Thrilling Comeback Gives Women's Lax 2nd National Championship

In the immortal words of Gil Santos: 'yes, it's a dynasty.'

Playing in a mind blowing seventh straight National Championship on Sunday, the Eagles were looking to bring home the program's second title after coming up short in each of those appearances except for 2021.

The line between being a legitimate dynasty or being the program that only won because of a generational player (Charlotte North) was very, very thin entering this game.

Standing in the way was big, bad Northwestern. The Wildcats blew out BC by 12 in the 2023 championship game and beat them during the regular season this year. Not to mention, Northwestern was looking to re-start its own dynasty with back-to-back championships after dominating the early-to-mid 2000's, winning five straight titles from 2005-2009. From 2005-2012, Northwestern won a total of seven titles and went to eight straight, only losing to Maryland in 2010.

Well, thanks to epic performances from tournament MVP Kayla Martello (5 goals) and Shea Dolce (9 saves) and a defensive stand for the ages in the closing seconds, BC erased an early six-goal deficit and now has its second championship, pulling out a 14-13 win in an instant classic.

"I am so proud of our team, and all of the people that make something like this happen" Acacia Walker-Weinstein said. "This program has come a long way from when I started...I'm so proud of the girls, I'm so proud of the seniors. I asked them to lead the way all season and they did just that.

"It's so difficult to do what they just did against a team like Northwestern. I'm so proud of them and so happy to see their dedication pay off. To win a championship is the hardest thing to do in teams sports and these guys believed from the beginning. We made a lot of changes to our operation and they were bought in this whole time. I'm just really proud."

To fully appreciate the roller coaster of emotions that was this game from a BC perspective, you've got to start at the ugly beginning.

The Eagles got a two minute woman-up opportunity just 15 seconds into the game off a ground ball on the opening draw, but couldn't capitalize. About two minutes later, BC was handed a card and Northwestern immediately took advantage for the early 1-0 lead. Less than a minute later Northwestern made it 2-0 on a quick-stick goal and 3-0 soon after an unforced BC turnover.

Things continued to run downhill for BC with a too-many-players card giving Northwestern a one minute woman-up opportunity that they easily converted on, forcing a Walker-Weinstein timeout with 7:25 still left in the first. After another unforced turnover for BC moments later, Northwestern pushed it to 5-0. BC's best chance early came on a Belle Smith free position after the Eagles won the ensuing draw, but she was stuffed by goalie Molly Laliberty (5 saves). Seconds later, the Wildcats made it 6-0.

Cassidy Weeks drew a yellow card late in the quarter to give BC another woman-up chance, but another Laliberty save and an illegal pick call sent BC to the second quarter down by six. Northwestern outshot BC 11-3 in the first 15 minutes, the Eagles were called for 11 fouls to NW's five and turned it over four times.

"I think in that first quarter, we were playing scared of them and there was absolutely no reason to be scared of them," said Martello. "So, just kind of getting in that mindset with the fact that we're great and there's nothing to be afraid of."

Things changed soon with the draws when Walker-Weinstein started putting Abbey Herod out there. The stats say she only controlled two, but it felt like every time Herod was on the field the ball wound up with BC.

"She's amazing. She plays a really big role," Walker-Weinstein said. "Between she and Ryan (Smith), they're such a great combination because they offer two totally different things and they work together all week long leading up to the games. in the middle of the game they're constantly coaching each other.

"Today she was huge, Friday she was huge. Ryan always starts us off so strong and I'm just proud of (Abbey) because she's got such a unique style and for such a young player - kind of like Shea - to go in on such a big stage and be able to turn the game around. She was the stableizer today. But, I give credit to Ryan who has taught her and I love the way the two of those kind of go back and forth and do whatever it takes to win."

A few minutes later after two big defensive stands, LoPinto had a sick behind-the-back finish for the second straight game on a great look from Clark, getting BC on the board with 9:44 to go in the half.

BC had a golden opportunity to make it two straight on a Smith free position but Laliberty stood tall again. Seconds later, the Eagles were assessed a green card and a one minute penalty. A 3-second violation resulted in two free positions, but Northwestern didn't shoot on either of them. BC forced a turnover and killed the rest of the penalty, but a costly turnover was another wasted opportunity.

A third BC 3-second violation handed Northwestern another free position, but Dolce came up big. Andrea Reynolds was given a free position of her own and fired a rocket stick-side to make it 6-2. Another ground ball win off a draw soon led to a Martello goal inside on another nice feed from Clark, suddenly making it a three-goal game with 4:25 to go.

Northwestern was awarded possession on the ensuing draw on a questionable foul call and pushed it back to 7-3. But, another draw win led to another Clark-Martello connection, this time with a lefty finish.

After being quiet most of the half, the all-time leading scorer in the history of NCAA women's lax Izzy Scane scored on a free position to make it 8-4, but Martello potted two more goals in the final two minutes to cut it to 8-6. Dolce came up with a massive save in the final 10 seconds to keep all the momentum in the Eagles' favor heading into halftime

"I've been thinking about it every single day since last year," Dolce said when asked if last year's loss served as motivation. "That's a moment that I wanted back and sure enough, we were in the same position this year and I mean, we've been mentally ready for it since that last game."

Draws (6-3) were by far the biggest factor in BC's big second quarter, especially since fouls were 18-8 in Northwestern's favor for the first 30 minutes. For the game, fouls finished 31-18 in favor of Northwestern.

