After going down early, the No. 6 Boston College field hockey team pulled out a 4-1 win against No. 18 New Hampshire Sunday afternoon on Newton Campus.
Eryn McCoy posted the bookends for the Eagles, scoring BC’s first and last goals, doubling the number of goals she has scored this season. UNH’s pressure high up on the field proved deadly against BC in the first half. Twice within the first five minutes, the Eagles fell victim to their own poor passes in the backfield.
First, a clearance to the right side of the backfield saw UNH gain possession within the striking circle, forcing Leah Settipane to come out of the net for a close-range save.
Minutes later, a soft pass back to the last defender, Jordyn Hamilton, saw UNH’s Meg Flatley pounce on Hamilton, stealing away the ball in the striking circle, which led to Hamilton fouling Flatley.
Despite the poor clearances and general uneasiness amongst the Eagles’ defense, UNH only managed to score around halfway through the first half. Flatley found herself on the fortunate end of a cross from Emma Compagna, which she buried behind Settipane.
Ironically, just before that goal, BC began to find its footing in the game, coping with the high pressure and maintaining possession well within the Wildcat’s half. It did not take the Eagles long to level the score line, as McCoy bagged BC’s first of the game off of a Katlyn Soucy corner.
McCoy ripped the set shot from the top of the circle, hitting the left side of the goal. It was her second shot of three total within the first half.
With the last shot of the half, McCoy seemingly looked to replicate her first goal, receiving the ball at the top of the circle off of a corner, but she hit the shot wide.
Despite a good number of quality chances for UNH to score, the second half was characterized by BC domination. The Eagles scored three more goals in the second half, while the Wildcats failed to find the net. Nonetheless, UNH outshot BC 9-7 in the half. It was a case of lack of execution on the part of UNH.
On the first corner of the second half, UNH fired off three separate shots, as the ball bounced about the circle. UNH finished scrounging around the circle with a shot gone wide.
Brittany Sheenan gave BC its first lead of the game 20 minutes into the second half. Sheenan was standing to the left of the goal, received a pass from midfield, and fired the ball just past the keeper.
Emily McCoy and Erin McCoy topped off the game for BC, scoring goals three and four within the last six minutes of the game. Emily McCoy scooped up a rebounded shot that was originally struck Katlyn Soucy and saved by UNH’s Carlie Tarbell.
She pecked the rebounded shot into the goal from just in front of the goal. Erin McCoy thumped a corner into the back of the net, just as the horn announced the end of the game.
The Eagles are back in action on Friday, when they host Wake Forest in an ACC showdown.
Featured Image by Emily Fahey / Heights Editor
