After a dominant season-opening victory against unranked Holy Cross, Boston College lacrosse was scheduled for an early challenge against the No. 15 University of Massachusetts. No. 17 BC was ranked just slightly lower than UMass, who was playing its first game of the season. Last season, UMass was a force to be reckoned with, traveling to the NCAA quarterfinals, but BC gave UMass its only regular season loss. This year, BC again defeated the Minutewomen, coming from behind to score seven unanswered goals en route to a commanding 18-10 win.
The Eagles (2-0) found the back of the net first, with senior Kate Weeks scoring the first goal of the game after an assist from sophomore Caroline Zaffino just 2:18 into the game. However, this lead was quickly neutralized after Hannah Palau scored UMass’s (0-1) first goal of the game almost exactly two minutes later. Holly Turner scored the second goal of the game for the Minutewomen to put them up ahead early after consecutive fouls from BC. Turner scored her second goal four minutes later to give UMass a two goal lead with more than half of the game still left to play.
The Minutewomen scored another goal around the halfway mark of the first half, but the Eagles responded quickly and did not let the game get out of hand. Kaileen Hart scored an unassisted goal with 9:40 left to cut the lead in half. Laura Frankenfield found the net with a free position goal, and less than a minute later BC captain Tess Chandler scored to tie the game. Thirty seconds later Weeks scored her second goal of the game to give BC its first lead in over 20 minutes. Just before the end of the first half, Emma Schurr scored BC’s fifth unanswered goal, and the Eagles went into halftime up by two.
BC carried its strong momentum into the second half. Weeks scored 90 seconds into the second half, her third goal of the game, and her second consecutive hat trick of the season. Not satisfied with just three goals, Weeks immediately scored her fourth goal, this one assisted by Sam Apuzzo. Turner briefly stopped the Eagle’s onslaught with her third goal of the game, but Apuzzo answered right back and got herself on the scorers’ card with a free position goal after a UMass foul. Lauren Daly made her first save of the half to stop a Minutewomen attack, and Chandler scored her second goal of the day in transition. Capping off three goals in two minutes, Apuzzo scored her second goal and tied her career-high of six points still with 23 minutes left in the game.
UMass, however, would not go down quietly, and fought back to score back-to-back goals, one by Cassidy Doster, and one by Hannah Murphy after a foul on Zaffino that brought the score to 12-7, Eagles. This did not bother BC, as Weeks again came through to push the momentum back on the side of the Eagles with her fifth goal of the day. Weeks went on to score three more goals over the final 11 minutes, matching UMass’s total over the same amount of time. Apuzzo also recorded a hat trick of her own, as BC won decisively 18-10.
It was a career high in goals scored for Weeks, and a performance that will surely have her on many of the scouting reports going forward. Apuzzo will also be joining her on a list of Eagles to watch, and both will be key players if BC hopes to return to the NCAA Tournament this spring.
Featured Image by Julia Hopkins / Heights Editor
