In the fourth quarter of Boston College women’s field hockey’s game against Louisville on Friday, the Eagles finally ended the matche’s long-lasting shutout when senior Payton Hale placed her shot into the back of the net.
But that lead didn’t even last a whole minute, as the Cardinals fired back on a penalty corner to tie the score at 1–1 and send the game to overtime. BC handed out penalty corners all game, as the referees called 10 penalties on the Eagles.
Ultimately, the No. 13 Eagles (11–6, 3–4 ACC) fell to the No. 12 Cardinals (13–5, 3–3 ACC) 2–1 in double overtime after Louisvilles’ Mia Duchars, with an assist from Aimee Plumb, managed to put one past BC goalkeeper Caroline Kelly to end the game.
The win puts Louisville in third place in the ACC standings, while BC falls to fifth.
BC Head coach Kelly Doton declined to comment after the loss.
The match’s first quarter served as a feeling out period. It was evident that both squads were motivated to seize momentum and control, matching up well throughout each lineup. The quarter ended without a goal, despite the intensity.
Kelly showed her quickness and resolve early on with a critical stop on Emilia Kaczmarczyk nine minutes into the game. Her block was an example of her rare function as the Eagles’ last line of defense, as that was Kelly’s lone save of the night.
Louisville, however, had slightly more offensive tempo in the first quarter, registering three shots compared to BC’s one. The Cardinals defense proved to be a substantial obstacle for the Eagles all game, as BC only recorded six shots across the six quarters.
The second quarter brought forth the Eagles’ first shot on a penalty corner at the 27:15 mark. Off the crucial set-piece opportunity, Margo Carolin found Simone Hefting, but Hefting could not capitalize, as Louisville’s defense stood firm.
Halftime arrived with a scoreless 0–0 deadlock, showcasing the physical battle between both programs.
There were possibilities for both sides in the third quarter. Kara Heck fired a promising shot five minutes into the quarter but missed wide left, leaving the game scoreless. Louisville continued to persist, as Plumb had a chance to score near the end of the quarter but her shot was blocked.
Heading into the final quarter of regulation, the physicality turned up a notch, with each squad desperate to score. It was Peyton Hale who struck first, blasting a shot into the net to put BC ahead 1–0 at the 52:46 mark.
But Louisville didn’t melt under pressure, as the Cardinals almost instantly shifted the monument back to their side, because less than a minute later, Jane Ramsay placed one past Kelly off a penalty corner to secure the tie. Neither team pulled ahead before the regulation buzzer sounded, sending the game to overtime.
In the first overtime period, the scoring struggles returned, despite three total penalty corners. BC’s Carine Van Wiechen recorded a shot with two minutes left in the period, but it went wide.
As the second overtime period commenced, Louisville had a quick opportunity to try and place one past Kelly as they took a penalty corner a minute into play. Although the first corner was blocked, the Cardinals very quickly had another corner opportunity at the 72:36 mark, which ultimately secured the win for the Cardinals as Mia Duchars punched one in to hand BC a 2–1 loss.
