For the second Saturday in a row, the No. 5 Virginia women’s lacrosse team ended a team’s quest for an undefeated season — this time beating No. 2 Boston College 15-13 under the falling snow in Newton, Massachusetts.
Boston College (10-1, 4-1 ACC) had the first three shots of the game, but it was Virginia (8-4, 2-2 ACC) that first found the back of the net. In fact, the Cavaliers found the back of the net six times before Boston College was able to score.
Boston College’s first goal at the 12:10 mark ignited a 5-1 run for the Eagles, who were able to pull within one with 1:23 remaining in the first half.
The two teams exchanged draw controls and subsequent scores to end the half with Virginia up 8-7 due, in part, to sophomore attacker Kelly Reese’s goal shortly after Boston College third tally.
The teams also started the second half exchanging goals before Virginia reeled off two straight to widen its lead to three at 12-9. Boston College countered with a goal before the teams traded mini 3-0 runs.
With 3:18 remaining, Boston College cut the margin to two, but once again, freshman goalie Rachel Vander Kolk was solid in goal for Virginia, saving three of Boston College’s last five shots.
Vander Kolk finished the game saving 18 — 11 in the second half — of Boston College’s 41 shots, one of the only statistical categories in which one team dominated the other, as both teams won the same number of draw controls and ground balls. Meanwhile, Virginia attempted only 26 shots but made more than half of them, with only five of them off goal.
Vander Kolk’s 18 saves marked only the second time since 2009 that a Cavalier goalie saved 15 or more shots in a game.
Senior midfielder Courtney Swan led the Cavaliers with six points on four assists and two goals. Senior attacker Casey Bocklet was one of three Cavaliers with a hat trick, racking up five points with the three goals and two assists. Leading the way for the Eagles was senior midfielder Mikaela Rix, who scored five Eagle goals.
—compiled by Chanhong Luu
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