Boston College Athletics
Weekly Roundup: October 25, 2017
October 25, 2017 | Boston College Athletics, Men's Basketball, Men's Golf, Women's Golf, Women's Hockey, Men's Cross Country, #ForBoston Files
Men's cross-country heads back to Kentucky for ACC glory!
When the Boston College men's cross country team ran "Tom" Sawyer State Park in Louisville last weekend, it got a taste of the road ahead. By running an unseeded race in the NCAA Pre-National Meet, the Eagles got to run the same course on tap for this weekend when they compete in the ACC Championship.
"We've done a lot of hard work this season," head coach Matt Kerr said. "The guys have been great and training really hard. The workouts have been top notch, and the long runs have been great."
The Eagles finished 19th in the unseeded race of the Pre-Nationals with 419 points, averaging a 25:57 time in the 8K race. It was BC's fourth straight week of racing, a grueling schedule that included a seventh place finish at the Chile Pepper Festival hosted by Arkansas. With the ACC meet looming, Coach Kerr made the decision to rest his top runners at Franklin Park for the New England Championships in the week after, readying them for the trip to Kentucky.
"We're just going to back them off," Kerr said. "We're going to freshen them up and get their legs under them and hopefully that makes the difference in the middle of the race where they have to push hard. That's the part of the race that's eluded us, and in cross country, you can't spot someone in the ACC a lead."
The runners who ran the Louisville course now head back after two weeks of preparation. Heading into an extremely competitive field, Kerr hopes to let the team used a collaborative approach to surprise and attack the highly-competitive conference field.
"Sean Burke is going to lead the way, as always," Kerr said. "The goal (for him) is to place in the top 10Â where he was at last year. That gives us a great start for the team. The guys need to run close together and can't have separation. They have to be side-by-side working together, find that sweet spot in the middle of the field, and be there and be present."
*****
For the Boston College women's hockey team, fast starts are a trademark of the program. Since the turn of the decade, the Eagles finished the first month of the season undefeated three times and have lost more than twice in only one year. After tying UConn and beating Vermont over the weekend, the 4-0-1 Eagles now have an opportunity to once again close their first month in dominant fashion.
The tie against UConn was particularly compelling because BC had to rally twice despite holding a decisive shot advantage. Toni Ann Miano scored her first goal of the season on the power play to even the game at 1-1 after the Huskies led for most of the period. In the second, Lea Lum gave UConn a 2-1 advantage in the first five minutes before Daryl Watts scored her fifth of the year, also on the power play, again in the last minute.
The teams skated a scoreless third and overtime to finish with the halved result. Nevertheless, the Eagles peppered Huskies goalie Annie Belanger for 47 shots. BC dominated in the third period, outshooting UConn by a wide 22-8 margin, but failed to turn the light on.
The Maroon and Gold responded two nights later with a decisive 4-2 win over Vermont, scoring three goals in the third period. Caitrin Lonergan had a hat trick, scoring BC's last two goals, including the game-winner.
Now 1-0-1 in league play, BC looks to close out its third undefeated month in the past four years with a huge test on the horizon. The Eagles head to historic Walter Brown Arena on Friday to renew the #BattleOfCommAve with Boston University. Though the Terriers are 1-4-0 to start this season, they beat the Eagles at WBA last November by a 5-3 score.
*****
This time of year always makes college sports exciting. Fall sports are winding down with a postseason push, and winter sports like hockey are starting to gear up. Calendar days are packed with events as teams fight for recognition on local and national radars. While most teams turned heat up, however, the Boston College basketball team gave fans a first glimpse into the 2017-18 season when it hosted Bryant in a charity exhibition game last Saturday.
NCAA Division I schools are usually granted one exhibition game against non-NCAA Division I four-year institutions, leading to games between BC and schools such as Bentley and Stonehill. The NCAA granted a waiver to both the Eagles and Bulldogs, however, in order to raise money for hurricane relief efforts across the country with $1,100 donated to Catholic Charities USA and Jesuit ministries within the impacted region.
Ky Bowman treated fans in attendance to 26 points and six assists against the Bulldogs as BC ran away with an 87-59 victory. He showed no rust from the injury sustained during last season's ACC Championship, scoring 15 points in the second half. Steffon Mitchell, meanwhile, showed flashes of his potential with nine points on three three-pointers in the first half. He added eight rebounds.
