With a 21-10 win over No. 5 Notre Dame, Boston College lacrosse officially punched its fourth straight ticket to the Final Four. What began as a nailbiter morphed into a full-scale blowout after halftime, as the Eagles ran through yet another top-tier program in their pursuit of an elusive National Championship. From record-breaking goals to first career points, the semifinal round had it all. Here’s a look back at the top five plays that earned BC a shot to take on No. 1 UNC:
1. North Ties Program Record With 94th Goal
When Sam Apuzzo set the program record for goals in a single season with 94 in 2019, it seemed like it would stand for decades. After all, the all-time Division I record for single-season goals is 100, and only five players in NCAA women’s lacrosse history have scored more than 94 in a single season. Still, Charlotte North is well on her way to the top of the record books, and with a wraparound low-angle shot behind Notre Dame netminder Bridget Deehan, she tied Apuzzo’s seemingly untouchable program benchmark. Plus, with the goal, North tied her own national record for goals in an NCAA Tournament game with eight.
2. Smith Scores Hat Trick Under Four Minutes In
Belle Smith set the pace for the Eagles in the first four minutes of the contest, netting three unanswered goals. Each goal was more artful than the last, and she capped her dominant run with perhaps the most elegant of them all. Quick stick work—which she has become known for on the Heights—allowed her to cut straight to the crease before faking out Deehan just enough to open up an overhead shot. With her hat trick goal, she broke the BC freshman record for points and tied the freshman record for goals.
3. Scales Earns First Career Points With Full-Field Dash
It isn’t very often that a defender gets to be the star of the show, even for a moment. Freshman Sydney Scales, however, was the exception to that rule against Notre Dame. After collecting the draw from North, Scales made a 50-plus-yard dash straight down the center of the field practically untouched thanks to strong stick work and some timely dodges. With a prime scoring opportunity in front of her, Scales opted to pass off to Jenn Medjid on the doorstep, earning the defender her first career points.
4. Medjid Beats the First-Half Buzzer
Despite a lopsided final score, there were moments when the game began to slip away from BC. After Smith opened the game with three unanswered goals, the Eagles expanded their lead to as much as 7-2, but a three-goal run for the Fighting Irish just before halftime began to swing the momentum in their favor. BC was suddenly playing sloppy, giving up turnovers, and struggling to convert on offense. What turned the tide was an alley-oop buzzer-beater from Smith to Medjid, putting the Eagles up 8-5 at halftime. Though there was still plenty of lacrosse to be played in the second half, BC could take a breath, and the Eagles returned from the locker room on a momentum high after Medjid’s goal.
5. Urbank Takes Solo Effort to the House
For practically all five of her years on the Heights, Cara Urbank has been the Eagles’ unsung hero. After playing a supporting role for BC’s “Big Three” of Apuzzo, Dempsey Arsenault, and Kenzie Kent for three years, Urbank still isn’t BC’s star since the arrival of North. Instead, she plays a much more understated—but no less vital—role on BC’s offense as the most experienced member of BC’s squad. She was around for all three of BC’s National Championship losses, and perhaps it’s vengeance for those losses that drives plays like this. Urbank, draped with defenders, drove a solo effort from the top of the arc all the way to the crease before depositing it behind Deehan.
Featured Image by Jess Rivilis / Heights Senior Staff
You must be logged in to post a comment.