No. 12 Virginia women’s lacrosse suffered a 25-13 loss to No. 7 Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Mass. Saturday. The Cavaliers (10-5, 5-3 ACC), led by junior midfielder Mackenzie Hoeg and sophomore attacker Rachel Clark with four goals apiece, kept the score close in the first half. They kept a three-goal lead in the first quarter and stayed within three goals through the third period until the Eagles (12-3, 7-1 ACC) recorded an eight-goal scoring run to secure the massive victory.
Boston College opened scoring 2:25 into the first period, but Virginia was able to respond with strength, scoring three unanswered goals — two of which were scored by Hoeg. Despite losing in draw controls 4-5 in the quarter, the Cavaliers were able to hold possession for the majority of the quarter, forcing four turnovers and recording possession of four ground balls.
After a long offensive possession, the Eagles tallied another goal, but Virginia was able to once again respond with two more of their own, increasing the deficit to three. With 22 seconds left in the quarter, it seemed like the Cavaliers would carry their lead into the second, but two more quick goals for the Eagles closed it to one.
Boston College opened scoring again in the second quarter, winning possession off the first draw control and scoring on a free position shot to tie the game.
Back at the draw circle, the Eagles took possession again, but a save by sophomore goalkeeper Abby Jansen sent the ball the other way with Virginia. Following two wide shots by senior midfielder Kiki Shaw and graduate student attacker Ashlyn McGovern, Hoeg finally found the back of the net off of another free position shot.
The Cavaliers could not hold their regained lead for long, and Boston College scored two more to put them back on top. The two teams traded goals for the remainder of the quarter, but the Eagles’ domination on the draw control circle came to their advantage, and they scored three unanswered goals. The Cavaliers were able to earn two back, one of which came off of a fast break from Clark after she controlled the draw, but ultimately would enter the half at an 11-9 disadvantage.
Virginia would kick off scoring in the third, with another goal from Clark assisted by sophomore attacker Kate Miller. Boston College did not let its lead slide any further, however, and recorded another trio of goals to solidify its lead at 14-10.
The teams traded a few more goals until the Eagles began to pile on, scoring the first four goals in an eight-goal scoring drive. The score stood at 19-12 at the third quarter’s end, but Boston College’s onslaught continued into the fourth, tallying four more goals before the Cavaliers would find the goal again.
The goal by McGovern to put Virginia’s tally at 13 would be its final goal of the game. The Eagles scored two more goals to drive the last nail in the coffin and set the final scoreboard at 25-13.
With three Cavaliers recording hat tricks, Virginia’s offense stood out as a bright spot in its play, especially as it capitalized on Hoeg’s quick cuts and shots through the eight-meter to result in a high-scoring first half. However, as Boston College was able to adapt to the Cavalier’s efficient offense, Virginia was unable to defend the Eagle’s isolation plays ultimately leading to the enormous defeat.
The Cavaliers will look to bounce back and win their last regular season game at home against Virginia Tech. The Smithfield Commonwealth Clash game will begin Thursday at 7 p.m. and will be available to stream on ACCNX.
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