
Weekly Roundup: November 1, 2017
October 31, 2017 | Field Hockey, Boston College Athletics, Men's Basketball, Women's Hockey, #ForBoston Files
Women's hockey once again completed an undefeated month last week.
The Boston College women's hockey team probably didn't think its #BattleOfCommAve day would start the way that it did. It was Saturday - game day - and a date awaited with the Eagles' biggest rival. It was a huge day, especially since it was the first meeting - men's or women's - with Boston University.
But Boston College woke up on Saturday to news that it would lose a third defenseman for the 2017-18 season. Freshman Cayla Barnes, the captain of the United States' Under-18 team last year, would be leaving school. The senior national team called, bringing with it the ultimate dream come true: the potential to play for the United States in the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea.
"Having Cayla go wasn't something we expected," head coach Katie Crowley said. "But we're proud of her to get that opportunity."
Barnes will return next season to restart her freshman year, but the interim guts the Eagles defense of a third defenseman. Both Megan Keller and Kali Flanagan are already in training for the Olympics, creating an even bigger void in back. So the coaching staff went about retooling on the fly, installing sophomore forward Bridget McCarthy on the back line against the Terriers.
"Bridget is a very smart hockey player, and I always tell our team that our defense is usually (made up of) our smartest hockey players," Crowley said. "As a coaching staff, we felt Bridget was the best one to get that opportunity, and in her first two games, she did a great job for us."
The gamble paid off for the Eagles, who beat the Terriers, 4-3, despite being out-shot by more than a 2-1 margin. Springboarding into Sunday, BC thrashed Maine, 7-2, to finish October totally undefeated with a 6-0-1 record. It's the sixth time in program history the first month ended without a loss, an even more impressive accomplishment considering the roster's shifting parts.
"Obviously we lost a few veterans to the Olympic team, but our players are stepping up for us," Crowley said. "In October, you're always trying to get a feel for who you are as a team, and our players really stepped up to the plate and played really well."
*****
A winless conference record might be cause for concern, but Boston College remains a sleeper choice entering the 2017 ACC Field Hockey Championship. Thursday kicks off the competition with the No. 12-ranked Eagles taking on the Duke Blue Devils at 1:30 p.m.
Duke needs virtually no introduction. The Blue Devils are No. 2 in the nation with four first place votes and are favored for a national championship appearance. But the Eagles battled them hard when they lost 3-2 in a shootout in their first meeting in September.
"I think the week of preparation after Wake Forest was pretty good," head coach Kelly Doton said. "(Our players) got their determination and drive back, and they really competed against each other in practice. That got them ready for UConn, but going against the No. 1 team in the country, we gave up too many corners and too many scoring opportunities.
"But we also held UConn to zero goals in the first half," Doton said. "I told our team to walk off the field high. They played well, and I think we can still play better. So we're onto Duke now."
A win over Duke would boost BC's national tournament hopes. The Eagles rank No. 8 in the national RPI with an 11-6 regular season record with wins over Maryland and Northwestern - the teams directly behind them. That seemingly has them inside the national tournament's bubble; 18 teams will qualify for the NCAA Tournament, which begins on Nov. 11.
"The girls are excited to get another shot at Duke," Doton said. "They're one of the top teams in the country. They have some of the top players, and they play well together. They're coached by a great coaching staff. But the ACC Tournament in crazy, and you can beat anyone. We hope luck is on our side, and we're eager to get out to Louisville."
The BC-Duke game will be available on Raycom Sports Network and televised locally on NESN.
*****
Less than two weeks separate the men's basketball team from the start of the season. The Eagles kick off the 2017-18 regular season on Nov. 10, by hosting Maine at 7:30 p.m. on ACC Network Extra and WEEI 850 AM.
The Eagles enter the season with one of the most dynamic backcourts in the nation. Both Ky Bowman and Jerome Robinson complement each other perfectly as conduits of the BC offense, but they also play individually as two of the best players in the conference. Robinson in particular received special recognition, earning a vote for the ACC Preseason Player of the Year at the conference's Operation Basketball media event in North Carolina last week.