BC led the Bulldogs by 13 at halftime and never looked as it continued its tune up for the season opener. The Eagles open the season on Nov. 10 at home against Maine.
*****
Congratulations are in order for the golf teams, which wrapped up its fall season this week when the women competed in the FIU Pat Bradley Invitational in Lakewood Ranch, Fla.
It was a banner fall headlined by the tournament BC hosted in late September. The women finished eighth at the Yale Intercollegiate after taking second at their home tournament at Blue Hills Country Club, then wrapped up the fall with an eighth-place finish this past week.
The men, meanwhile, wrapped up their schedule last week with an eighth-place finish at the AutoTrader.com Collegiate Classic hosted by Georgia State. Matthew Naumec tied for fourth individually thanks to seven birdies and 39 pars. He scored four birdies and an eagle as part of a 2-under par 70 in the final round, finishing with a 1-under par total score.
Both teams are now off until February when they return to action in warmer climates.
*****
The upcoming weekend will feature some huge matchups for Boston College, beginning Friday night with football's game against Florida State. "The Red Bandanna Game" is an annual tradition started in 2014 to honor the memory of Welles Crowther '99. It's always a special event, and the added bonus of honoring a hero creates an incredible atmosphere.
While football hosts FSU, both men's hockey and men's soccer will be in action on the road. Men's ice hockey heads to Providence for a Hockey East matchup with the Friars, while men's soccer wraps up its ACC schedule with a game at No. 22 NC State.
Men's hockey returns home on Saturday for a matchup with the top-ranked Denver Pioneers. That comes after women's hockey renews the #BattleOfCommAve against Boston University at Walter Brown Arena. Sailing, meanwhile, heads to three different regattas, competing for the Schell Trophy, Um Trophy and Nickerson Trophy.
And on Sunday, rowing continues its season at the Princeton Chase. The all-day event provides an umbrella event to follow while the remainder of Eagle teams are in action. Field hockey concludes its regular season at Connecticut at 1 p.m., and volleyball hosts Virginia Tech in ACC competition at the same time. Just as volleyball wraps up in Power Gym, women's hockey will take to Conte Forum for its game against Maine that will be its annual Skating Strides game - recognizing Breast Cancer Awareness - and also feature "Skate with the Eagles" immediately after the game.Â
"We've done a lot of hard work this season," head coach Matt Kerr said. "The guys have been great and training really hard. The workouts have been top notch, and the long runs have been great."
The Eagles finished 19th in the unseeded race of the Pre-Nationals with 419 points, averaging a 25:57 time in the 8K race. It was BC's fourth straight week of racing, a grueling schedule that included a seventh place finish at the Chile Pepper Festival hosted by Arkansas. With the ACC meet looming, Coach Kerr made the decision to rest his top runners at Franklin Park for the New England Championships in the week after, readying them for the trip to Kentucky.
"We're just going to back them off," Kerr said. "We're going to freshen them up and get their legs under them and hopefully that makes the difference in the middle of the race where they have to push hard. That's the part of the race that's eluded us, and in cross country, you can't spot someone in the ACC a lead."
The runners who ran the Louisville course now head back after two weeks of preparation. Heading into an extremely competitive field, Kerr hopes to let the team used a collaborative approach to surprise and attack the highly-competitive conference field.
"Sean Burke is going to lead the way, as always," Kerr said. "The goal (for him) is to place in the top 10Â where he was at last year. That gives us a great start for the team. The guys need to run close together and can't have separation. They have to be side-by-side working together, find that sweet spot in the middle of the field, and be there and be present."
*****
For the Boston College women's hockey team, fast starts are a trademark of the program. Since the turn of the decade, the Eagles finished the first month of the season undefeated three times and have lost more than twice in only one year. After tying UConn and beating Vermont over the weekend, the 4-0-1 Eagles now have an opportunity to once again close their first month in dominant fashion.
The tie against UConn was particularly compelling because BC had to rally twice despite holding a decisive shot advantage. Toni Ann Miano scored her first goal of the season on the power play to even the game at 1-1 after the Huskies led for most of the period. In the second, Lea Lum gave UConn a 2-1 advantage in the first five minutes before Daryl Watts scored her fifth of the year, also on the power play, again in the last minute.
