
Weekly Roundup: October 11, 2017
October 09, 2017 | Baseball, Field Hockey, Men's Soccer, Women's Soccer, #ForBoston Files
How are some of the fall sports shaping up for their postseason push?
The school year barely feels like it started. Though only one full month is in the rearview mirror, midterm exams are already a student's focus and concern. It doesn't feel like there's the preparation for the end of anything, but for fall sports, that's exactly what's on the table.
The drive for the ACC Tournament is already on, starting with the women's soccer program. Following Sunday's 3-1 win at Miami, Boston College improved to 3-2-1 in league play. With 10 points, the Eagles control the inside track with four games remaining for a trip to the conference championship.
Eight of the 14 ACC women's soccer programs (only Georgia Tech doesn't sponsor the sport) will qualify for a conference tournament starting on October 29. The top four seeds host the bottom four seeds in single elimination matchups with winners advancing to single elimination Semifinals on November 3. The last two programs standing play for the championship on November 5.
The Eagles are tied for fourth place on points with Wake Forest and Notre Dame, one point behind third place Virginia. Florida State is one point behind the trio in seventh, but the Seminoles have one less game played, technically pushing them into fourth based on winning percentage. NC State and Clemson are tied for the final playoff spot with seven points, with Louisville outside the bubble with six points.
It sets up for an intense sprint to the finish. The women's soccer team plays three of its final four games at home, but all three of those games are against the top three teams in the conference - North Carolina, Duke and Virginia. The Tar Heels and Blue Devils are both currently ranked within the Top 5, while the Cavaliers are ranked No. 13.
Wins in those games would go a long way to a national tournament resume while also sealing up a slot in the ACC Championship. The league sent seven teams to the national tournament last year, including six seeded teams in each regional.
BC kicks off its stretch run with a 7 p.m. start on Saturday against the No. 5 Tar Heels at Newton Campus.
*****
Men's soccer has a different approach to its postseason. Florida State, Georgia Tech and Miami don't sponsor the sport, with the remaining 12 teams splitting into two divisions. The divisional alignment remains traditional based on other sports, with BC's Atlantic Division pod comprised of the same teams (sans FSU) as football.
All 12 teams make the conference tournament, making the conference schedule something of a battle for positioning. Though BC is still looking for its first ACC win of the season, it remains within striking range of a home first-round game in the conference tournament.
Most of the ACC Championship is held at campus sites with only the final moving to Charleston, South Carolina. The top four teams receive first-round byes and host quarterfinal matches on campus, while teams finishing in the bottom four are, for the most part, on the road throughout the entire run. The middle four teams earn home games through the first leg of the tournament.
With three ACC matches remaining, BC is six behind a three-way tie balanced on the final home slot. Clemson, NC State and Virginia Tech all have six points, but only two teams will earn home field.
BC has matches remaining at home against Syracuse and Wake Forest, while their last game of the season is at NC State. With a match against UConn sandwiched in next week, it's a good opportunity for the Eagles to earn playoff seeding and challenge to move up within the league. Seeding can go a long way to determining the right path for any team, so these become key games towards how the tournament plays out.
Of their remaining matches, Wake Forest is currently the top ACC team, undefeated atop the Atlantic Division and three points ahead of both Louisville and North Carolina.
BC hosts Syracuse on Friday with a huge three points on the at 6 p.m. at Newton Campus and can be viewed on the ACC Network Extra.
*****
The most interesting case study of the postseason is the field hockey team. Like men's soccer, every ACC team makes the conference tournament, a field of seven schools. The regular season champion earns a bye into the semifinals while the six other teams play three games in the quarterfinals.
BC is in seventh place, two games behind Syracuse and another half-game behind both Duke and Wake Forest. With only one conference game left at Wake, the Eagles will finish seventh.
But BC is one of the highest-regarded teams in the RPI index. The Eagles are a perfect 9-0 in nonconference play, earning a huge victory by vanquishing Harvard with a shootout this past weekend. Considering the Crimson entered the match with just one loss, the win bolsters an already-impressive postseason resume for BC, already ranked No. 8 nationally.
