When Boston College women’s soccer took the field Sunday, the only thing separating the Eagles from finishing off their non-conference run with a win was a Holy Cross team that has not scored a goal on BC since 2003. Powered by the underdog spirit, however, the Crusaders came ready to put up a fight and went into halftime with a lead that would grow as large as two goals. The Eagles ultimately got away with a 5–3 win, but it was by no means the walk in the park they had expected.
Coming off Thursday evening’s tie against Harvard, BC (6–1–1) was bursting with momentum and ready to take on a struggling Holy Cross (1–7). BC came in swinging, but the Crusaders gave BC a run for its money, holding onto a lead for a good portion of the match. The Eagles stormed back late in the second with a barrage of goals and the win, but it was not a comfortable win.
The first half started off slow, but the energy rose around the 13-minute mark, as BC had a series of shot opportunities stopped by Holy Cross freshman goalie Olivia Dubin. In the 17th minute, BC was finally able to connect a shot with the net, off a rebound on the punch out by Dubin. The ball hit off the post and trickled over the line for a BC lead. The goal was credited to junior midfielder Samantha Agresti, her second goal of the season, with an assist by graduate student defender Mia Karras.
Just a few minutes later, Holy Cross answered BC’s goal with one of its own as junior forward Shelley Blumsack netted her first goal of the season and tied the game at 1–1.
The Eagles tried to keep the pressure on, but Dubin’s back-to-back, hard-earned saves made it impossible for BC to finish on net. The Crusaders took advantage of this disconnect and were able to take the lead just before the 30-minute mark as senior forward Olivia Ferrara ripped a shot into the high center. At the half, Holy Cross still held onto a 2–1 lead.
The second half started off similar to the first with little action on either side of the turf. The Crusaders, however, put an end to the silence just over 13 minutes into the half. A goal shot into the high left corner by junior forward Katie Quinn forced the Eagles to regroup and try to find their rhythm again. This goal marked the first time in program history that Holy Cross has ever netted three goals in one game against BC.
The Eagles spent a good portion of the second half struggling to stay in the game, attempting to increase their pressure offensively but falling short on multiple occasions. Finally, in the 72nd minute, graduate student and captain Jenna Bike cut the deficit down to one and put the Eagles back in the game. Just under two minutes later, Agresti shot another one into the back of the net, tying the game at 3–3 and quickly changing the dynamic of the match.
As the game quickly got more competitive and the minutes dwindled down, both squads were anxious to take back the lead. BC had a few close calls, one of them being a goal by Bike that was called back due to an offsides violation. With just over two minutes left in the game, Laura Gouvin broke the tension, adding another one to the board for BC and handing the lead back to the Eagles. About one minute later, Linda Boama secured this lead for BC with another goal, bringing its lead up to 5–3. After a gritty and hard-fought game, the time finally expired and BC closed out its non-conference season with another win.
Featured Image by Molly Bruns / Heights Staff
