Field hockey’s penalty corner is one of the hallmarks of the sport. A unique play in which the attacking team is heavily favored to succeed over the defending team, a single corner has the capacity to change the course of a game.
Boston College field hockey can certainly attest to the power of a penalty corner. During Sunday’s matchup against New Hampshire, the Eagles amassed a total of 15 corners, but it was lucky number 14 that catalyzed No. 3 BC (7–1, 0–1 Atlantic Coast) to a comeback win over the Wildcats (2–5) by a final score of 4–3.
With 21 seconds remaining in regulation, BC trailed 3–2, and it seemed as if the game was all but lost. After a UNH defender blocked a shot by Margo Carlin, the Eagles earned one final penalty corner, and with it, a chance to send the match into overtime.
Carlin received the ball at the top of the arc and fired off a shot into a group of Wildcat defenders. The rebound popped out to Fusine Govaert, who blasted a shot past UNH goalie Jemma Woods. The telltale sound of the ball hitting the net was all that could be heard over the chorus of cheers that erupted from the BC squad.
Govaert’s tally galvanized BC, which entered the overtime period with renewed energy and emerged victorious over the Wildcats.
BC got off to a quick start in the first quarter, when Carlin deftly redirected a shot from Sarah Johnson past the sprawling form of Woods. The rest of the first frame passed with little action on either side, as much of the play took place on the outer edges of the field.
Though the first quarter was all BC, UNH came out flying in the second frame. The Wildcats held possession and earned five successive corners, putting the Eagles back on their heels. Tia Raspante performed an acrobatic feat and netted the equalizer just three minutes into the quarter, laying her body out and tipping a Molly McAteer shot past BC goaltender Jonna Kennedy.
Two minutes later, McAteer earned a goal of her own after skillfully slipping a shot past Kennedy. The Eagles entered the halftime break down by one goal and in desperate need of a momentum boost.
BC’s normally lockdown defensive unit was not in its usual form against the Wildcats. The Eagles’ defense and midfield groups struggled to clear the ball out of their defensive end all afternoon, which led to a number of undue UNH offensive chances on Kennedy’s net.
The Eagles looked to shake things up in the second half, and Lois Lekawael came off the bench to sub in at forward. Just 46 seconds after coming onto the field, Lekawael redirected a pass from Johnson into the net, tying the game at two. The Eagles’ celebration was short lived, as UNH’s Lily Rothwell scored her first goal of the season just one minute later, putting the Wildcats back on top.
Thanks to Govaert’s timely tally, BC earned a chance to take down UNH in overtime. The Eagles earned a corner, and though Woods turned away Govaert’s initial shot, Johnson was stationed on the doorstep and batted the rebound in to secure a hard-fought win for BC.
Sunday’s overtime victory comes on the heels of BC’s first loss of the season against ACC opponent Syracuse. Slotted in at No. 7 in the NFHCA/Penn Monto Preseason Poll, the Eagles have steadily ascended to their most recent No. 3 ranking. BC’s unprecedented success thus far is due largely in part to a battle-tested core of veterans, including graduate students Govaert, Elizabeth Warner, Jaime Natale, and Johnson, as well as senior Sky Caron and junior Carlin.
Featured Image Courtesy of Nicole Vagra / Heights Staff
