After getting back in the win column with a 6-1 blowout of Massachusetts, Boston College field hockey starts its final road weekend of the year with a trip to Duke, for a contest against yet another ranked conference foe. The Eagles (9-5, 2-3 Atlantic Coast) will be trying to exact revenge on the team that ended their season in 2017, but face a tough task against a Blue Devils (12-3, 4-1) group that has rattled off six wins in a row since dropping a tight contest to No. 1 North Carolina. BC hasn’t beaten Duke since 2012.
Who is BC playing?
Duke
When is BC playing?
Friday, Oct. 19, 6 p.m.
Where is BC playing?
Williams Field at Jack Katz Stadium, Durham, N.C.
How to Watch:
The game will be livestreamed on ACC Network Extra and WatchESPN.
By the Numbers:
BC:
1) The Eagles got on the board just 25 seconds into their Sunday afternoon contest against UMass, all thanks to Lucy Lytle, who logged the game-opening goal for the second-consecutive match.
2) BC moved up one spot from No. 12 to No. 11 in the latest NFHCA coaches poll. It has spent the entire season ranked in the top 15.
3) The Eagles are led offensively by Frederique Haverhals and Brooke Matherson. The two have combined for 15 goals and seven assists this season.
Duke:
1) The Blue Devils have beaten BC six consecutive times dating back to 2012, and have won 10 of the 14 games between the two teams all-time.
2) On the offensive end, Duke is led by Rose Tynan, who has 12 goals, and Caroline Andretta, who has nine. Tynan’s 12 goals are the third-most in the ACC this season.
3) Blue Devils netminders Sammi Steele and Lydia Smeltz have combined to allow just 21 goals in 15 games this season.
Last Meeting:
The teams last met in the first round of the ACC Championship in 2017. BC fell behind, 2-0, after eight minutes, but rallied to tie the game and send it to overtime with under three minutes to play, courtesy of a Carly Kauffman goal. Unfortunately for the Eagles, it was Duke that prevailed, scoring off a corner to win the game, 3-2, and ending the Eagles’ season.
Outlook:
The conference schedule doesn’t get any easier for BC, which faces its second top-10 ACC opponent in as many weeks. The Eagles will have to be firing on all cylinders defensively against a Duke team that has scored the second-most goals in the ACC this season. They’ll also have to be more clinical than they were in the 4-1 loss to UNC. In that game, BC actually outshot the Tar Heels, 9-8, but just wasn’t able to direct its shots on frame. If Sarah Dwyer can recapture the form that earned her a pair of ACC Defensive Player of the Week honors, and Matherson and Haverhals are on their A game, the Eagles should at least be competitive against the Blue Devils.
Featured Image by Sam Zhai / Heights Staff
