Boston College Athletics
Business Heats Up On Saturday In Chapel Hill
March 22, 2019 | Lacrosse, #ForBoston Files
It's the No. 1 Eagles and No. 3 Tar Heels in potential Game of the Year.
The final seconds ticked off Boston College's 17-9 victory over the Albany Great Danes when a familiar feeling of anticipation began settling in. It was that nervous energy that could be heard well beyond the stands of the Newton Campus Lacrosse Field. It stretched down the east coast, through the lacrosse hotbeds of Long Island and the Mid-Atlantic. It drifted down North Carolina and drove across Tobacco Road, coming to a rest only when it reached Chapel Hill.
The No. 1-ranked Eagles would be arriving in time for the weekend with a perfect record. The No. 3-ranked Tar Heels would be waiting, ready to write the next chapter in a quick-to-develop Atlantic Coast Conference rivalry.
"We have a huge challenge ahead of us," BC head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein said. "We're setting a lot of internal goals, and I think things are starting to heat up in terms of (us) getting better."
The matchup itself is not one of college lacrosse's most historic or evenly-played, but it's become one of the sport's most intense, recent rivalries. UNC leads the all-time series by a 16-3 margin, dating back to 1997, but the teams rose to the cream of their sport last season. BC defeated the Tar Heels with a 17-11 regular season victory last season, but UNC responded when it "mattered most," handing the Eagles their first loss of the season in the ACC Championship.
Saturday will mark the latest chapter in that somewhat-newer book in a potential preview of next month's ACC Tournament in Alumni Stadium. They rank as two of the three best teams in the country with a combined 18-1 record. The only loss came in late February when Maryland - undefeated and ranked No. 2 in the country - stole an overtime victory from UNC, 13-12.
The statistical head-to-head is as even as it can get. BC and UNC are separated in nine different statistical categories by less than a factor of one. The scoring offenses are virtually identical, and both attempt roughly the same amount of shots with the same shot percentage. They cause the same number of turnovers and convert the same percentage of free positions.
It's largely because the rosters haven't turned over. Jamie Ortega and Katie Hoeg returned after posting monster numbers a year ago for the Tar Heels, and they continue to lead the team with over 40 points already scored. Ortega already has 36 goals, scoring on nearly half of her shots on goal. It's in addition to 12 ground ball controls.
BC counters with its cast of characters. Sam Apuzzo has 48 goals and is en route to another record-shattering season with 65 points, and she leads a cast of five 20-goal scorers, including Kenzie Kent, who has 38 assists for 61 points. Behind the duo, a continued, emerging breakout by Dempsey Arsenault is turning the Eagle attack into a multi-faceted barrage on opposing defenses.
"(Dempsey) is finally starting to see how athletically gifted she is," Walker-Weinstein said. "Everything shifts for an athlete when they start to see that for themselves. I think Dempsey is getting a lot of support from her teammates and coaches, and I think she's really working hard to make an impact on game day."
Arsenault has 41 points, and her 29 goals are second-most on the team behind Apuzzo. Behind her, Cara Urbank's 23 goals join Taylor Walker's 20 and Sheila Rietano's 15 in providing a blitz that goes beyond a superstar system. It's forcing defenses to take stock of more than just the two known commodities, opening up endless possibilities.
"Sheila is in the same boat (as Dempsey Arsenault)," Walker-Weinstein said. "They're both so gifted athletically. They are thoroughbred horses, and I mean that in the greatest way possible. They're so powerful and strong. They run around the field, and it's beautiful. These girls are beautiful athletes. They've been working really hard, and it's just paying off.
It has the Eagles hitting their stride in time for the ACC season. They survived a particularly-brutal stretch over the past two weeks to remain undefeated, and wins over four nationally-ranked teams only strengthened their position as the country's powerhouse. BC dropped 22 goals on the No. 5 Northwestern Wildcats, then added 21 more a week later against No. 21 Georgetown. It came after defensive shutdowns of No. 12 Navy and No. 24 Southern California.
It all serves as preparation for the conference schedule kicking up in earnest on Saturday. BC's next five games are against teams currently ranked, and every opponent is an ACC team. The early-season over Syracuse helps, but the true test comes with UNC, No. 8 Virginia, No. 12 Notre Dame, No. 13 Duke and No. 21 Virginia Tech. Every team is waiting for its shot at the top of the pyramid, a spot currently occupied in every capacity by the Eagles.
