It’s rare that a game with a lot of hype two weeks into a season in any sport lives up to the hype.
Oftentimes, you’ll get one team that’s still a little rusty, or one team that’s getting acclimated with some new players and it’s a bit ugly. Well, that wasn’t the case when No. 3 BC visited No. 5 Northwestern for a huge early season litmus test on Sunday. In what was an instant classic, the Wildcats stunned the Eagles with a huge second half and held on late for a 15-14 upset. Molly Laliberty made a huge save on a point blank chance from Cassidy Weeks with 1:30 to go to ultimately preserve the win. Jenn Medjid - returning after missing the UMass game with an injury - Kayla Martello, Belle Smith and Weeks all had hat tricks. Dylan Amonte led Northwestern with five goals.
The Eagles led 10-6 at the half, but a Wildcats’ run cut it to one before Weeks scored to make it 11-9. Martello soon made it 12-9, but Northwestern wouldn’t let BC pull away and made it 12-10. With about two or three minutes left in the third quarter, head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein decided to pull goalie Rachel Hall (6 saves) for freshman Shea Dolce (two saves) and she played for the remainder of the game. The Eagles ended up carrying a 12-11 lead into the fourth after a yellow card against Medjid gave the Wildcats an opportunity to grab a late goal.
Weeks went behind the back early in the final frame to make it 13-11, but Northwestern eventually tied the game at 13-13 and took its first lead with 6:26 remaining. After a BC shot clock violation resulted in a turnover, the hosts pushed it to 15-13. Medjid came up with a fantastic individual effort on a free position goal to make it a one-goal game with 1:27 left.
Weeks had a chance to tie the game, but Laliberty made an off-stick-side save, screaming after it and pumping her fist before getting the ball cleared. Northwestern called timeout and then ran out the remainder of the clock for the win.Early on, BC’s ball movement was outstanding and the Eagled led 5-2 after one. Smith potted the first two goals of the game and after a NW goal Martello made it 3-1. A sick behind the back fake and feed from Annabelle Hasselbeck to Medjid made it 4-1. Northwestern scored again before a McKenna Davis goal.
Weeks made it 6-2 just 54 seconds into the second. Medjid had one of the prettiest goals in the country at any level this weekend- men’s or women’s lax - when she roofed a behind the back shot to make it 7-4 with 10 minutes left in the half. The Eagles ended up potting three more and took the four-goal lead into halftime.
Northwestern outshot BC 31-30, but shots on goal were even at 23-23. The Eagles had 17 draw controls to NW’s 16, but BC also committed 11 turnovers while the Wildcats only had eight The Eagles also committed 17 fouls while Northwestern committed nine.
BC (2-1, 0-0) is back in action next Saturday when Duke visits to open ACC play. Game time is set for noon inside Fish Field House.
