Boston College Athletics
No. 6/7 Women's Lacrosse Season Preview
February 10, 2015 | Lacrosse
Chestnut Hill, Mass. – No. 6/7 Boston College women’s lacrosse kicks off the 2015 season this Saturday, Feb. 14 at Johns Hopkins. The Eagles begin the season at their highest preseason ranking in program history.
BC is coming off of a historic 15-6 season, with head coach Acacia Walker’s squad qualifying for the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year.
In the Polls
Boston College is ranked sixth in the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) preseason poll with 298 points.
Maryland, North Carolina, Northwestern, Syracuse, and Florida came ahead of BC in the IWLCA poll while Virginia, Duke, Loyola Maryland, and Penn State round out the top ten.
The week one Media Poll released on Feb. 9 tabs the Eagles seventh overall.
Captains
Senior midfielders Mikaela Rix and Covie Stanwick along with junior midfielder Sarah Mannelly are the captains of the 2015 BC squad.
Rix started as a midfielder in all of BC's 21 games last year. The Garden City, N.Y. native led the Eagles with 57 goals and 79 draw controls. Rix also tabbed IWLCA All-American First Team honors for the third consecutive season in 2014.
As a junior, Covie Stanwick started 20 games at attack. She led the team in points with 91 and recorded a team-high 38 assists. The Baltimore, Md. native also earned IWLCA All-American Second Team accolades.
Last season as a sophomore, Sarah Mannelly started all 21 games at midfield. The New Canaan, Conn. native received Third-Team IWLCA All-Northeast Region honors and proved an integral part of the Eagles' success in the 2014 season.
Newcomers at The Heights
- Boston College welcomes 10 new Eagles for the 2015 season
- Eight midfielders: Kiley Anderson, Carly Bell, Colby Goettelman, Kaileen Hart, Kenzie Kent, Emma Schurr, Tara Schurr, Madeline Soutter
- One attack: Gieriet Bowen
- One defender: Mary Kensinger
On the Attack
BC returns senior captain Stanwick and junior Kate Rich on the attack. Rich played in all 21 games, totaling seven goals and four assists on the year.
Making up the Midfield
Captains Rix and Mannelly lead the Eagles’ midfield. Boston College has plenty of experience between the 30s, with five returning sophomores: Tess Chandler, Laura Frankenfield, Kate Weeks, Mary Kate O’Neill, and Kayla O’Connor. Also returning the midfield corps are juniors Emily Zlevor, Caroline Margolis, and Kara Magley and senior Rachel Igoe.
Defining the Defense
The Eagles have three returning on defense: seniors Lauren Bronson and Stephanie Sabatini and junior Molly Erdle will anchor the BC backfield in 2015.
Minding the Net
Sophomore Zoe Ochoa will return in the crease for Boston College. As a freshman, Ochoa appeared in eight games, starting the final four games. She registered a career-high 10 saves in the loss to North Carolina in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. Overall, Ochoa played a total of 295:36 minutes and went 3-1 in the net.
Eagles in the ACC
Boston College has been voted to finish fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference in the ACC Women’s Lacrosse Preseason Poll, earning 38 points.
To keep up with BC women’s lacrosse news and receive in-game updates, follow @bcwlax on Twitter.
