Success Continues As A Byproduct
February 28, 2019 | Lacrosse, #ForBoston Files
Lacrosse keeps winning, but it's only because of a commitment to prepration.
Wednesday represented another notch for the No. 1-ranked Boston College lacrosse team. Another game against a New England opponent resulted in another victory for a team with 24 straight regular season wins. The Eagles played an Ivy League opponent, Dartmouth, against the threat of an impending winter storm, but it didn't seem to matter, what with the 10-goal victory and all.
If only it really were that easy. Talking about Boston College lacrosse wins is something plenty of observers could take for granted. The regular season winning streak dates back to 2017, and it represents a feather-like statement in the program's proverbial cap. It's nothing the team takes for granted, however, and everyone who dons the familiar maroon and gold colors understands just how fast a streak can snap and turn.
Success requires a commitment not often seen in the public eye; last week best exemplified that requirement. BC won an emotional, come-from-behind game against Syracuse, then returned home for a quick turnaround for a game against in-state rivals UMass and Harvard. The Eagles had to hit the film to focus on a gritty, tough opponent before enduring a single day of recovery prior to Harvard.
"We (became) a little bit more cerebral," head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein said. "We are focusing more on strategy. We're not changing a whole lot. Maybe we should be, but we're just trying to stay consistent. We were focused (between UMass and Harvard). Harvard is a great team, and we were just trying to have that same focus regardless of who we're playing."
Focus has been the operative word for BC because there's an understanding about the road ahead. An impending snowstorm turned the Dartmouth game into a home game on Wednesday for the Eagles, but it was just a sweetened, unexpected treat because of what's coming. There's another quick turnaround before a home game against No. 24 Southern California, a game kicking off four straight games against nationally-ranked opponents.
It's a stretch that will encompass two road trips over three days, and a two week stretch against some of the best teams in the nation. On March 6, BC will head to Maryland to play No. 17 Navy, a team it defeated by one goal in the 2017 NCAA Women's Lacrosse Final Four.
Three day later, it will head to the Chicago area for a game against No. 5 Northwestern in a potential postseason preview. The Wildcats are one of the most traditional women's lacrosse powerhouses, having won seven national championships, including five in a row from 2005-2009, a time during which Walker-Weinstein was an assistant coach.
The stretch ends with No. 18 Georgetown in what amounts to the penultimate non-conference game. ACC play starts in earnest two games later, and with the exception of a game against Yale in the late season, it will be all league games against other nationally-ranked teams for the rest of the way.
"We're asking (the athletes) to demonstrate how to be all in, regardless of the circumstance," Walker-Weinstein said. "They could be tired, but we're still asking them to practice and commit to the 60 minutes in the game."
It's an attitude that has the team clicking beyond its top stars. There's an obvious point count associated with Sam Apuzzo, who became the second player in BC history with 300 career points, and Kenzie Kent, who is pressuring her with over 30 points in her first five games since returning to lacrosse. But others are continuing their development, though, creating the cycle on which the team's success, both current and future, can be built.
Five scorers are in double figures for goals, including Taylor Walker and Cara Urbank. Sheila Rietano has nine goals and 11 points on the year, and both Jordan Lappin and Jenn Medjid have five goals. Abbey Ngai started the Dartmouth game in goal and picked up her first career win with 12 saves. It continued a stellar team defense averaging under 10 goals per game.
"I'm proud of the younger players, how they've stepped up," Walker-Weinstein said. "Jordan has stepped up, and (Jillian Reilly) is a little bit newer to the lineup. Morgan Tedeschi has been doing a great job so far."
It's a trajectory that still has BC setting the pace for the national women's lacrosse radar. The preseason No. 1 team in the nation is continuing its roll, and it has them as the front-runner in the early part of the year. It also means that every game is another step into an opponent's best efforts, and it means the pressure is on to continue preparing to simply be better today, in order to become better tomorrow.
"We just have to stay focused," the coach said. "We have to be ready for whatever is thrown at us. That means executing a little bit better."
If only it really were that easy. Talking about Boston College lacrosse wins is something plenty of observers could take for granted. The regular season winning streak dates back to 2017, and it represents a feather-like statement in the program's proverbial cap. It's nothing the team takes for granted, however, and everyone who dons the familiar maroon and gold colors understands just how fast a streak can snap and turn.
Success requires a commitment not often seen in the public eye; last week best exemplified that requirement. BC won an emotional, come-from-behind game against Syracuse, then returned home for a quick turnaround for a game against in-state rivals UMass and Harvard. The Eagles had to hit the film to focus on a gritty, tough opponent before enduring a single day of recovery prior to Harvard.
"We (became) a little bit more cerebral," head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein said. "We are focusing more on strategy. We're not changing a whole lot. Maybe we should be, but we're just trying to stay consistent. We were focused (between UMass and Harvard). Harvard is a great team, and we were just trying to have that same focus regardless of who we're playing."
Focus has been the operative word for BC because there's an understanding about the road ahead. An impending snowstorm turned the Dartmouth game into a home game on Wednesday for the Eagles, but it was just a sweetened, unexpected treat because of what's coming. There's another quick turnaround before a home game against No. 24 Southern California, a game kicking off four straight games against nationally-ranked opponents.
It's a stretch that will encompass two road trips over three days, and a two week stretch against some of the best teams in the nation. On March 6, BC will head to Maryland to play No. 17 Navy, a team it defeated by one goal in the 2017 NCAA Women's Lacrosse Final Four.
Three day later, it will head to the Chicago area for a game against No. 5 Northwestern in a potential postseason preview. The Wildcats are one of the most traditional women's lacrosse powerhouses, having won seven national championships, including five in a row from 2005-2009, a time during which Walker-Weinstein was an assistant coach.
The stretch ends with No. 18 Georgetown in what amounts to the penultimate non-conference game. ACC play starts in earnest two games later, and with the exception of a game against Yale in the late season, it will be all league games against other nationally-ranked teams for the rest of the way.
"We're asking (the athletes) to demonstrate how to be all in, regardless of the circumstance," Walker-Weinstein said. "They could be tired, but we're still asking them to practice and commit to the 60 minutes in the game."
It's an attitude that has the team clicking beyond its top stars. There's an obvious point count associated with Sam Apuzzo, who became the second player in BC history with 300 career points, and Kenzie Kent, who is pressuring her with over 30 points in her first five games since returning to lacrosse. But others are continuing their development, though, creating the cycle on which the team's success, both current and future, can be built.
Five scorers are in double figures for goals, including Taylor Walker and Cara Urbank. Sheila Rietano has nine goals and 11 points on the year, and both Jordan Lappin and Jenn Medjid have five goals. Abbey Ngai started the Dartmouth game in goal and picked up her first career win with 12 saves. It continued a stellar team defense averaging under 10 goals per game.
"I'm proud of the younger players, how they've stepped up," Walker-Weinstein said. "Jordan has stepped up, and (Jillian Reilly) is a little bit newer to the lineup. Morgan Tedeschi has been doing a great job so far."
It's a trajectory that still has BC setting the pace for the national women's lacrosse radar. The preseason No. 1 team in the nation is continuing its roll, and it has them as the front-runner in the early part of the year. It also means that every game is another step into an opponent's best efforts, and it means the pressure is on to continue preparing to simply be better today, in order to become better tomorrow.
"We just have to stay focused," the coach said. "We have to be ready for whatever is thrown at us. That means executing a little bit better."
Players Mentioned
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