Boston College Athletics
Women's Soccer To Battle Villanova and Rutgers
October 18, 2001 | Women's Soccer
Oct. 18, 2001
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Eagles Prepare For Conference Showdowns
Now that the Boston College women's soccer team (7-6-1, 3-2-1 BIG EAST) has clinched a berth in the BIG EAST tournament, it can now focus on the remaining five regular-season games, which kicks off this weekend with two important non-divisional BIG EAST games.
After playing their last seven games at home, the Eagles are back on the road when they play Mid-Atlantic division rival Villanova University (9-3-3, 2-2-2 BIG EAST) at 3 p.m. today in Philadelphia, Pa. Following a two-day trip to the City of Brotherly Love, Boston College returns home to play Rutgers University (9-5-1, 4-1-1) at 12:00 p.m. Sunday at Newton Campus Soccer Field.
The last time Boston College and Villanova squared off was in the 1999 BIG EAST quarterfinals. The Eagles entered at the No. 3, out of the Northeast division and the Wildcats stood as the No. 2 seed in the Mid-Atlantic. When all was said and done, the Eagles escaped with a 3-2 double-overtime victory.
Villanova is coming off a tough 1-0 loss to Ivy League power Princeton University on Wednesday. The Wildcats have had solid results against the top teams in the BIG EAST. Villanova tied Rutgers (0-0) and West Virginia (1-1) and lost an overtime thriller to Notre Dame 2-1.
It was also in 1999 when Boston College played Rutgers last. Unlike the last time the Eagles played Villanova where it was a close game, Boston College cruised to a 4-0 win in Piscataway, N.J. The Scarlet Knights are coming off a 2-1 loss to Syracuse at home last Sunday, but have won eight of their last 11 games, including a upset win over Notre Dame.
Scouting BC's Opponents:
This weekend's contests against Villanova and Rutgers will showcase some of the top players in the BIG EAST.
When looking at Villanova's roster, the first player that stands out is goalkeeper Janel Schillig. In the 11 games she has played, 10 of which she has started, Schillig has only surrendered six goals, which averages out to .53 goals per game. She has also recorded an amazing five shutouts while accumulating 59 saves. The Wildcats' defense as a whole is only allowing .55 goals per game.
Junior forward Quinn Sellers has been the Wildcats major offensive threat. She has tallied nine goals while dishing out two assists for a total of 20 points. Freshman forward Laura Johnson has been solid this season for Villanova. She is second on the team in goals (5) and assists (5).
The Scarlet Knights have been led by the combination of forwards Carli Lloyd and Keri Lages. You could call these two identical twins as they both have tallied nine goals and each have dished out four assists a piece. Lloyd and Lages have accounted for 18 of the 29 Rutgers' goals.
Rutgers has also received solid goaltending this year. Christine Caldwell has recorded five shutouts while giving up only 1.12 goals per game. In its Mid-Atlantic division games, Rutgers is only giving up .95 goals per game.
Last Time Out:
For the first time in the 2001 season, the Boston College women's soccer moved its overall record to above .500 after defeating the University of Rhode Island 4-0 on Tuesday afternoon at Newton Campus Soccer Field. The win was Boston College's sixth in its last seven games.
The Eagles poured out three goals in the second half on route to defeating the Rams. Senior forward Meghan Moore led the Eagles once again as she recorded one goal and dished out two assists.
Moore's first assist can in the 11th minute of the contest when she served a cross into the box and forward Katherine Halloran one touched the ball into the back of the net. Halloran has now scored one goal in two of the last three games for BC.
In the 49th minute of the game, Moore tallied her only goal when she took a URI defender one-on-one and blasted the ball over Rams' goalkeeper Kate Hirsch's head.
Less than eight minutes later, senior forward Lindsey Marshall scored her first goal of the year when took the ball off a rebound and powered it in the back of the net.
Boston College's final goal came in the 76th minute when forward Sarah Rahko earned eighth goal of the season when she buried the ball in corner of the net after receiving a feed from Moore.
Eagles Lose MacDonald For Season:
The women's team received bad new following Tuesday's 3-1 victory over Boston University. Junior defender Kate MacDonald with be out for the remainder of the 2001 season because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament, which occurred during the first half of the contest. MacDonald has started and played in all eight games this year for the Eagles.
Eagles Earn Spot In BIG EAST Tournament:
Following its 2-0 win over Virginia Tech last Sunday, the Boston College women's soccer team clinched a spot in the BIG EAST tournament, which begins Sunday, November 4 at sites yet to be determined. The tournament, which consists of the top four teams from each division, will wrap up November 9-11 when the semifinals and finals are played in Picataway, N.J. at Rutgers University.
Head Coach Alison Foley:
Boston College women's soccer coach Alison Foley is in her fifth season as the head coach of the Eagles. Under her direction, the Eagles have become one of the elite programs in the country as BC has posted a 59-33-10 mark under her tutelage.
In 2000, BC staged a 14-7 campaign and advanced to the semifinals of the BIG EAST tournament. Alumnus Sarah Powell earned All-America honors, as well as BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year accolades. Sarah Rahko was the league's Rookie of the Year and also garnered Northeast Regional All-American honors. The team's offense clicked at a high pace, scoring 54 goals, the most since Foley's arrival at the Heights.
Moore is Better:
It seems forward Meghan Moore wants to close out her collegiate career in style. So far in 13 games this season, she has recorded seven goals and added four assists.
With her goal against Ohio State back on September 9, she earned her 20th goal of her career. She has also tallied 28 assists for a total of 76 points. Following her two goal and one assist weekend at the UConn/Diadora Classic, she was named to the All-Classic team.
Back on October 7 against then No. 9 Connecticut, Moore accounted for both goals. She assisted on freshman midfielder Lindsey Fairweather's first-half goal, and she scored less than 15 minutes into the second half.
Meredith Honored Once Again By BIG EAST:
Boston College goalkeeper Elyse Meredith was named BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week for the second-consecutive week. She helped lead the Eagles to 2-1 record last week, which included wins over Georgetown and Virginia Tech.
In the three games, Meredith recorded 16 saves, which gives her 55 saves on the season since taking over the reigns back on September 28 against BIG EAST rival St. John's. In her nine starts, she has accumulated a 6-3 record and two shutouts.
Meredith, a native of Ridging Way, N.J., has continued to improve on her save percentage and goals against average. Her save percentage stands at .868, while she is allowing only .99 goals per game in her nine starts.
