Top 10 Boston College Athletics Moments of the 2010s: The Runners Up

To close out the decade, BC Interruption will be counting down our top 10 BC athletics moments of the 2010s. Before we get into our winners, here are the moments that were in the discussion but did not make that final cut.

The 2013 “Andre Williams for Heisman” campaign: In 2013, Boston College football was recognized on a national level as Andre Williams was named a Heisman finalist. Williams didn’t win, but just getting a BC player in the conversation for one of the biggest awards in college sports was huge.

Wake Forest 3, Boston College 0: Was this football game a good moment in BC athletics history? No. Was it a moment that defined the 2010s and that we’ll be talking about for years to come? Yes.

The Ice Bucket Challenge: Watching Pete Frates taking a devastating diagnosis and turning it into a way to raise millions of dollars for ALS research was a major moment of the decade across the country, but particularly for BC fans who knew Frates as a BC baseball alumnus and a familiar face on campus. Pete passed away earlier this year after a 7 year battle with the disease, but the impact he made for other ALS patients by popularizing the Ice Bucket Challenge will live on.

Boston College 45, Louisville 42: There weren’t a ton of amazing BC football moments in the 2010s, but the moments that were amazing were really amazing. This game was full of wild moments and was both very fun and very stressful to watch.

Boston College 14, Syracuse 13: The late 2010s were full of amazing BC women’s lacrosse moments, but this was certainly one of the best. A game winning goal with 17 seconds to go that sends your team to the ACC Championship Game at home? That’s a pretty perfect game.

Boston College women’s lacrosse makes their first Final Four appearance in 2017: This was the beginning of BC’s quick rise to become one of the top women’s lacrosse programs in the NCAA. Here’s to hoping the 2020s are the decade where the team takes home an NCAA Championship!

Boston College field hockey defeats Louisville in a shootout to advance to the program’s first ever Final Four in 2019: Another team, another first Final Four appearance. The BC field hockey program ended the decade on a high note and things are looking good for the team heading into the new decade!

2016 Beanpot - Boston College 1, Boston University 0: The men’s hockey team won a lot of Beanpots during the 2010s, but 2016 was definitely one of the most thrilling. Thatcher Demko recorded a shutout for BC and Alex Tuch scored the only goal of the game with a beautiful shot just minutes into overtime.

Boston College fires Frank Spaziani: Major coaching changes made after the fans have been begging for them are always a big deal.

Boston College fires Steve Addazio: See above. (Hiring Jeff Hafley was also a huge moment, but let’s count that as the opening moment that gets the 2020s off to a good start instead of a 2010s moment.)

The 2019 Boston College volleyball season: The Boston College volleyball team began the 2010s and the bottom of the barrel, but when Martin Jarmond hired Jason Kennedy to take over the team ahead of the 2018 season, things turned around fast. The Eagles ended the decade with their second ever 20 win season and their first ever NVIT appearance.

Kenzie Kent: It isn’t often that you have an athlete who plays for two teams, let alone for two of the best teams at your school. Kenzie Kent not only played for two of BC’s best programs (women’s hockey and women’s lacrosse) but she was really good at both.

College GameDay 2018: GameDay is always a big deal, and this was the first time GameDay had visited BC since 2009, when Mark Herzlich announced that he was in remission from cancer.

Luke Kuechly’s 2011 Season: As AJ Dillon defined BC football at the end of the decade, Luke Kuechly was the face of the team at the beginning of the 2010s. Every season he had was phenomenal, but he truly raked in the awards in 2011.

Mark Herzlich returns to the field in 2010: In 2010, Mark Herzlich returned to the Boston College football team after beating cancer. This moment packed an emotional punch, much like his 2009 GameDay announcement that he was cancer free.

Martin Jarmond gets beer and wine at Conte and Alumni: One of Martin Jarmond’s first big moments as BC’s athletic director was finally getting beer and wine at football, basketball, and hockey games. Considering how the decade went for football and both basketball teams, this was a particularly valuable addition to the game day experience.

2018 Beanpot - Boston College 4, Boston University 3: The women’s hockey team had many great moments this decade, but the 2018 Beanpot victory over BU was particularly fun, as Toni Ann Miano scored an overtime power play goal to send BC home with the trophy.

2010 Hockey East Tournament - Boston College 7, Maine 6: You don’t often see 7-6 hockey games, let alone in tournament play. But the men’s hockey team defeated Maine in this wild game to earn the 2010 Hockey East Championship, adding another to the 2010 trophy pile.

Boston College 15, Maryland 13: The Boston College women’s lacrosse team took down perennial #1 Maryland in the 2018 NCAA semifinals, in BC’s second straight/second ever Final Four appearance. Taking down #1 was just another sign that this program is here to stay.

Johnny Gaudreau wins 2014 Hobey Baker Award: We always knew Johnny Gaudreau was the best player in college hockey, but it was a rewarding moment to see him honored as such.

Sam Apuzzo wins 2018 Tewaaraton Award: One of the best women’s lacrosse players to ever play the game (in our unbiased opinion), Sam Apuzzo was honored as such during her junior season, winning the Tewaaraton.

Boston College 9, Yale 7: The 2010 men’s hockey NCAA Tournament is obviously making an appearance in our Top 10, but this game en route to the finals was truly bonkers and amazing.

2011 Hockey East Tournament - Boston College 3, Northeastern 1: The Boston College women’s hockey team began to rise to the top of the NCAA in 2011, when they team won its first Hockey East Championship, defeating Northeastern 3-1.

2015 Men’s Soccer Elite 8: The men’s soccer team made the Elite 8 for the first time since 2002 in 2015.

The 2015 men’s hockey NCAA Championship: We are bad people who like to see BU suffer ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

What do you think? Should any of these have been in the Top 10? Do you have any guesses as to what our top moment of the decade will be?