But BC's true strength may be in its hidden depth. I had the chance to catch practice this week, and the athleticism and length of the Eagle offense is going to be pretty fun to watch develop, especially down low in the paint.
Graduate transfer Deontae Hawkins has a definite "it factor" with a flair for drama. He's an older leader on the floor, both vocally and physically. He had an exchange with Robinson where Jerome waited out the defense with patience, then threw an alley-oop pass behind a leaping Hawkins. Hawkins caught it in stride and threw down a dunk with added emphasis.
He's going to lead a potential renaissance in the front court. Nik Popovic is physically more developed, and Johncarlos Reyes is adding different elements to his game. Freshman Steffon Mitchell already looks to be a potential centerpiece, though he's still raw.
The onset of basketball season is always exciting. BC opens with seven straight games in New England, including four of its first six games. It also participates in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament at Mohegan Sun Casino, opening up against Texas Tech before playing either Northwestern or Lasalle.
*****
Though football is in its bye week, the rest of Boston College's athletics teams burst into November with a busy schedule this upcoming weekend. It starts with men's soccer's ACC Championship opener at No. 16 Virginia on Wednesday night, and continues on Thursday with field hockey's ACC Championship game against Duke at 1:30 p.m.
It continues with a hockey doubleheader on Friday starting at 2 p.m. That's when the No. 2-ranked women's ice hockey team battles No. 9 Providence in a game between the only top 10 Hockey East programs. The men round things out at 7 p.m. against Merrimack.Â
Those same hockey programs have a quick turnaround to Saturday. Though it's at home on Friday, the women's program has a long bus ride to Syracuse for a game against the Orange at 3 p.m., before the men likewise hit the road at 7 p.m. for a return match with the Warriors.
Volleyball heads to North Carolina for a Friday match against the Tar Heels before heading to Raleigh for a Sunday meeting with NC State.
The women's tennis programs will compete at both the Dick Vitale Clay Court Classic and the Brown Classic on Friday and Saturday with the men heading to Yale for the Yale University Invitational.
With fencing, rowing and sailing competitions also on the horizon, it's shaping up for a busy weekend for all who represent the Maroon and Gold!
But Boston College woke up on Saturday to news that it would lose a third defenseman for the 2017-18 season. Freshman Cayla Barnes, the captain of the United States' Under-18 team last year, would be leaving school. The senior national team called, bringing with it the ultimate dream come true: the potential to play for the United States in the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea.
"Having Cayla go wasn't something we expected," head coach Katie Crowley said. "But we're proud of her to get that opportunity."
Barnes will return next season to restart her freshman year, but the interim guts the Eagles defense of a third defenseman. Both Megan Keller and Kali Flanagan are already in training for the Olympics, creating an even bigger void in back. So the coaching staff went about retooling on the fly, installing sophomore forward Bridget McCarthy on the back line against the Terriers.
"Bridget is a very smart hockey player, and I always tell our team that our defense is usually (made up of) our smartest hockey players," Crowley said. "As a coaching staff, we felt Bridget was the best one to get that opportunity, and in her first two games, she did a great job for us."
The gamble paid off for the Eagles, who beat the Terriers, 4-3, despite being out-shot by more than a 2-1 margin. Springboarding into Sunday, BC thrashed Maine, 7-2, to finish October totally undefeated with a 6-0-1 record. It's the sixth time in program history the first month ended without a loss, an even more impressive accomplishment considering the roster's shifting parts.
"Obviously we lost a few veterans to the Olympic team, but our players are stepping up for us," Crowley said. "In October, you're always trying to get a feel for who you are as a team, and our players really stepped up to the plate and played really well."
*****
A winless conference record might be cause for concern, but Boston College remains a sleeper choice entering the 2017 ACC Field Hockey Championship. Thursday kicks off the competition with the No. 12-ranked Eagles taking on the Duke Blue Devils at 1:30 p.m.
Duke needs virtually no introduction. The Blue Devils are No. 2 in the nation with four first place votes and are favored for a national championship appearance. But the Eagles battled them hard when they lost 3-2 in a shootout in their first meeting in September.
