Boston College field hockey kicked its season into gear with its opener on the road against Quinnipiac in Hamden, Conn. Hoping to prove critics right given a preseason No. 8 ranking, the Eagles delivered. Behind the stellar goaltending of new starting goalie Audra Hampsch and a dominating offensive possession, the Eagles took home a 2-0 win in their first game of the season.
Despite the failure to score in the first half, the Eagles (1-0) controlled offensive play, keeping the ball in their attack zone and had nine shots to one for Quinnipiac (0-1). Most notably, BC’s standout senior Emily McCoy had one of the best chances of the half for the Eagles, with a backhanded shot that rang off the crossbar at around 14 minutes. The Eagles had plenty of goal-scoring opportunities in the first half, but could not connect shots with the back of the net. Quinnipiac’s freshman goalie, Olivia Golini, played a role, keeping the ball out of the net with the help of defenseman Angie King, even with three penalty corners for the Eagles.
BC’s first goal came in the second half, immediately following an unsuccessful Quinnipiac penalty corner. Quinnipiac’s defense, stuck in its attack zone, could not keep up with Brittany Sheenan speeding up the field. Sheenan then passed to McCoy, who was open on the left side of the field, and rocketed the ball into the net. Golini came up with a large save afterwards, with Sheenan moving across the front of the Quinnipiac net.
The Bobcats, energized by the Eagles’ goal, increased their offensive efforts, but could not get the ball past Hampsch. The BC goaltender replaces Leah Settipane, the Eagles’ all-time wins leader between the pipes and a second-team All-American in 2015. Thus far, Hampsch has picked up from where her former mentor left off. She stopped multiple shots from Savanna Reilly, and the Bobcats could not deliver on any of their penalty corners. With about seven minutes left in the game, a shot on net led to a bombardment of Golini, who could not save the ball that slipped past her from Brooke Matherson’s stick. Quinnipiac couldn’t respond, sealing a 2-0 BC victory. The victory was the first in Hampsch’s career, despite the fact that she is a redshirt junior. It was also her first career shutout.
This win should hopefully provide energy in this season for the Eagles, who have a jam-packed schedule ahead of them. The road doesn’t get any easier. Before they go into the doldrums of the ACC, which includes five of the top seven teams in the nation, the Eagles will take on No. 19 Northwestern and No. 5 Maryland next week. If Hampsch and the offense can pick up from where the seniors left off, BC will be in good shape.
Featured Image by Emily Fahey / Heights Archive
