Big Opening Night at The Heights

August 24, 2017 | Field Hockey, Boston College Athletics, Men's Soccer, Women's Soccer, Volleyball

Four teams kick off the BC home slate for 2017-18

By: Athletic Communications

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – The 2017-18 Boston College athletics season gets underway with four home games at The Height on Friday night.

The men's soccer team kicks things off at the Newton Campus Soccer Fields with a 4 p.m. bout with Quinnipiac to start the Eagles' 2017 season. The field hockey opens its slate with a game against the Bobcats as well, starting at 5 p.m., also on Newton Campus. Women's soccer takes on SEC opponent Vanderbilt after the conclusion of the men's game at 7 p.m. Volleyball wraps up the exciting day with a 7:30 p.m. match against Fairfield.

The women's soccer team is the only BC team to have seen action so far. The Eagles are 1-1 on the season after defeating James Madison, 4-3, in overtime, but fell, 3-1 to William & Mary.

MEN'S SOCCER
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The Eagles will face Quinnipiac to open the season for the third straight year.

The teams' series began in 2005 and the Eagles are 9-1-1 all-time against the Bobcats, including a 7-0-1 mark in the last eight meetings since 2009. Boston College has shut out Quinnipiac the last three meetings (2-0 at QU in 2016, 1-0 at home in 2015, 2-0 at QU in 2014) since the teams played to a 2-2 draw in Newton in 2013.

All-time, BC is 4-1-1 at home against Quinnipiac, and 5-0-0 on the road in Hamden, Conn. The teams have met every year since 2005, except 2008.

In last year's meeting, Maximilian Schulze-Geisthovel netted the first goal of the year to put BC up 1-0 in the 39th minute before Raphael Salama doubled the advantage in the 50th minute with her headed goal off Mohammed Moro's corner kick. BC out-shot the Bobcats 12-1 in the victory.

Among the highlights of Friday's game is the return of redshirt junior captain Len Zeugner. An All-ACC center back in 2015, Lenhart missed all of the 2016 season with an injury. Friday will mark his first action since BC fell in the NCAA Elite Eight in December 2015.

FIELD HOCKEY
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The 12^th-ranked Eagles host Quinnipiac on Friday evening, taking on the Bobcats for the second straight year and the third time in the last four season. BC has not lost a match to QU in the 13 meetings between the two New England teams. The Eagles are 13-0 and have recorded nine shutouts in the series history, including last year's 2-0 win.

Two of the Eagles' top four points scorers return for the 2017 season. Junior Lucy Lytle was second on the '16 squad with 24 points and led the team with 12 goals. Classmate Frederique Haverhals, recently named to the All-ACC Preseason Team, notched 17 points on a team-high seven assists and five goals. Her goals tied for fourth on BC.

Sophomore Sarah Dwyer is taking over the goalkeeping duties after Audra Hampsch graduated. She played just over six minutes of the Northeastern game (Sept. 18) in her freshman campaign.

WOMEN'S SOCCER
Live Stats

This will be the first-ever matchup between BC and Vanderbilt.

The Eagles split their games at the JMU Tournament last weekend. They won the first game in dramatic fashion as sophomore Olivia Vaughn tied the game with 43 seconds left to play. It was her second goal of the game. Six minutes later, senior Lauren Berman won the game on a penalty kick. BC lost the second game of the tournament to William & Mary. Vaughn scored the lone goal of the game for BC.

The Eagles are young, starting seven underclassmen in their first two games. BC has four more underclassmen coming off the bench, while seniors Allyson Swaby and Lauren Berman did not leave the field in either game.

VOLLEYBALL
Live Stats

The Eagles host the ninth annual Boston College Invitational to start their season hosting Fairfield, Providence and UAB.

The weekend will commence with the Friars challenging the Blazers at 5 p.m., followed by the Eagles opening their season against the Stags. BC is 7-3 all-time against Fairfield.

With seven newcomers in addition to 12 returners, head coach Chris Campbell is hopeful for the outcome of this invitational and the season overall.

WHAT'S NEXT
Volleyball hosts Providence at 1 p.m. and UAB at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday to wrap up the Boston College Invitational.

On Sunday, women's soccer hosts Colgate at 1 p.m. at the Newton Campus Soccer Field.

The same day, field hockey travels to 18^th-ranked Albany for a 1p.m. matchup, while the men's soccer team will be at Boston University for a 7 p.m. tilt.