"We're getting better in shooting and in the ride defensively," Walker-Weinstein said. "So now we're just trying to test ourselves and see where we are (heading into UNC)."
The No. 1-ranked Eagles would be arriving in time for the weekend with a perfect record. The No. 3-ranked Tar Heels would be waiting, ready to write the next chapter in a quick-to-develop Atlantic Coast Conference rivalry.
"We have a huge challenge ahead of us," BC head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein said. "We're setting a lot of internal goals, and I think things are starting to heat up in terms of (us) getting better."
The matchup itself is not one of college lacrosse's most historic or evenly-played, but it's become one of the sport's most intense, recent rivalries. UNC leads the all-time series by a 16-3 margin, dating back to 1997, but the teams rose to the cream of their sport last season. BC defeated the Tar Heels with a 17-11 regular season victory last season, but UNC responded when it "mattered most," handing the Eagles their first loss of the season in the ACC Championship.
Saturday will mark the latest chapter in that somewhat-newer book in a potential preview of next month's ACC Tournament in Alumni Stadium. They rank as two of the three best teams in the country with a combined 18-1 record. The only loss came in late February when Maryland - undefeated and ranked No. 2 in the country - stole an overtime victory from UNC, 13-12.
The statistical head-to-head is as even as it can get. BC and UNC are separated in nine different statistical categories by less than a factor of one. The scoring offenses are virtually identical, and both attempt roughly the same amount of shots with the same shot percentage. They cause the same number of turnovers and convert the same percentage of free positions.
It's largely because the rosters haven't turned over. Jamie Ortega and Katie Hoeg returned after posting monster numbers a year ago for the Tar Heels, and they continue to lead the team with over 40 points already scored. Ortega already has 36 goals, scoring on nearly half of her shots on goal. It's in addition to 12 ground ball controls.
BC counters with its cast of characters. Sam Apuzzo has 48 goals and is en route to another record-shattering season with 65 points, and she leads a cast of five 20-goal scorers, including Kenzie Kent, who has 38 assists for 61 points. Behind the duo, a continued, emerging breakout by Dempsey Arsenault is turning the Eagle attack into a multi-faceted barrage on opposing defenses.
"(Dempsey) is finally starting to see how athletically gifted she is," Walker-Weinstein said. "Everything shifts for an athlete when they start to see that for themselves. I think Dempsey is getting a lot of support from her teammates and coaches, and I think she's really working hard to make an impact on game day."
Arsenault has 41 points, and her 29 goals are second-most on the team behind Apuzzo. Behind her, Cara Urbank's 23 goals join Taylor Walker's 20 and Sheila Rietano's 15 in providing a blitz that goes beyond a superstar system. It's forcing defenses to take stock of more than just the two known commodities, opening up endless possibilities.
"Sheila is in the same boat (as Dempsey Arsenault)," Walker-Weinstein said. "They're both so gifted athletically. They are thoroughbred horses, and I mean that in the greatest way possible. They're so powerful and strong. They run around the field, and it's beautiful. These girls are beautiful athletes. They've been working really hard, and it's just paying off.
It has the Eagles hitting their stride in time for the ACC season. They survived a particularly-brutal stretch over the past two weeks to remain undefeated, and wins over four nationally-ranked teams only strengthened their position as the country's powerhouse. BC dropped 22 goals on the No. 5 Northwestern Wildcats, then added 21 more a week later against No. 21 Georgetown. It came after defensive shutdowns of No. 12 Navy and No. 24 Southern California.
It all serves as preparation for the conference schedule kicking up in earnest on Saturday. BC's next five games are against teams currently ranked, and every opponent is an ACC team. The early-season over Syracuse helps, but the true test comes with UNC, No. 8 Virginia, No. 12 Notre Dame, No. 13 Duke and No. 21 Virginia Tech. Every team is waiting for its shot at the top of the pyramid, a spot currently occupied in every capacity by the Eagles.
"We're getting better in shooting and in the ride defensively," Walker-Weinstein said. "So now we're just trying to test ourselves and see where we are (heading into UNC)."
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