The most famous blown lead of all time is arguably the Cleveland Cavaliers’ comeback from down 3-1 in the 2016 NBA Finals to beat the Golden State Warriors in seven games. No team had ever done it before, and it’s a feat unmatched since then.
The scale of Boston College lacrosse’s comeback to beat No. 18 UMass (1-1) wasn’t up to the Cavs’ caliber, but it was a comeback nonetheless. The No. 10 Eagles (3-0) have dominated practically every second of play this season, but after 11 minutes, they found themselves in unfamiliar territory down 4-2. But BC recorded 10 of the last 12 goals in the first half, and only continued its dominance from there, beating the Minutewomen 19-7.
The last 50 minutes were a remarkable departure from the first 10. BC looked like an entirely different team after going down 4-2. BC took a 10-goal lead with more than 15 minutes to go in the game, and UMass faced a running clock the rest of the way.
Charlotte North put on a clinic in draw controls, which fed BC’s offense. North won 22 of the game’s 28 draw controls, giving BC’s powerful offense plenty of time and space to keep expanding its lead. North, the ACC Co-Offensive Player of the Week, who scored 12 goals across the Eagles’ first two games, was quieter on offense than usual against UMass. Even so, on just three shots, she found the back of the net twice.
The handful of times when UMass found itself with the ball after a draw control, BC goaltender Rachel Hall was there in goal to keep the Minutewomen at bay. UMass was scoreless through nearly 25 minutes of the second half, largely due to Hall’s efforts in net.
Even with a running clock for the majority of the second half, BC’s offense just couldn’t stop scoring. The Eagles outscored UMass 7-1 in the second half,with two goals coming from Jenn Medjid. Medjid finished the day tied for her career high with five goals.
North’s dominance on the draw control paved the way for BC’s prolific offense. Each time the Eagles scored, North brought possession right back to her teammates. After Medjid’s third goal of the night, North took the draw and fed it to Cara Urbank. Urbank found Caitlynn Mossman, who fired a point-blank shot into the back of the net for two BC goals in 12 seconds.
Freshman Belle Smith continued to prove why she was one of the top-ranked recruits in her class out of high school. Smith is a speedy and skillful attacker, making her elusive in front of the net. Her stick work and shiftiness powered her to her first career hat trick.
BC’s comeback from down 4-2 early on in the game gave the Eagles a twofold feeling of revenge. First, BC proved itself against another top-25 opponent for the second week in a row. Second, UMass spoiled BC’s season opener a year ago in a four-point on the Minutewomen’s home field, and a comeback win this year gave the Eagles closure on a sour point from last season.
UMass opened the scoring just over one minute into the game, looking to set the tone. BC responded with goals from North and Mossman, the latter of which marked her first goal of the season. From there, UMass scored a resounding three unanswered goals, but BC quickly found its stride and fought back into it.
In its first three games of the season, BC has now outscored its opponents by a combined total of 55-271. With ACC play fast approaching, the Eagles’ prolific offense—even against ranked opponents—has shown no signs of slowing down.
Featured Image by Molly Bankert / Heights Staff
