While the BC women’s lacrosse team has played in the last five consecutive national championship games, and won the 2021 title, the Eagles had never won the ACC championship tournament . . . until today. They defeated North Carolina 11-9.

As has been their wont recently, the Eagles fell behind in the first half, but stifled their opponent in the second half. Down today 7-4 at halftime, BC allowed only two goals to the Tarheels in the third quarter and shut them out in the fourth, while scoring seven of their own. The Eagles outshot UNC 25-15 (13-4 in the second half) and held the Tarheels scoreless for the last 22 minutes and 57 seconds of the game.

Kayla Martello led the Eagles with three goals. Courtney and Cassidy Weeks each had two goals, as did Andrea Reynolds, while McKenna Davis and Belle Smith each added one goal.

After a 6-3 start to the regular season, including a 15-6 loss to then-#1 North Carolina, the Eagles closed out the regular season with a seven-game winning streak, including a 17-16 win over then-#1 Syracuse in the finale, to finish 13-3 (8-1 in the ACC). They continued the streak in the ACC tournament to finish with 10 straight wins.

In the ACC tournament, BC held each opponent’s goals to single digits.

The Eagles now awaits seeding in the NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Championship.

Down 11-6 at halftime, and 14-10 ending the third quarter, in yesterday’s game against #1 Syracuse, the #5 BC women’s lacrosse team out-scored the Orange 7-2 in the final quarter to win 17-16.

Syracuse had held five-goal leads five times during the game. In the last 8:14 of the game, the Eagles scored five of the final six goals.

With the win, which ended the regular season, BC improved to 13-3 overall, 8-1 in the ACC. Syracuse was undefeated entering the game and BC ended their 15-game winning streak.

Both teams finished with 8-1 conference records and become co-champions of the regular season, but BC will enter the ACC conference championship tournament as the #1 seed. The Eagles will open the tournament Wednesday, April 26, against the winner of #8 seed Duke and #9 seed Louisville in Charlotte, N.C.

Syracuse opened the game strong, taking a 7-3 lead in the first quarter. In terms of productivity, i.e., goals scored, the teams were nearly opposite. Syracuse scored, by quarter, 7-4-3-2, while the Eagles scored 3-3-4-7.

Mckenna Davis and Kayla Martello each scored four goals for BC, while Jenn Medjid scored three goals and Belle Smith added two goals.

Eagles exult at a goal scored in today’s comeback win over Notre Dame. Kelly Coughlan photo.

Down 11-7 with 10:43 remaining in today’s game against #8 Notre Dame, the #7 Eagles lacrosse team scored five goals, the last with 12 seconds left, and blanked the Irish to win 12-11.

BC improved to 10-3 (6-1 in the ACC) for the season, while Notre Dame fell to 8-4 (4-3).

It was the fifth straight win by BC over Notre Dame in lacrosse, and the Irish’s first loss at home this season. Overall, the Eagles are 13-8 against ND.

Graduate student Jenn Medjid scored four goals, with Belle Smith, Cassidy Weeks, and Kayla Martello adding two goals each. Mckenna Davis and Courtney Weeks each scored one goal. The winning goal was a sisterly affair, as Courtney Weeks passed to sister Cassidy for the clincher.

BC goalie Shea Dolce had 13 saves, a personal high, for a .542 save percentage.

In their previous game, Notre Dame had defeated then-#3 North Carolina, ending the Tar Heels’s 27-game winning streak against ACC opponents.

The Eagles have three games left in the regular season: Tuesday at BU, next Saturday against Virginia, and the season closer at Syracuse on Thursday, April 20.

The ACC conference championship begins Sunday, April 23, in Charlotte, N.C.