After dropping a double overtime heartbreaker to Syracuse, Boston College field hockey looks to bounce back as it stays in Syracuse to face a rare west coast foe in the University of California Berkeley. The Eagles (7-4, 2-2 Atlantic Coast) and Bears (3-6, 1-1 America East) have only met twice since 1999, with BC winning both contests. Even so, the Bears are no pushover, having played both No. 11 Louisville and No. 14 Northwestern—who the Eagles lost to earlier in the season—closely.
Who is BC playing?
UC Berkeley
When is BC playing?
J.S. Coyne Field, Syracuse, N.Y.
Where is BC playing?
Saturday, Oct. 6, 3 p.m.
How to Watch:
Live stats for the game will be provided by Sidearm Stats
By the Numbers:
BC:
1) The Eagles hadn’t allowed two goals in a game since September 18 before their 2-1 double-overtime loss to the Orange Friday.
2) Frederique Haverhals now has the second-most points on the team after her goal against Syracuse raised her season tally to 12.
3) BC usually gets off to a good start. The Eagles have tallied the first goal in all but two of their 11 matches this season.
UC Berkeley:
1) The Bears enter Saturday’s contest against BC on the heels of a three game losing streak, having dropped games to ranked foes in No. 13 Iowa and No. 14 Northwestern before losing their America East opener to Pacific.
2) UC Berkeley has some defensive issues to work out. The Bears currently allow 2.54 goals per game, which ranks 51st out of 77 NCAA teams.
3) On the offensive end, Cal is led by Megan Rodgers, who has totaled seven goals and two assists this season.
Last Meeting: The teams last met in 2014. On that day, the Eagles blitzed the Bears, as Eryn McCoy opened the scoring 15 minutes in and they raced to a 3-0 lead at halftime. BC added two more goals in the second half and cruised to a 5-1 win. Nicole Wallstedt recorded the only goal of the day for UC Berkeley.
Outlook: The Bears should provide BC with an easier test than it faced Friday against a ranked Syracuse team. Perhaps the Eagles’ toughest opponent in this game is fatigue. BC hasn’t played back-to-back games all season, and will undoubtedly be tired after its encounter with the Orange went into double overtime. If the Eagles are fresh enough, their offense, led by Brooke Matherson and Haverhals, should be able to carry them to a win.
Featured Image by Celine Lim / Heights Editor
