In 2016, Boston College women’s soccer routinely started four freshmen—Jenna Bike, Samantha Hiatt, Jade Ruiters, and Kayla Jennings. And three others—Olivia Vaughn, Caitlyn Keenan, and Emily Langenderfer—all served as valuable players off the bench. Much of the team’s success depended on the play of its freshmen class.
If the Eagles’ season-opening scrimmage at Connecticut is any indicator, the same could be true this year.
BC started three freshmen—Mijke Roelfsemaon, Sam Coffey, and Gianna Mitchell—in a 4-0 victory over the Huskies on Friday night. Roelfsemaon played alongside Allyson Swaby, Madison Kenny, and junior transfer Elysa Virella on defense, while Alexis Bryant took the net. In the midfield, Coffey and Mitchell paired up with Jennings and Lauren Berman. To round out the lineup, Vaughn and Bike played up top.
It only took 14 minutes for the Eagles to get on the board. Virella, who played her first two collegiate seasons at Monroe College, scored on a 16-yard shot to the near post. Even though BC failed to reach the back of the net for the remainder of the first half, it still recorded seven shots in the period—two more than the Huskies.
Shortly into the second half, the Eagles put the game out of reach. In the span of about 11 and a half minutes, BC scored three goals: one each from Berman, Mitchell, and Bike.
UConn’s best chance of scoring came with just 18 minutes left in the game, when Vivien Beil hooked the ball past the far post from 15 yards out.
In the end, BC outshot UConn 18-8. Bike led the team with five shots, and Coffey wasn’t far behind with four.
The Eagles’ win marks the second year in a row that head coach Alison Foley’s group has defeated the Huskies in preseason competition. But neither scrimmages nor non-conference matches can foretell BC’s season—the Eagles were undefeated until struggling during ACC play last year with a 3-7 conference record.
BC’s regular season officially begins on Aug. 18, when the team travels to Virginia to take on James Madison in the first game of the James Madison University Tournament.
Featured Image by Lizzy Barrett / Heights Editor
