For a team that is used to rolling over early season opponents, Boston College lacrosse surprisingly had to fight every inch of the way in their latest game.
In a well-fought battle, the No. 6 Eagles (3-0) pulled away with a 13-10 victory over the University of Vermont Catamounts (1-1).
UVM jumped out to an early lead, netting two goals within minutes of the game starting. Never appearing discouraged, the women of the BC lacrosse team fought back on a 3-0 run to make it 3-2. Keeping pace, Vermont bounced right back with 2 goals to take a 4-3 lead. With the first half coming to an end, the Eagles called a timeout to make the most of the remaining period. After regrouping, Tess Chandler and Kate Weeks netted a goal each, which Vermont followed up with a goal of their own. The teams went in to half time tied at 5-5.
Tess Chandler, the sophomore midfielder, was not satisfied to leave it at her strong first half performance. She came out hot in the new period, scoring twice early and giving the Eagles a 7-5 lead. With 21:49 left in the game, things got interesting as the game was tied for the third time at 8-8. A solid performance by the defense and sophomore goaltender Zoe Ochoa brought on a successful offensive push, putting the Eagles up 11-10 with only minutes to go. In a desperate final advance, UVM pulled their goalie. The Eagles took advantage of this by scoring two empty-netters to seal the game at 13-10.
Ending at that three-point margin, it was clear that the Eagles had to earn their victory. The whole team contributed to this success, but there were a few standout performances. Senior attacker Covie Stanwick led BC with six points from four goals and two assists. Fellow senior midfielder Mikaela Rix scored the game winner and managed to win five ground balls. The veterans of the team were not the only ones to have a strong contribution, however. Second-year Tess Chandler netted a career high four goals, while Zoe Ochoa, the goaltender of the same year, recorded seven saves, keeping the UVM attack at bay.
The Eagles know that not all victory comes easy. Saturday’s game was no exception. Strong performances from all over the field helped the team rally past their America East opponents, giving the women a handsome 3-0 start to the season.
Featured Image by Emily Fahey / Heights Senior Staff