"I think the week of preparation after Wake Forest was pretty good," head coach Kelly Doton said. "(Our players) got their determination and drive back, and they really competed against each other in practice. That got them ready for UConn, but going against the No. 1 team in the country, we gave up too many corners and too many scoring opportunities.
"But we also held UConn to zero goals in the first half," Doton said. "I told our team to walk off the field high. They played well, and I think we can still play better. So we're onto Duke now."
A win over Duke would boost BC's national tournament hopes. The Eagles rank No. 8 in the national RPI with an 11-6 regular season record with wins over Maryland and Northwestern - the teams directly behind them. That seemingly has them inside the national tournament's bubble; 18 teams will qualify for the NCAA Tournament, which begins on Nov. 11.
"The girls are excited to get another shot at Duke," Doton said. "They're one of the top teams in the country. They have some of the top players, and they play well together. They're coached by a great coaching staff. But the ACC Tournament in crazy, and you can beat anyone. We hope luck is on our side, and we're eager to get out to Louisville."
The BC-Duke game will be available on Raycom Sports Network and televised locally on NESN.
*****
Less than two weeks separate the men's basketball team from the start of the season. The Eagles kick off the 2017-18 regular season on Nov. 10, by hosting Maine at 7:30 p.m. on ACC Network Extra and WEEI 850 AM.
The Eagles enter the season with one of the most dynamic backcourts in the nation. Both Ky Bowman and Jerome Robinson complement each other perfectly as conduits of the BC offense, but they also play individually as two of the best players in the conference. Robinson in particular received special recognition, earning a vote for the ACC Preseason Player of the Year at the conference's Operation Basketball media event in North Carolina last week.
But BC's true strength may be in its hidden depth. I had the chance to catch practice this week, and the athleticism and length of the Eagle offense is going to be pretty fun to watch develop, especially down low in the paint.
Graduate transfer Deontae Hawkins has a definite "it factor" with a flair for drama. He's an older leader on the floor, both vocally and physically. He had an exchange with Robinson where Jerome waited out the defense with patience, then threw an alley-oop pass behind a leaping Hawkins. Hawkins caught it in stride and threw down a dunk with added emphasis.
He's going to lead a potential renaissance in the front court. Nik Popovic is physically more developed, and Johncarlos Reyes is adding different elements to his game. Freshman Steffon Mitchell already looks to be a potential centerpiece, though he's still raw.
The onset of basketball season is always exciting. BC opens with seven straight games in New England, including four of its first six games. It also participates in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament at Mohegan Sun Casino, opening up against Texas Tech before playing either Northwestern or Lasalle.
*****
Though football is in its bye week, the rest of Boston College's athletics teams burst into November with a busy schedule this upcoming weekend. It starts with men's soccer's ACC Championship opener at No. 16 Virginia on Wednesday night, and continues on Thursday with field hockey's ACC Championship game against Duke at 1:30 p.m.
It continues with a hockey doubleheader on Friday starting at 2 p.m. That's when the No. 2-ranked women's ice hockey team battles No. 9 Providence in a game between the only top 10 Hockey East programs. The men round things out at 7 p.m. against Merrimack.Â
Those same hockey programs have a quick turnaround to Saturday. Though it's at home on Friday, the women's program has a long bus ride to Syracuse for a game against the Orange at 3 p.m., before the men likewise hit the road at 7 p.m. for a return match with the Warriors.
Volleyball heads to North Carolina for a Friday match against the Tar Heels before heading to Raleigh for a Sunday meeting with NC State.
The women's tennis programs will compete at both the Dick Vitale Clay Court Classic and the Brown Classic on Friday and Saturday with the men heading to Yale for the Yale University Invitational.
With fencing, rowing and sailing competitions also on the horizon, it's shaping up for a busy weekend for all who represent the Maroon and Gold!
Players Mentioned
Football: Head Coach Bill O'Brien Media Availability (October 7, 2025)
Tuesday, October 07
Football: Jeremiah Franklin Media Availability (October 7, 2025)
Tuesday, October 07
Women's Basketball: 2025 ACC Tipoff (Oct. 6, 2025)
Monday, October 06
Football: Pittsburgh Postgame Press Conference (Oct. 4, 2025)
Saturday, October 04