Boston College Women’s Lacrosse Falls to Undefeated Maryland in National Championship Title Game

The Boston College women’s lacrosse team lost to Maryland by a score of 16-13 in today’s NCAA Championship, ending a storybook run to the finals. The Eagles made their first Final Four appearance this year and were the first unranked team to make the finals since the field expanded to 8 teams. Maryland, on the other hand, is a perennial tournament favorite and went undefeated this season.

Maryland took an early lead in today’s game, scoring just 10 seconds in. The Eagles kept fighting, but were unable to take over the lead at any point. Spectacular defense and goaltending on both sides kept the game close in the first half, which ended in a 5-5 tie. Maryland opened the second half with a 5-0 run, and the Eagles were unable to overcome that setback.

Despite BC’s loss, Kenzie Kent was named the 2017 NCAA Championship’s Most Outstanding Player. Kent had 5 goals and 5 assists in today’s game, tying the record for most points in an NCAA Championship game. She recorded 37 points overall in the tournament. Kate Weeks and Sam Apuzzo, who also played terrifically in the tournament, were both named to the All-Tournament Team. Apuzzo, who scored 4 goals today, ends the season as the country’s leading goalscorer with 80 goals in 24 games.

This was a spectacular season for BC’s women’s lacrosse program in what many expected to be a bit of a rebuilding year. The Eagles are losing a number of players this year, including offensive powerhouse Kate Weeks and goaltender Zoe Ochoa. Things still look promising for next year’s team though - leading scorer Sam Apuzzo, skilled two-way player Dempsey Arsenault, and star defender Elizabeth Miller will all be juniors in the fall. Top scorers Kenzie Kent and Kaileen Hart will return for their senior seasons (although Kent will not join the team until women’s hockey season ends), and the Eagles have a strong goaltending prospect in rising junior Lauren Daly.

Congrats to the players and coaches on a season of new records and successes!