Women's Lax Wins 2nd Straight ACC Title; First BC Program To Win Multiple

Back-to-back and made history in the process.

The women's lax team won its second straight ACC title and became the first BC team in school history to win multiple ACC championships with a stellar defensive performance, beating Syracuse 15-8.

With the win the Eagles (16-3) will most likely host regionals once the Selection Show airs next Sunday.

Kayla Martello had six goals, while McKenna Davis had two and three assists, breaking the all-time program record for helpers (132). Shea Dolce was magnificent in net, stopping 10 shots, including eight in the first half.

The Eagles' defense also held Syracuse scoreless for a 22:00 span at one point after falling behind 5-1 early.

Head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein called a time out once 'Cuse had scored its fifth goal, but it was assistant Jennifer Kent who did most of the talking.

The game was never the same.

"Just defensively...we weren't on the right matchups and we were playing frantic," Walker-Weinstein said when asked what was discussed in the timeout. "Jen got the matchups going. She told them what they needed to do with two away from the ball and I think as soon as the defense got organized they were able to be aggressive.

"You can't be aggressive and disorganized and have anything work. Jen always knows what to say. She got them organized, she got the matchups right, calmed down and then we just played our game."

Having never led in the first half, BC still found itself tied at 7-7 at the start of the third quarter.

BC missed out on a golden opportunity to take its first lead after getting a woman-up opportunity on the opening draw in the third quarter. Both teams traded turnovers and the goalies traded saves until a Sydney Scales forced turnover quickly turned into a fast break that ended with Martello finishing off the hat trick for BC's first lead at 8-7. Davis set the assist record with the final pass on the play.

"I love it. I love setting up my teammates to score. I get more excited when they score than when I do honestly," Davis said with a huge grin. "I love being able to connect with each and every one of my teammates. I think it just brings the relationship so much closer together.

"That doesn't come without my teammates being able to finish and score. That's a credit to all my teammates, because they're the ones who put the point on the board."

Another forced turnover by BC - the eighth at this point in the game - soon became an Andrea Reynolds free position chance. With just five seconds on the shot clock, she fired a no-look pace to Belle Smith who snuck one by to make it a two-goal lead.

Following BC forced shot clock violation, Martelllo continued her big performance, grabbing a ground ball and going low in the final two minutes to push the lead to 10-7. Another point blank Dolce save in the last minute sent the Eagles to the fourth with the three-goal lead. At this point, BC had held the Orange scoreless for 20:30.

The Orange finally ended the drought at 22:00 with a goal to cut it to 10-8 with 13:22 to go. Syracuse superstar Emma Tyrell had three separate eight-meter chances with 12:00 left but couldn't convert, with BC eventually forcing a shot clock violation.

With 10:24 to go, Davis found Martello again with a perfect quick-stick to make it 11-8. Martello's sixth just seconds after a Shea Baker forced turnover pushed it to 12-8. Cassidy Weeks kept it rolling after a 'Cuse timeout, blowing by her defender off the dodge right to the cage.

Martello started returning the favor with 5:03 left, finding LoPinto on the back door for an easy quick-stick and a 14-8 lead. Freshman Molly Driscoll added the cherry on top with a late goal, making it seven different goal scorers for BC.

Minutes later, the celebration was on.

"Honestly, we've been so hard on our seniors all year," Walker-Weinstein said. "Trying to get them to understand the power they have as a group and the experiences they have with winning at the highest level and losing at the highest level. Being able to harness all of that towards the end of the season is why we're in this position."

Syracuse took a 1-0 lead just 13 seconds into the game on a Natalie Smith goal almost immediately off the opening draw. After killing off a green card and a save by Dolce, McKenna Davis made it 1-1 off a feed from Emma LoPinto.

'Cuse pushed the lead to 3-1, but a sick LoPinto behind-the-back finish on a feed from Clark seemingly cut it to one six minutes in. Upon review, LoPinto made contact with a 'Cuse defender's head and was called for a dangerous follow through, not only wiping out the goal, but forcing BC to kill a two-minute penalty.

They did, but two straight goals after lengthy possessions for the Orange made it 5-1. After a BC timeout and a big defensive stand, Clark scored on a free position late in the quarter. A ridiculous save by Dolce and perfectly executed fast break with 4.7 seconds left ended with a LoPinto goal and BC had all the momentum back after 1 down just 5-3.

"Before the game, we talked a lot about great players play until the end of the game, good players will get tired and quit," said Martello. "Obviously, you don't want to go down, but being able to come back from that and then win back-to-back is an amazing feeling and we're just so proud."

Just seconds after Acacia-Walker told ESPN in a quick sideline hit that the Eagles had settled down on defense and wanted to push transition as much as possible because of how good the Orange's zone defense is, she got it again.

A turnover and ground ball from Scales eventually turned into a tic-tac-toe fast break and an easy back door quick-stick goal for Davis to cut it to 5-4. Dolce came up big again minutes later and it soon turned into a Martello goal to knot things up at 5-5 with 8:45 left in the half.

Syracuse turned BC's first turnover into a goal to end the run and go back up 6-5 and added another after an eighth straight draw control. Another two-minute foul on BC became another opportunity for Dolce to put on a show, making two ridiculous saves that could have saved the game.

Scales hustled to get possession, diving for the ground ball in what was arguably the most important sequence of the game.

"I was focusing on each possession at a time. I got the first save and then I just reacted to the second and thank God for my good friend Sydney who dove for the GB and got the momentum. I was so locked in and trying to do everything for my teammates."

"The momentum in the game was starting to shift and Shea just made two incredible saves. We've been talking all year anout having our goalie's back. If she was gonna make two amazing saves, I was going to give everything I had to get that ball back," added Scales.

A Martello snipe on a bounce shot and a ridiculous move at X from LoPinto turned into a goal in the final 30 seconds and BC found itself tied at the break. Syracuse dominated the draw battle in the first 30 minutes (11-5) and outshot BC 24-13), but Dolce was the difference.

Now, BC (should) have some home cooking for the NCAA tournament and the quest for a seventh straight NCAA title game appearance is on.

But first. making Boston College history deserves some celebration time.

"It means everything," added Dolce. "We say this a lot, but we play for the people that came before us and we've been working so hard for this. We worked very hard last year and we knew we'd have to work even harder for it this year.

"Being able to have those last few games on your home field, it means everything," said Scales. "The atmosphere...that's one of the strengths of our program, having such a family atmosphere. Having such a crowd, such a holistic, happy atmosphere. Being able to play with that one last time is something we don't tale for granted."