They were a part of an NCAA tournament semi-finalist team. They currently hold a 40-32 career record. And they have never played a game when their team was not ranked nationally in the top 20.
They are the seniors of the Virginia women’s lacrosse team.
Attackers Brooke Boyd and Kelly Boyd, midfielder Mary Alati and defenders Ella Cooper and Sarah Gillespie have all contributed four outstanding years to the Virginia women’s lacrosse program. On Saturday, these seniors will play their final regular season home game in a Cavalier uniform, as No. 18 Virginia (5-6, 0-4 ACC) takes on the No. 10 Boston College at Klöckner Stadium.
“They’ve been awesome,” coach Julie Myers said. “I can’t even believe it is their last home game. I feel like they just got here in so many ways. They’ve really helped our team to get better, and we couldn’t ask much more out of the fourth-year class. We are very grateful for all they’ve achieved.”
Kelly Boyd spoke about her emotions before her last home game.
“We’ve all had a great time playing at U.Va,” she said. “It has been awesome. It’ll be a sad but exciting game for sure.”
While this game will be a time to honor these outstanding players and reflect upon their accomplishments, it will also be a critical matchup for Virginia. The Cavaliers are seeking to win their first ACC game of the year and gain momentum as the post-season nears. The team hopes the extra motivation of playing on Senior Day will help give Virginia an edge.
“The beauty of this game is that there is so much riding on it,” Myers said. “It is a great opportunity that we will be well prepared for and excited to play in. I’m not so sure Boston College is excited that we get them on Senior Day.”
The Eagles (6-4, 1-3 ACC) are a young team — they have just four senior starters — but they have played especially strong as of late. Boston College defeated then-No. 3 Syracuse March 19, 13-8, and followed that up with a close loss against No. 3 North Carolina this past Saturday, 13-12.
Senior midfielder Sarah Mannelly, a team captain, leads the way for the Eagles with a team-high 34 points for the season on 20 goals and 14 assists.
“They’re very athletic and very good,” Myers said. “The important thing will be for us to not get pulled into their pace.”
Virginia will look to utilize its balanced offensive attack and strong defense to counter Boston College. Kelly Boyd — who has scored 83 career goals — emphasized minimizing turnovers and making smart decisions as keys to the game for the Cavaliers.
Virginia will come out and play with passion trying to get a victory for its seniors in their final home game.
“I know everyone is going to play their hearts out, especially for this game in our last time at Klöckner,” Kelly Boyd said.
Last season, Virginia defeated Boston College in a close battle, 15-13.
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