The teams skated a scoreless third and overtime to finish with the halved result. Nevertheless, the Eagles peppered Huskies goalie Annie Belanger for 47 shots. BC dominated in the third period, outshooting UConn by a wide 22-8 margin, but failed to turn the light on.
The Maroon and Gold responded two nights later with a decisive 4-2 win over Vermont, scoring three goals in the third period. Caitrin Lonergan had a hat trick, scoring BC's last two goals, including the game-winner.
Now 1-0-1 in league play, BC looks to close out its third undefeated month in the past four years with a huge test on the horizon. The Eagles head to historic Walter Brown Arena on Friday to renew the #BattleOfCommAve with Boston University. Though the Terriers are 1-4-0 to start this season, they beat the Eagles at WBA last November by a 5-3 score.
*****
This time of year always makes college sports exciting. Fall sports are winding down with a postseason push, and winter sports like hockey are starting to gear up. Calendar days are packed with events as teams fight for recognition on local and national radars. While most teams turned heat up, however, the Boston College basketball team gave fans a first glimpse into the 2017-18 season when it hosted Bryant in a charity exhibition game last Saturday.
NCAA Division I schools are usually granted one exhibition game against non-NCAA Division I four-year institutions, leading to games between BC and schools such as Bentley and Stonehill. The NCAA granted a waiver to both the Eagles and Bulldogs, however, in order to raise money for hurricane relief efforts across the country with $1,100 donated to Catholic Charities USA and Jesuit ministries within the impacted region.
Ky Bowman treated fans in attendance to 26 points and six assists against the Bulldogs as BC ran away with an 87-59 victory. He showed no rust from the injury sustained during last season's ACC Championship, scoring 15 points in the second half. Steffon Mitchell, meanwhile, showed flashes of his potential with nine points on three three-pointers in the first half. He added eight rebounds.
BC led the Bulldogs by 13 at halftime and never looked as it continued its tune up for the season opener. The Eagles open the season on Nov. 10 at home against Maine.
*****
Congratulations are in order for the golf teams, which wrapped up its fall season this week when the women competed in the FIU Pat Bradley Invitational in Lakewood Ranch, Fla.
It was a banner fall headlined by the tournament BC hosted in late September. The women finished eighth at the Yale Intercollegiate after taking second at their home tournament at Blue Hills Country Club, then wrapped up the fall with an eighth-place finish this past week.
The men, meanwhile, wrapped up their schedule last week with an eighth-place finish at the AutoTrader.com Collegiate Classic hosted by Georgia State. Matthew Naumec tied for fourth individually thanks to seven birdies and 39 pars. He scored four birdies and an eagle as part of a 2-under par 70 in the final round, finishing with a 1-under par total score.
Both teams are now off until February when they return to action in warmer climates.
*****
The upcoming weekend will feature some huge matchups for Boston College, beginning Friday night with football's game against Florida State. "The Red Bandanna Game" is an annual tradition started in 2014 to honor the memory of Welles Crowther '99. It's always a special event, and the added bonus of honoring a hero creates an incredible atmosphere.
While football hosts FSU, both men's hockey and men's soccer will be in action on the road. Men's ice hockey heads to Providence for a Hockey East matchup with the Friars, while men's soccer wraps up its ACC schedule with a game at No. 22 NC State.
Men's hockey returns home on Saturday for a matchup with the top-ranked Denver Pioneers. That comes after women's hockey renews the #BattleOfCommAve against Boston University at Walter Brown Arena. Sailing, meanwhile, heads to three different regattas, competing for the Schell Trophy, Um Trophy and Nickerson Trophy.
And on Sunday, rowing continues its season at the Princeton Chase. The all-day event provides an umbrella event to follow while the remainder of Eagle teams are in action. Field hockey concludes its regular season at Connecticut at 1 p.m., and volleyball hosts Virginia Tech in ACC competition at the same time. Just as volleyball wraps up in Power Gym, women's hockey will take to Conte Forum for its game against Maine that will be its annual Skating Strides game - recognizing Breast Cancer Awareness - and also feature "Skate with the Eagles" immediately after the game.Â
Players Mentioned
XC/Distance
/ Men's Cross Country
F
/ Women's Hockey
D
/ Women's Hockey
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
/ Men's Golf
F
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