Boston College Women’s Lacrosse Returns to Action

Tomorrow afternoon, Boston College women’s lacrosse opens the 2023 season as the Eagles host USC in the Fish Field House. The game is closed to the public, but can be watched on ACCNX at 12 PM.

The Eagles are coming off of yet another Final Four appearance, having lost to #1 UNC by just a single goal in the 2022 NCAA Championship game. BC lost just 4 games last season: 3 to UNC, and 1 to #7 Duke.

The big story coming into this season is that Charlotte North, arguably the greatest athlete ever to play at Boston College, has graduated. But much like when superstar Sam Apuzzo graduated, Coach Walker-Weinstein still has a roster that is set up for success. Jenn Medjid, who has been improving by leaps and bounds every season on the Heights, returns for her graduate student season after scoring 102 points last year (just 13 points behind North). Junior Belle Smith, who has been an impact player since she was a freshman and was third on the team last year with 83 points, should also be a big factor for the Eagles.

The Eagles also have a number of top defensive players returning, including Sydney Scales who led BC with 46 ground balls and 26 caused turnovers last season. Goalie Rachel Hall also will play another season for BC.

A number of BC players earned preseason honors heading into the season. Medjid, Smith, Hollie Schleicher, Hall and Cassidy Weeks were all named to the ACC’s all-preseason team, Smith and Medjid were named to the USA Lacrosse Magazine Preseason All-American First Team and the Inside Lacrosse/IL Women Magazine’s Preseason All-America First Team, Scales was named to the USA Lacrosse Magazine Preseason All-American Second Team and the Inside Lacrosse/IL Women Magazine’s Preseason All-America Second Team, and Weeks, Schleicher and Hunter Roman were named to the USA Lacrosse Magazine Preseason All-American Third Team. Schleicher was also named to the Inside Lacrosse/IL Women Magazine’s Preseason All-America Third Team.

In terms of freshmen, the Eagles (as usual) have a highly touted recruiting class. Shea Dolce is the #1 goalie prospect in her class and the #7 recruit overall, Ava Besson is the #4 overall recruit and the #2 attack recruit, midfielder Shea Baker is the #12 overall recruit, and midfielder Abbey Herod is the #18 overall recruit. And while not in the top 20 recruits, defender Michaela O’Connor, attack Brooke McLoy and midfield/attack Lila Trussell were all 2022 USA Lacrosse All-Americans.

With a strong freshman class and a slight scoring jump from Medjid and Smith to make up for North’s absence, this should be another year full of wins for BC.