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The Boston College field hockey team officially starts their season on August 24 against Quinnipiac. In preparation for the new year, we’ve put together a season preview on one of the first BC teams to take the field in the new school year.
Last Season
Last season, BC went 11-8 overall, a decent outcome for a team that has traditionally won 10-13 games a season over the past decade. However, the Eagles struggled in ACC play, losing all 6 in conference match-ups. BC did lose a few very close games to ACC foes, but the Eagles certainly need to win a few in-conference games this season if the team wants to continue to improve their reputation.
Departing Players
The Eagles lost only 3 players to graduation, so the majority of their 2017 squad is returning. The 2017 graduates are Chelcie Mendonca, Alesandra Miller, and Justine Sheehan. Miller is the biggest loss for the Eagles - she was tied for the team lead with 13 points last year, and led the team with 7 assists.
Returning Players
Many of the Eagles’ top players are returning this season. Fusine Govaert, who will be a sophomore this year, returns after leading the Eagles in goals (6) and points (13) as a freshman. She should be a force for BC this season. Other top returning players include Lucy Lytle and Brooke Matherson.
Rookies
BC has 4 incoming freshman that are new to the roster: Sky Caron, Nell Webber, Eva Van de Mierop, and Jonna Kennedy. Caron is a two-time member of the U17 National Team and was the NEPSAC MVP and Max Field Hockey Best Player in New England as a senior. Webber was a Junior Olympics selection and helped lead her high school team to their first ever undefeated season. Van de Mierop was a member of the Belgian Championship team in 2017. Kennedy, a goalie, was a Middlesex League MVP, Boston Globe All-Scholastic, Boston Herald All-Scholastic and NFCHA All-Region selection as a senior. She broke the national record of most consecutive games without a loss and made 4 State Championship appearance. Expect her to give Sarah Dwyer a real challenge for starting goalie.
Outlook
Considering the fact that the Eagles are returning most of their top players and have a strong incoming class, including a consistent goalkeeper, fans should expect this season to be better than last year. The Eagles aren’t as young of a team this year, which means the talent they already have has matured and that there are a number of leaders to help the rookies adjust to the college game.