"That was really frustrating," Walker-Weinstein acknowledged when asked about the lopsidedness in calls. "In the first quarter and second quarter we were getting a lot of fouls called on us that we haven't been called for all year. It was a little alarming, but we just decided we were going to have to face Northwestern and - unfortunately - the officiating as well.

"Their job is really difficult, especially in the championship with these two very aggressive teams. i know their job is difficult. It was a little scary there in the beginning because I feel like we couldn't buy a call, but they did a great job. They work hard. I'm grateful for the officials and I'm just proud our girls could sort of get around it and win together despite some of the adversity."

A great ride from BC in the first two minutes of the third eventually led to a Ryan Smith free position goal. Northwestern was awarded a two minute woman-up on a check to the head during the ensuing draw, but Dolce made another stop on a free position.

The Eagles committed a shot clock violation and Smith took another yellow card, but came up with a defensive stand, won the run-out and then drew a Northwestern card in what was a huge swing.

Playing 9-on-9 for a minute, McKenna Davis tried to hit LoPinto on a free position back door pass, but LoPinto went down awkwardly trying to finish and limped off. Northwestern pushed it back to 9-7 less than a minute later.

Scane scored to make it a three-goal game again after a timeout and draw win for the Wildcats. LoPinto returned but the offense turned the ball over when Davis just missed Martello wide open on the crease. A Dolce save, Smith ground ball and a LoPinto tuck from X cut it back to 10-8.

BC's fourth yellow card with under a minute left meant a locked in woman-down situation for two minutes. Of course, Dolce made a point-blank save on the crease doorstep, allowing the Eagles to possess the ball in the final seconds and kill some of the woman-down. But, instead of just killing clock, Reynolds found Davis on the crease. Davis made a difficult catch between two defenders sticks, then went over the shoulder with her back to the net on an incredible shot, making it 10-9 with 0.4 on the clock.

"McKenna practices that shot a lot, every day," Walker-Weinstein said with a laugh. "But, she knew the time on the clock which has been a huge thing for her. She didn't have a great angle shooting overhand and the deception and the decision to make that was so clutch.

"Andrea Reynolds fed that in. One of Andrea's strongest things is her vision and her guts throwing those passes in. For McKenna to just have the wherewithal knowing if she turned the girl was on her...I'm just really proud of her. i think it was what we needed to spark ourselves and our belief and really, just the energy."

Still woman-up for a minute, Scane scored 41 seconds into the fourth. The Eagles took the next draw and killed the final 20 seconds on the penalty. LoPinto earned a free position and made a sick cross-field dish to Clark who buried it to make it 11-10.

Herod won the ensuing draw and Northwestern was assessed a green card, but BC couldn't convert on the one-minute advantage. A huge ground ball on the defensive end led to transition though and Clark picked the top right corner to bring the Eagles all the way back at 11-11.

After yet another draw control for BC, Reynolds finished a rebound on a Weeks shot to give BC its first lead of the day with 9:39 remaining.

Northwestern and BC were both assessed yellow cards two minutes later, creating another 9-on-9 situation for two minutes. With 5:53 remaining, Smith found Martello inside for her fifth of the day, making it 13-11.

Scane cut it back to one on a free position with 4:56 to play and after a draw win, she seemed poised to tie it, but Dolce stuffed her on the post. That save - the biggest of her career to date for about 10 minutes of real time - led to Clark finding Davis in transition and another goal for the Eagles with just over four minutes left.

Northwestern started to lose it a bit and BC earned a two-minute, locked in opportunity, but the Eagles turned it over with two minutes left. Northwestern earned another free position, but Dolce did what she's done her whole young career, making another huge save. Still, Scane wouldn't go quietly, scoring on another chance as the clock ticked down to 58.8 seconds.

The biggest draw of the game went to Northwestern and the Wildcats immediately called timeout. That set up more Dolce heroics as she made another incredible save on a free position, kicking her leg out to just get a piece of the ball on a shot about a two feet away from her.

The defense stood tall for the final few seconds with two more close calls and then the celebration was on as Walker-Weinstein fell to her knees on the sideline and the Eagles stormed the field.

"I look back at that and I kind of blacked out a little bit," said Dolce of her kick save that should probably earn her a statue next to Flutie outside of Alumni. "We've been put in those situations this year defensively multiple times. Close games, coming down to the wire with a defensive stop and I think that moment is something I've mentally prepared for ever since I got to college.

"My defenders had my back the whole first half when I wasn't playing my best game and it was time I had to have their back...I honestly don't know how I got a piece of it. I think somehow it hit my foot maybe. I was locked in. i had to have my team's back because they had mine and yeah, honestly, I don't remember much."

What Dolce and her teammates will remember was raising another trophy, doing confetti angels on the field and most importantly, cementing their legacy with an all-time win not just in BC history, but college lacrosse history.

"I think it's amazing," added Martello. "I think this senior class, I'm so proud of it. This group I'm with is the most special group of girls in the country and Acacia did an amazing job finding us and bringing us together. Since our freshman year we've been hungry for this and obviously we had two big losses those next two years.

"Our term is 'bookend it' and we've been searching for that all year. It's amazing to bring that back and it's also amazing to have the younger girls get that feeling winning a national championship. We were here, we had it and (in 2021) and now they have it moving forward, It's an amazing feeling and a dream come true."