2018 Boston College Lacrosse Primer

Tonight, the Boston College women’s lacrosse team will play in the Final Four for the second year in a row. The Eagles defeated a previously undefeated Stony Brook team in overtime last weekend and will face #1 seed Maryland tonight at 7:30 PM. Fans can watch the game on ESPN3.

Ahead of tonight’s game, we wanted to catch up casual fans on this year’s team - check out our season primer below.

Boston College Lacrosse in 2018

The Eagles exceed expectations this year and dominated the competition. BC went undefeated in the regular season, and their only loss so far was to UNC in the ACC Championship game. (UNC also made the Final Four and will play in the early game tonight). The Eagle defeated a number of top 20 teams, including a 20-14 victory over Navy and a 17-11 win over UNC in the regular season.

The Eagles are an extremely balanced and deep team. BC is strong on offense and defense, and the Eagles are particularly good at winning draw controls. BC’s scoring ability is deep, and almost any player on the roster can be counted on for a clutch goal. The Eagles don’t have the strongest goaltending out of the final four teams, but senior goalie Lauren Daly has been playing well lately and limited Stony Brook’s second half scoring last game to help the Eagles mount a comeback.

The Eagles coaching staff have also been a huge factor in this team’s success, and Coach Walker is able to successfully change up strategies mid-game to help her team mount comebacks. This is a BC team with a lot of heart and grit - these Eagles never give up.

Coaching

Boston College Head Coach Acacia Walker is in her 8th season at BC and her 6th as Head Coach. Walker is the fastest coach in program history to earn 50 wins, doing so in just 74 games. The lacrosse team has made the NCAA Tournament every year since Walker became head coach, despite having only made the Tournament once before she took over. Walker played at Maryland as a student and was a member of the U.S. Women’s Senior National Lacrosse Team from 2002-2012.

Assistant Coach Jennifer Kent is in her 10th year with the Eagles. Kent focuses on defensive coaching for the team. She played soccer, basketball, and lacrosse at Colby College. Kent is the mother of BC hockey and lacrosse star, Kenzie Kent.

Assistant Coach Kayla Treanor is arguably the best American women’s lacrosse player of her generation. Treanor, who played lacrosse at Syracuse, is also a member of the U.S. National Team. Treanor owns the NCAA women’s lacrosse single season draw controls record with 217 and had an impressive 393 career points. She was a 3 time Tewaaraton Award finalist.

Players to Watch

Sam Apuzzo: Apuzzo is the fastest player in program history to score 100 points, and she holds the program record for points in a single season. She leads the Eagles this year with 81 goals, 37 assists, and 118 points, and also leads the team with 31 caused turnovers and 145 draw control wins. She is third in the NCAA in points. Even when an opposing team shuts Apuzzo down on offense, she contributes to the game in major ways. She is also a Tewaaraton Award finalist this year, was the ACC Attacker of the Year, and was named to the Inside Lacrosse Division I Media All-American First Team.

Dempsey Arsenault: Arsenault is a terrific two-way player. She is second on the team with 59 goals, 34 assists, and 93 points, and she leads the Eagles with 58 ground balls. Arsenault scored the overtime game-winner against Stony Brook, and has always played great under pressure. Arsenault was named to the Inside Lacrosse Division I Media All-American First Team this year.

Kaileen Hart: Hart is sometimes overshadowed by Apuzzo and Arsenault, but she has become a real offensive force. She has 55 goals and 82 points this season, and has scored 3 or more goals in 11 games this year. So far in the NCAA Tournament, the senior attacker has 9 goals, including 4 against Stony Brook.

Elizabeth Miller: Miller, a junior defender, is the heart of BC’s stellar defense. She contributes in every aspect of the game and was honored as the ACC Defensive Player of the Year in addition to being named to the Inside Lacrosse Division I Media All-American First Team.

Details on Friday’s Game

Who:

Boston College Eagles (21-1) vs.

Maryland Terrapins (20-1)

When: Friday, May 25 @ 7:30 PM

Where: Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium, Stony Brook, NY

How to watch: ESPN3 will air the game

Live stats: ncaa.com

How to follow: Follow @bcinterruption, @Lberestecki, @salzano14, and @BCwlax.