BC Holds off Virginia Tech in ACC Tournament Quarterfinal
Andy Backstrom (@andybackstrom)
Publisher
Belle Smith hit the turf of Arlotta Stadium in South Bend Friday night, grimacing in pain. Boston College lacrosse's two-way middie was anything but her normally bubbly self. She was stuck at the crease's doorstep as her Eagles teammates swarmed to provide assistance.
What looked to be a serious injury, however, was nothing more than a cramp. Moments later, Smith hobbled off the field with ninth-year BC head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein.
Moments after that, she returned, cutting inside the eight-meter arc, receiving a lefty feed from BC's newest quarterback Mckenna Davis and finishing for her second goal.
That's what second-seeded BC did throughout its entire 19-13 ACC Tournament quarterfinal victory over seventh-seeded Virginia Tech: As soon as things started to look grim, the Eagles got back and threw a punch or two.
The Hokies (9-9, 2-6 ACC) hung around, even cutting their deficit to three in the third quarter, but they had no answer for a relentless BC (15-2, 6-2) team that thrived off the reset. Virginia Tech backup goalie Lilly Kannapell came in before the end of the opening frame and wound up making 14 saves.
The problem was, the Eagles piled up 33 shots on goal. Exquisite ball movement and second-chance opportunities were a thorn in Virginia Tech's side.
Right from the get-go, though, the Hokies held their own on the other end of the field.
Virginia Tech won the game's opening draw, and sophomore attacker Whitney Liebler notched the first of two head-turning first-quarter goals. She scored on an acrobatic jumpshot to strike first blood. Then, following a 4-0 Eagles run, Liebler rounded out a mini two-goal spurt for the Hokies by wrapping around BC defender Melanie Welch, rocking left and dropping her stick for a sidearm shot that soared over the shoulder of Eagles goalie Rachel Hall.
BC restored its three-goal advantage before the end of the quarter, courtesy of a woman-up free-position goal from Charlotte North—who is now five goals shy of former Stony Brook star Courtney Murphy's NCAA all-time goals record—and a five-hole snipe from Jenn Medjid, who reached the 200-point mark for her career Friday.
BC carried that momentum into the second quarter. After Sam Rippley navigated a congested drive with a quick Hokies goal, the Eagles answered with five consecutive scoring plays.
The run began with some tic-tac-toe passing from Smith to Cassidy Weeks to Davis, who scored right in front of the cage. And it ended with North wrapping around the net and using a shot fake to get Kannapell out of position before ripping twine.
Virginia Tech responded with two goals in a row, but Smith's heroic score before intermission gave BC a 12-6 advantage heading into the break.
The Eagles won 12-of-20 draws in the opening half. Over the final two quarters of play, though, the Hokies were dominant in the circle. They made the most of North initially being moved out of the circle, winning 7-of-10 draws in the third quarter. Then, in the fourth period, they won 5-of-6 bouts.
The second-half boost was inspired by fiery Virginia Tech freshman Olivia Vergano, who finished with two goals, two ground balls, a caused turnover and 11 draws. Vergano followed her head coach Kristen Skiera from Army, where Vergano originally committed, and has emerged as one of the best first-year players in the ACC.
But it was graduate attacker Sarah Lubnow, an All-ACC second teamer, who tallied the Hokies' first two goals of the third quarter. And they both came in the span of 61 seconds.
Not too long after that, Vergano stepped and ripped a rocket from eight meters out. Unfortunately for the Hokies, however, that laser was sandwiched in between a pair of second-chance BC goals: the first a top-shelf free-position shot from Weeks, and the second a Medjid split dodge and score to make it 14-9, Eagles.
Rippley and Hannah Mardiney cut BC's lead to three with under five minutes to go in the third quarter. Except, before the Hokies could get any closer, the Eagles rattled off three goals in a row. The first was a byproduct of beautiful pick-and-roll play between North and Smith.
Smith set a screen on Hokies defender Jordan Tilley and rolled to the cage. North found her, and Smith cashed in to complete a hat trick.
The Hokies' final push consisted of back-to-back goals in 1:09, making it a 17-13 game with a bit less than 10 minutes to go.
But an errant Vergano pass and then a Hall save led to Medjid and Mossman goals, respectively. It was fitting that Mossman put the finishing touches on the Eagles' offensive clinic, considering she logged a game-high five goals in the win.
BC wasn't on its A-game defensively Friday night. Still, on a day in which Duke and Syracuse were both upset, the Eagles advanced to a Sunday semifinal matchup against Virginia.
BC's ACC Tournament title dreams are still alive.
