After a grueling two-goal win over No. 10 Virginia on Friday, Boston College field hockey was worn out, but needed to show up on the tail end of the weekend against New Hampshire. Fortunately for the Eagles, this time around it didn’t take until the final minutes—they rolled to a 6-0 victory.
The scoring chances started early for BC (6-3, 2-1 Atlantic Coast). Despite not finding the back of the net in the first few possessions, it was clear the Eagles were poised to dominate both possession and the scoreboard throughout the game.
BC’s Frederique Haverhals had a number of chances on the short corner to open the contest, but couldn’t finish, shooting just wide of the New Hampshire net. It didn’t take much longer for her to break through, though. After a pass from Brigid Wood on another corner, Haverhals sent a shot screaming to the back of the net, past the outstretched glove of goalie Madelyn McAteer.
The Eagles’ first goal came 19 minutes into the game, and it opened the floodgates for what would end up being a dominant first half. BC totaled seven short corners and kept the visitors back on its heels—the visiting Wildcats (2-6) managed just one corner in the opening half.
Just two minutes after her first goal, Haverals was given a similar chance. This time she passed up on finishing, instead opting to dish a pass over to Maddy Dorn, who capitalized on the look by sending a bouncing shot into the net.
Sophomore Elizabeth Warner rounded out the first half scoring with a goal in the 26th minute. After Jaime Natale sent a shot bound for McAteer, Warner skillfully reached out with stick in hand to redirect the shot to the corner of the goal. Warner’s goal was BC’s third off a short corner—an impressive success rate that reflected just how overmatched UNH truly was.
The second half was more of the same, with another back-to-back goal-scoring sequence starting in the 39th minute. Natale, already with an assist on the day, used some nifty footwork in the circle—ending with a spin move—to fool the defense and open herself up for an easy shot into the net.
Just over a minute later, Elizabeth Dennehy got in on the action with a shot from outside on the baseline. The shot was perhaps the most unlikely of BC’s six goals, as it came from just inside the circle from a tough angle.
McAteer was pulled following Dennehy’s score, but it wouldn’t make much of a difference. With the game well in hand, Wood capped a marvelous outing for the Eagles with a well-placed shot off a corner pass from senior Carly Kauffman. Wood’s score was BC’s 25th shot of the game, while the Wildcats managed just four over the entire 70 minutes.
The ability to draw and convert the short corner—the Eagles were granted a season-high 11 opportunities—bodes well for BC’s future. UNH may not have come into Chestnut Hill as a threatening competitor, but coach Kelly Doton was given the chance to practice lots of her set pieces against live competition. The win for BC today was a dominant one, and as the conference schedule picks up in the coming month, Doton will likely look back on the film from Sunday’s game in an effort to find similar success.
Featured Image by Bridget Clark / Heights Staff
