Boston College field hockey rolled into Storrs, Conn. to take on the No. 1 University of Connecticut Huskies in a battle of national heavyweights. The No. 11 Eagles were looking to bounce back after losing to Wake Forest. But the Eagles couldn’t overcome an impressive second half by the Huskies, suffering their second-consecutive 3-0 loss. This game, the last of the regular season, marked the Eagles’ (11-7) first nonconference loss of the season.
The Huskies (17-0) looked to defend their home turf against a high-powered Eagles team on the heels of a 16-game winning streak. They had previously outlasted Quinnipiac in a close 3-1 game, and prior to that, UConn thumped the Georgetown in a 10-0 blowout.The Huskies had outscored opponents by a combined 82-28 this season, including nine shutouts for fifth-year senior goalkeeper Nina Klein, who has been absolutely dominant this year. UConn also had the Eagles’ number, winning the previous five matchups between the two sides.
The first half was a battle of the defenses, as both teams played well, but neither were able to put a goal past the opposing keeper.The Eagles’ defense bent, but did not break, allowing 12 shots in the first half alone, six of which were saved by goalkeeper Sarah Dwyer. The relentless Huskies attack did not seem like it would ever get one past the tremendous play of the sophomore, but the second half was a completely different story.
Five minutes into the half, UConn beat Dwyer as junior forward Amanda Collins found the back of the net for her 10th goal of the season. A fantastic pass by freshman midfielder Jessica Dembrowski put Collins in the clear in front of the BC goal and she was able to fire the Huskies ahead. This would be the only goal they would need, but UConn did not stop there.
BC conceded again 10 minutes later when senior forward Charlotte Veitner scored to double the Huskies lead and all but put the game out of reach for BC. This was the reigning Big East Offensive Player of the Year’s 27th goal of the season, a tremendous one for the senior from Dusseldorf, who will look to add to her collection of individual awards at the end of this season. Veitner wound up from the top of the circle and fired a rocket past Dwyer, who was unable to make the save.
Finally, with just under three minutes left to play in the game, UConn scored again to ice the game. Dembrowski added a goal to her tally on the day off of a great pass from midfielder Vivienne Tucker that simply couldn’t be saved. Dembrowski’s sixth goal of the year all but ended the game as the Eagles waited for the whistle to blow. Shortly after, the game ended with a final score of 3-0.
Dwyer couldn’t make a single save in the second half—all six of her saves came in the first. Her counterpart, Nina Klein ended the matchup with four saves and a shutout. Four cards were issued in the game, three to each side, in what was a relatively clean matchup of two very good teams.
This was the first time the Eagles lost two consecutive games all season. It was also their fourth time being shut out, but not much can be done against a team the caliber of UConn. This was also the first time all season BC lost a game after being tied at halftime. The Eagles finish the regular season with a 11-7 record, a strong finish considering they went 0-6 in the ACC. BC looks ahead to the first round of the ACC Tournament this Thursday against the unranked Duke Blue Devils in Louisville, Ky.
Featured Image by Jake Catania / Heights Staff
