Up 3–1 heading into the fourth quarter, Boston College field hockey seemed like it would cruise to a victory over Northeastern if it continued its strong performance.
The Eagles, however, surrendered back-to-back goals, and the momentum instantly switched to Northeastern’s side.
But Peyton Hale found forward Mia Garber off a penalty corner, and the sophomore managed to get her shot behind the Huskies’ goalkeeper Kristina Merashoff for the lead with 1:11 left in regulation. BC (10–5, 1–3 Atlantic Coast) held on to defeat Northeastern (6–8, 2–2 Colonial Athletic) 4–3 at Dedham Field on Tuesday afternoon.
“I was just really proud of them that they kept a level head and stayed in the game, and they knew what they had to do,” BC head coach Kelly Doton said of her squad.
The goal marked Garber’s sixth of the season.
BC brought the intensity early on, with Hale as an early catalyst. Margo Carlin’s perfectly executed corner kick found Hale’s stick, and she placed the ball into the net to give the Eagles a 1–0 lead at the 4:40 mark.
“Getting on the board early in these types of games is a huge momentum shift for us,” Doton said.
The Eagles’ demonstrated their depth and adaptability during the first quarter, alternating players such as Madelieve Drion, Elisa Brauel-Jahnke, and Garber in and out of the game. This allowed BC to maintain control for the first three quarters.
Merashoff, however, didn’t waste any time to display her abilities to block multiple shots in the first quarter. She made a vital save against Juliette Hijdra’s fast-moving shot at the 9:05 mark and then stopped an attempt from Kara Heck four seconds later. Merashoff was assisted by valiant efforts from the Huskies’ final line of defense, preventing BC from extending its lead in the first quarter.
Heck increased BC’s edge in the second quarter, striking a precise shot at the 17:13 mark. The Eagles’ intensity forced Northeastern into turnovers, and BC took advantage by putting another point on the board. Martina Giacchino entered the scoring frenzy and demonstrated her accuracy with a well-placed shot to give BC a comfortable 3-0 lead heading into halftime.
But Northeastern didn’t completely fold, swinging some energy in its favor in the third quarter.
The Huskies’ Lilly Smith notched a goal at the 31:52 mark off a penalty corner to bring some hope back into the game for Northeastern. The goal marked her fifth of the season.
Merashoff continued to play a crucial role in preventing BC from expanding its lead, recording a crucial save toward the end of the quarter by blocking Klara Mueffelmann’s shot.
Northeastern continued to find success on penalty corners, as Mak Graves registered two consecutive goals on penalty corners to tie the game at 3–3 with 10 minutes left in regulation. The goal marked the Huskies’ third consecutive score.
“Losing that three-nothing advantage allowed Northeastern back in the game,” Doton said. “They were executing on their corners.”
But the battle didn’t stop there, as BC stayed determined to come out on top. Garber found herself with a perfect opportunity off a penalty corner and sealed the deal for the Eagles’ 4–3 victory.
Doton stressed the importance of taking better care of the ball to prevent any more blown leads.
“Moving forward, I think we need to do a better job of keeping the ball when we have it and not causing ourselves to make mistakes and turn over the ball,” Doton said.
