On a brisk Wednesday afternoon in Worcester, Mass., No. 9 Boston College lacrosse struck quickly and often and built on the momentum that it gained in the season opener against BU. Any win is a good win, and the Eagles (2-0) appeared to be in mid-season form in their 19-6 victory over College of the Holy Cross (0-2). The win boosts BC’s record against Holy Cross to 20-3 all-time, with the 20 wins against Holy Cross being the most wins that the Eagles have against a single opponent in the program’s history (the second-closest being Virginia Tech, which BC has defeated 12 times). BC entered cruise-control mode early in the game and never looked back as it left Holy Cross in the dust, picking up its second victory of the season—and showing just how dangerous this team can be.
After a free position shot put Holy Cross on the board five minutes into the game, BC flexed its muscles and responded a mere 30 seconds later, when Sam Apuzzo began the scoring for the Eagles and tied the game 1-1. Once the scoring started, the floodgates opened and the goals poured in for BC. This turned out to be the turning point in the game, as BC proceeded to go on a 10-0 run and entered halftime with a lead of 11-3. In addition, 10 different Eagles scored, led by junior Tess Chandler’s five points (four goals, one assist). Though BC’s dominant performance in the first half effectively sealed the victory, the team did not let up and added eight second-half goals. After BC amounted a 10-goal lead in the second half following a Kara Magley goal, a running clock was added to speed up the lopsided game.
The afternoon proved to be historic for the Eagles, as a number of BC players made program, and personal, history. Leading the way was senior captain Caroline Margolis, who became the 20th player in program history to reach 100 career points. Alongside Margolis was fellow senior Sarah Mannelly, who assumed sole possession of sixth place in the BC career assists record. Mannelly, like Margolis, is also a member of the 100 career-point club, a feat that she accomplished in 2014. In regard to the underclassmen, Apuzzo has been leading the way. She not only got the scoring going for BC against Holy Cross, but she also accumulated her second hat trick in her two-game career as an Eagle. In addition, the three goals from Apuzzo, combined with a game-high four goals from Tess Chandler, would have proven to be enough for the Eagle victory, as the defense was rock solid throughout the game and was led by goalie Zoe Ochoa, who tallied four saves before Lindsey Reder took over in net for the last seven minutes.
Overall, the victory over Holy Cross was a good win. As the favorites going into the matchup, BC did what it needed to do and limited the number of mistakes it made, while also capitalizing on the opportunities that presented themselves. Looking forward, a harsh ACC slate awaits BC. The team heads to the Midwest to South Bend, Ind. to take on the University of Notre Dame in what will likely be an exciting matchup. While it is still too early to think about the ACC and national championships, this will be the first true test that BC will face in terms of the caliber of both the conference and national stages.
Featured Image by Arthur Bailin / Heights Staff