Making things further interesting is the conference tournament alignment. Though the first place team earns a bye to the semifinals, the ACC Championship doesn't reseed after the quarterfinals. So the top seed is guaranteed to face the winner of the No. 4-vs.-No. 5 matchup. It stands to reason that a team finishing sixth or seventh, therefore, could wind up with a road to the final that never hits the top-seeded team.
The race for the bye is currently tied with North Carolina, Virginia and Louisville. The Eagles lost to all three, but they were highly competitive. BC could have - and likely should have - beaten the Tar Heels but ultimately lost in overtime. That means one of those teams, or even Duke, who still has a mathematical shot at finishing second, will draw one of the most competitive teams in the nation in its first ACC Championship game.
BC still can bolster its national resume in the coming days. It will play both Northeastern and Boston University this weekend with a season-ending matchup against Connecticut coming in a couple of weeks.
Things kick off on Friday against the Huskies in BC's last game at Newton Campus. Game time is set for 6 p.m. and can be viewed on the ACC Network Extra.
*****
Baseball was the first Boston College athletics program I ever covered, so forgive me if I hold a special affinity for it. Every fall, a personal favorite tradition passes its rite of tradition in the Sonny Nictakis Fall World Series, the Eagles' intrasquad scrimmage. There was always something about sitting in the raw cold of Shea Field and hearing the ping of aluminum bats that made me feel at home.
This year, things are substantially different. With Shea Field under construction and the new baseball and softball stadiums not yet complete, the Eagles will move their fall series to one of the sport's most hallowed grounds - Cooperstown, New York.
BC will play its fall ball series on Saturday and Sunday at Doubleday Field while centering a weekend on education and awareness for ALS. In addition to the games, a panel featuring the Frates family and author Casey Sherman will precede a signing of Sherman's coauthored book The Ice Bucket Challenge: Pete Frates and the Fight against ALS.
On Sunday, a plaque tour will center specifically on Lou Gehrig and Catfish Hunter, both of whom lost battles with the disease, along with a tour of ALS artifacts, including Pete Frates' exhibit. The Hall of Fame will screen The Pride of the Yankees for the public as well.
This is one of the most unique opportunities I've ever seen for a college baseball team. The Eagles have a great chance to sit on both sides of the fence as both attendees and centerpiece attractions. The Baseball Hall of Fame is a once in a lifetime kind of place, nestled in a tiny enclave in Upstate New York. It's one of those places worth admission every time. In my mind and heart, no sport celebrates its past and its traditions quite like baseball, especially this time of year during the playoffs.
At this time of year, it's the perfect drive. I went through Western Massachusetts this past weekend, and the foliage is in full blood. The leaves are a collage of colors, and the area is sublime and quiet. That such a beautiful scene will serve as the backdrop for Boston College baseball and specifically the fight against ALS makes this one of those things everyone will remember.
It's the perfect place to sit back and enjoy baseball, even as the temperatures are starting to dip.
*****
As for the rest of the Eagles athletic programs, a good number hit the play button on a week of competition this week. Volleyball gets into the action with an ACC match in the Power Gym against Syracuse at 5 p.m. on Wednesday on ACC Network Extra. It's the first of two conference games this weekend as BC hosts Pittsburgh at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.
The swimming and diving teams are in action this weekend with the New England Catholic Invite this weekend, as is the sailing team, which heads to a number of different regattas throughout the region.
The highlight of the weekend comes on Friday night in the first powerhouse matchup of men's hockey season. Wisconsin is in town for a 7 p.m. game at Conte Forum, and live video is available on ESPN3 (and will be for all home games). It's the last tune up of a very quick early season for Hockey East play; BC heads to Providence for its conference opener on Sunday.
And, of course, there's the ACC Network game between Boston College and Louisville on Saturday at 12:20 p.m. That's a game that can be seen locally on MyTV38 and can be heard on the BC IMG Sports Network.
