it would be,” Medjid said. “So just inspire these kids and let them know that they could do the same thing.”

In a constant back-and-forth battle between the two high-powered offenses on Saturday, the Eagles closed out the win with a 10-goal advantage in the second half. Eight different Eagles scored in the win.

“Definitely a lot of emotions, happy,” Medjid, who scored five goals, said of playing in Alumni Stadium. “I mean, it was such a good one and a little sad. It’s so much fun to play in here and such a privilege to get to play in the stadium. So definitely a little bit sad, but, you know, excited for the rest of the season. We still have a long way to go.”

It did not take long for the Eagles to send the crowd into a frenzy, as Kayla Martello potted her 36th goal of the season less than three minutes into play.

The Cavaliers, however, quickly responded, and at the 9:24 mark they slipped the ball past Shea Dolce to take a 2–1 lead. Virginia’s scoring did not stop there, as with just 19 seconds remaining in the first quarter, the Cavaliers took a commanding 5–2 lead.

But the Eagles didn’t put the remaining 19 seconds to waste, as Cassidy

Weeks, who finished with a season-high six points, swiftly potted a goal with seven seconds remaining.

BC wasn’t finished, though, as Medjid sent the ball into the five-hole in buzzer-beater fashion to bring the Eagles back to within one goal to close the quarter.

The momentum continued into the second quarter, and just over a minute into play, Andrea Reynolds knotted the game at five apiece with a free position goal. But the Cavaliers ended the 3–0 run with a free position goal of their own to regain the lead and start a period of back-and-forth action.

BC finally broke the cycle with three straight goals from Cassidy Weeks, Martello, and Courtney Weeks, which gave the Eagles a 10–7 advantage.

To end the quarter, Lizzie O’Neill slipped through Virginia defenders and sent a bounce shot into the back of the net with just one second remaining to put the Eagles up 11–9 entering halftime.

Virginia struck first in the third quarter, but the Eagles bore down and recorded three straight goals in the span of 1:28 to take a commanding 14–10 lead. And despite Virginia defenders’ best efforts, the Eagles’ offense opened the floodgates and piled on the goals, at one point going on an 8–0 run to make it 23–12.

The Eagles capped off the game with a goal from Belle Smith, her fourth, with two seconds to play, and the crowd gave a final cheer as the clock ran out.

Dolce, whose name was chanted by fans throughout the game, recorded eight saves on 22 shots on goals, allowing just 12 goals. Backup Rachel Hall made an appearance in the final minutes, recording one save.

“Everyday at practice, all that matters, get a little bit of improvement, commit a little bit deeper and be better in time for Syracuse,” Walker-Weinstein said. n