Boston College women’s soccer lost its first game of the season last Thursday, in a 2-1 overtime defeat to Wake Forest, but was able to bounce back with a come-from-behind win against Clemson on Sunday. The loss to the Demon Deacons was frustrating for head coach Alison Foley, who mentioned believing that they were the better team in her weekly press conference on BCEagles.com, but the 11th-ranked Eagles (11-1, 3-1 Atlantic Coast) are still off to an impressive start in conference play.
The program has had a losing record in conference play three of the past four seasons, though, so with six conference games remaining, it’ll be interesting to see whether it can keep the momentum going as it welcomes in Virginia Tech (7-2-3, 3-1). BC has fallen behind just once in regulation this season, and that was against the Tigers on Sunday.
Who is BC playing?
Virginia Tech
When is BC playing?
Thursday, Oct. 4, 7 p.m.
Where is BC playing?
Newton Soccer Field, Newton, Mass.
How to Watch:
Like all ACC games, it will be available on ESPN’s ACC Network Extra.
By the Numbers:
BC:
1) Olivia Vaughn scored both goals against Clemson on Sunday, sparking a comeback after the Eagles fell behind, 1-0, in the 70th minute. Vaughn’s scoring plays came 10 minutes apart, bringing her season goal total to seven, two more than what she managed in 2017.
2) Foley’s first year as head coach was back in 1997. Since then, she’s guided BC to 14 NCAA Tournament bids, including two runs to the Elite Eight. She’s never had a team come out of the gate as strong as the Eagles have this season, however—the 11-1 mark surpasses the 9-0-1 start to the 2010 season.
3) A routine check of Sam Coffey’s statistics: the All-ACC sophomore recorded an assist in each game over the weekend, bringing her total to a NCAA-best 11 through 12 games. She’s on pace to break BC’s record of 15 that was set in 1992 by Allison David.
Virginia Tech:
1) The Hokies have won five of six and have allowed just three goals during that stretch—all of which were conceded in a 3-0 loss to No. 7 Florida State. The five wins? VTech boasts an impressive 10-0 goal differential.
2) Goaltender Mandy McGlynn has played a key part, enough so to warrant ACC Defensive Player of the Week honors. McGlynn is a two-time honoree this season and is looking to extend an almost 300-minute scoreless streak.
3) The schedule has not aligned in the Hokies’ favor, as they’re in the midst of playing four ranked foes in five games. They were able to knock off No. 6 Virginia, 1-0, last Thursday, and now are tasked with playing the No. 11 Eagles and No. 17 Duke on the road before returning to host No. 3 North Carolina.
Last Meeting:
McGlynn and BC’s Alexis Bryant engaged in a goaltender’s duel last season, playing to a 0-0 draw on Sept. 29, 2017. Bryant was only called upon for four saves to McGlynn’s 11, which spoke to the Eagles’ offensive control, but ultimately neither team broke through. Coffey and Jenna Bike were able to record five shots apiece for BC, with the latter knocking one off the post in the 95th minute in what was arguably the biggest chance of the game.
Outlook:
Foley’s team is in good form. The first loss of the season was going to come at some point, and the fact that it was the first conference road game is understandable, even if the 21st-year head coach thought her team was the better team. Bouncing back against Clemson was big, so look for the Eagles to carry their second-half momentum into a stiff defensive matchup against the Hokies. Both of these teams pride themselves on limiting chances and posting zeroes on the scoreboard—that much is clear when you look at the number of shutouts between the two. What should worry VTech is that both Coffey and Bike, who combined for 10 shots in last year’s meeting, have played even better this season and could prove difficult to contain. This could go the way of another scoreless draw, but BC is arguably the better team offensively and could very well have its fair share of chances to slip a goal past McGlynn.
Featured Image by Kaitlin Meeks / Heights Editor