The drive for the ACC Tournament is already on, starting with the women's soccer program. Following Sunday's 3-1 win at Miami, Boston College improved to 3-2-1 in league play. With 10 points, the Eagles control the inside track with four games remaining for a trip to the conference championship.
Eight of the 14 ACC women's soccer programs (only Georgia Tech doesn't sponsor the sport) will qualify for a conference tournament starting on October 29. The top four seeds host the bottom four seeds in single elimination matchups with winners advancing to single elimination Semifinals on November 3. The last two programs standing play for the championship on November 5.
The Eagles are tied for fourth place on points with Wake Forest and Notre Dame, one point behind third place Virginia. Florida State is one point behind the trio in seventh, but the Seminoles have one less game played, technically pushing them into fourth based on winning percentage. NC State and Clemson are tied for the final playoff spot with seven points, with Louisville outside the bubble with six points.
It sets up for an intense sprint to the finish. The women's soccer team plays three of its final four games at home, but all three of those games are against the top three teams in the conference - North Carolina, Duke and Virginia. The Tar Heels and Blue Devils are both currently ranked within the Top 5, while the Cavaliers are ranked No. 13.
Wins in those games would go a long way to a national tournament resume while also sealing up a slot in the ACC Championship. The league sent seven teams to the national tournament last year, including six seeded teams in each regional.
BC kicks off its stretch run with a 7 p.m. start on Saturday against the No. 5 Tar Heels at Newton Campus.
*****
Men's soccer has a different approach to its postseason. Florida State, Georgia Tech and Miami don't sponsor the sport, with the remaining 12 teams splitting into two divisions. The divisional alignment remains traditional based on other sports, with BC's Atlantic Division pod comprised of the same teams (sans FSU) as football.
All 12 teams make the conference tournament, making the conference schedule something of a battle for positioning. Though BC is still looking for its first ACC win of the season, it remains within striking range of a home first-round game in the conference tournament.
Most of the ACC Championship is held at campus sites with only the final moving to Charleston, South Carolina. The top four teams receive first-round byes and host quarterfinal matches on campus, while teams finishing in the bottom four are, for the most part, on the road throughout the entire run. The middle four teams earn home games through the first leg of the tournament.
With three ACC matches remaining, BC is six behind a three-way tie balanced on the final home slot. Clemson, NC State and Virginia Tech all have six points, but only two teams will earn home field.
BC has matches remaining at home against Syracuse and Wake Forest, while their last game of the season is at NC State. With a match against UConn sandwiched in next week, it's a good opportunity for the Eagles to earn playoff seeding and challenge to move up within the league. Seeding can go a long way to determining the right path for any team, so these become key games towards how the tournament plays out.
Of their remaining matches, Wake Forest is currently the top ACC team, undefeated atop the Atlantic Division and three points ahead of both Louisville and North Carolina.
BC hosts Syracuse on Friday with a huge three points on the at 6 p.m. at Newton Campus and can be viewed on the ACC Network Extra.
*****
The most interesting case study of the postseason is the field hockey team. Like men's soccer, every ACC team makes the conference tournament, a field of seven schools. The regular season champion earns a bye into the semifinals while the six other teams play three games in the quarterfinals.
BC is in seventh place, two games behind Syracuse and another half-game behind both Duke and Wake Forest. With only one conference game left at Wake, the Eagles will finish seventh.
But BC is one of the highest-regarded teams in the RPI index. The Eagles are a perfect 9-0 in nonconference play, earning a huge victory by vanquishing Harvard with a shootout this past weekend. Considering the Crimson entered the match with just one loss, the win bolsters an already-impressive postseason resume for BC, already ranked No. 8 nationally.
Making things further interesting is the conference tournament alignment. Though the first place team earns a bye to the semifinals, the ACC Championship doesn't reseed after the quarterfinals. So the top seed is guaranteed to face the winner of the No. 4-vs.-No. 5 matchup. It stands to reason that a team finishing sixth or seventh, therefore, could wind up with a road to the final that never hits the top-seeded team.
