Moment #7 of 2021: Lacrosse advances to Final Four

We’re counting down the top 11 BC sports moments of 2021!
#11: MBB wins on Senior Day for interim coach Scott Spinelli
#10: Men’s Hockey wins their home opener in front of a sold out crowd
#9: MBB wins their first ACC game under Earl Grant
#8: Phil Jurkovec’s surprise return against Virginia Tech

And now #7...

A college team making it to their sport’s showcase event - the Final Four/Frozen Four/College World Series/whatever - is always a special moment. But there was something immediately, noticeably different about BC after topping Notre Dame 21-10 to advance to the Final Four on May 20 - our #7 moment of 2021.

The final whistle didn’t bring about the wild celebrations of past years - instead the team clearly had the look of a group with a steely resolve, that knew the mission wasn’t accomplished this time without two more wins.

The whole game against Notre Dame was workmanlike and, in a departure from the usual BC experience, not very dramatic - BC jumped out to a decent-sized lead, kept it the whole game, and never really let Notre Dame have hope.

Charlotte North tied Sam Apuzzo’s BC goal record, going on to of course break it at the Final Four.

The game also featured an early hat trick by Belle Smith and a key goal right before halftime by Jenn Medjid.

As fans, it’s obviously exciting whenever a team makes a Final Four-type event and it’s been rare enough in BC history to celebrate every one of them. Men’s hockey has done it a zillion times of course, but beyond that you have a few from women’s hockey, lax’s recent run, an appearance each by women’s soccer and field hockey, and the distant appearances of BC baseball in the College World Series.

That said, after three straight heartbreaks at the Final Four, this wasn’t a day of big celebrations. It was a day of immediately looking to what was next — a matchup against #1 UNC in the national semifinal, in which the Eagles would be huge underdogs.