Despite Roster Familiarity, Eagles Want to Be Different in 2022
Andy Backstrom (@andybackstrom)Publisher
"The aquarium."
That's what senior goalie Rachel Hall says she and her teammates call the Fish Field House.
Saturday afternoon, Boston College lacrosse was the must-see attraction.
Groups of students peered through the glass windows of the indoor facility to get a glimpse of the top-ranked Eagles' season opener against No. 4 Northwestern. Since the game wasn't open to the public, that's as close as they could get to the action.
Led by reigning Tewaaraton Award winner Charlotte North and her seven goals, No. 1 BC picked up where it left off last year with an 18-9 victory.
It was a four-goal game until the fourth quarter when the Eagles' offense, which ranked first nationally in shot percentage in 2021, popped off with an 8-2 run that left the Wildcats in the dust.
With that, BC moved to 1-0 in a season where it will always have a target on its back. That's not the way 10th-year head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein is looking at it, though.
"We have a lot of the same players, but we're working on being different," she said. "I think a lot of people think we may be the same version of last year. We don't want to be that at all. We want to be different."
She continued: "We're not defending the championship. We're not reigning champs. We're in attack mode."
There was no hangover Saturday. Minutes after their banner celebration, the Eagles staked themselves to a 3-0 lead, thanks to three straight draw controls. Even when BC had a four-goal cushion in the fourth quarter, it didn't take its foot off the gas. In fact, as soon as Lauren Gilbert's shot dinged off the pipe at the start of the frame, the Eagles jumpstarted their scoring surge in transition with a Cassidy Weeks goal.
That sequence was a perfect example of what the Eagles have been building toward, according to North.
"I think what we did a really good job of this game was connecting all the units," she said. "We wanted to have the defense's back when they made a stop and come down and make a smart play on offense. Same thing with the draw unit, we wanted to work together, use that momentum to carry us into offense."
It was a complete team effort to hold a Northwestern squad that averaged at least 2.4 more goals per game than every other team in the country last year to single digits. Granted, the Wildcats were without 2021 Tewaaraton finalist Izzy Scane—who is sidelined for the year with an ACL tear—but BC's defensive effort was still commendable.
It wasn't just the usual suspects. A host of sophomores played a big role, including defenders Sydney Scales—who came on strong last year—and Hunter Roman. Those two combined for six ground balls and three caused turnovers.
And midfielders Andrea Reynolds and Kayla Martello both found the back of the net. North said that Reynolds' goal, which came off a free-position pass, was her favorite of the day and emphasized that Martello has been playing "out of her mind."
"All the sophomores are stepping up—and freshmen," North said. "It's amazing. I mean, they are so fun to play with. And they're leaders. They're young, but they're leaders."
Walker-Weinstein noted how BC's roster, top to bottom, is lined with talent. Some play more than others, but they all embrace their respective role, she explained.
"It's just a sign of unselfishness, which I love," Walker-Weinstein said.
One thing the longtime Eagles head coach isn't "wild about," however, is the sport's game format, which switched from two halves to four quarters this offseason.
Even though the stoppage of play gives teams additional timeouts to reset and come out with a punch after each break, it can disrupt momentum. It also makes the games longer. Hall joked that she thought the first half was over after the end of the opening quarter.
"It could be 6:30 to me right now," Walker-Weinstein added postgame. "Like, what time is it? I have no idea."
That can happen in an aquarium, too.
Especially if what you're watching can make a splash. BC has already proven that it can.