The race for the bye is currently tied with North Carolina, Virginia and Louisville. The Eagles lost to all three, but they were highly competitive. BC could have - and likely should have - beaten the Tar Heels but ultimately lost in overtime. That means one of those teams, or even Duke, who still has a mathematical shot at finishing second, will draw one of the most competitive teams in the nation in its first ACC Championship game.
BC still can bolster its national resume in the coming days. It will play both Northeastern and Boston University this weekend with a season-ending matchup against Connecticut coming in a couple of weeks.
Things kick off on Friday against the Huskies in BC's last game at Newton Campus. Game time is set for 6 p.m. and can be viewed on the ACC Network Extra.
*****
Baseball was the first Boston College athletics program I ever covered, so forgive me if I hold a special affinity for it. Every fall, a personal favorite tradition passes its rite of tradition in the Sonny Nictakis Fall World Series, the Eagles' intrasquad scrimmage. There was always something about sitting in the raw cold of Shea Field and hearing the ping of aluminum bats that made me feel at home.
This year, things are substantially different. With Shea Field under construction and the new baseball and softball stadiums not yet complete, the Eagles will move their fall series to one of the sport's most hallowed grounds - Cooperstown, New York.
BC will play its fall ball series on Saturday and Sunday at Doubleday Field while centering a weekend on education and awareness for ALS. In addition to the games, a panel featuring the Frates family and author Casey Sherman will precede a signing of Sherman's coauthored book The Ice Bucket Challenge: Pete Frates and the Fight against ALS.
On Sunday, a plaque tour will center specifically on Lou Gehrig and Catfish Hunter, both of whom lost battles with the disease, along with a tour of ALS artifacts, including Pete Frates' exhibit. The Hall of Fame will screen The Pride of the Yankees for the public as well.
This is one of the most unique opportunities I've ever seen for a college baseball team. The Eagles have a great chance to sit on both sides of the fence as both attendees and centerpiece attractions. The Baseball Hall of Fame is a once in a lifetime kind of place, nestled in a tiny enclave in Upstate New York. It's one of those places worth admission every time. In my mind and heart, no sport celebrates its past and its traditions quite like baseball, especially this time of year during the playoffs.
At this time of year, it's the perfect drive. I went through Western Massachusetts this past weekend, and the foliage is in full blood. The leaves are a collage of colors, and the area is sublime and quiet. That such a beautiful scene will serve as the backdrop for Boston College baseball and specifically the fight against ALS makes this one of those things everyone will remember.
It's the perfect place to sit back and enjoy baseball, even as the temperatures are starting to dip.
*****
As for the rest of the Eagles athletic programs, a good number hit the play button on a week of competition this week. Volleyball gets into the action with an ACC match in the Power Gym against Syracuse at 5 p.m. on Wednesday on ACC Network Extra. It's the first of two conference games this weekend as BC hosts Pittsburgh at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.
The swimming and diving teams are in action this weekend with the New England Catholic Invite this weekend, as is the sailing team, which heads to a number of different regattas throughout the region.
The highlight of the weekend comes on Friday night in the first powerhouse matchup of men's hockey season. Wisconsin is in town for a 7 p.m. game at Conte Forum, and live video is available on ESPN3 (and will be for all home games). It's the last tune up of a very quick early season for Hockey East play; BC heads to Providence for its conference opener on Sunday.
And, of course, there's the ACC Network game between Boston College and Louisville on Saturday at 12:20 p.m. That's a game that can be seen locally on MyTV38 and can be heard on the BC IMG Sports Network.
Women's Basketball: 2025 ACC Tipoff (Oct. 6, 2025)
Monday, October 06
Football: Pittsburgh Postgame Press Conference (Oct. 4, 2025)
Saturday, October 04
Men's Hockey: Quinnipiac Press Conference (Head Coach Greg Brown - Oct. 3, 2025)
Saturday, October 04
Football: Head Coach Bill O'Brien Media Availability (October 2, 2025)
Thursday, October 02