Boston College Athletics
"This Season's Not Over"
April 29, 2019 | Lacrosse, #ForBoston Files
Sunday's defeat stings, but BC will head into NCAA Tournament with new focus.
The moments after a loss in a crucial game are the raw times in sports. There's no way to fully mask the disappointment in the short aftermath of the cooling off period, so what's said can sometimes be blunt. There's no opportunity for in-depth analysis, so there's only the immediate reaction, which itself is a contrast from the unbridled elation of victory.
So when Acacia Walker-Weinstein took the podium after Boston College's 15-13 loss to North Carolina in the ACC Championship, everything she said spoke to exactly how she felt, from the steely-eyed look to the simple words.
"The season's not over," she said. "That's it."
Monday morning brought the aftermath of an absolute battle on Alumni Stadium, one where the No. 3-ranked Tar Heels rallied from a 6-1 deficit to upend the previously-undefeated, No. 1-ranked Eagles for the conference's postseason crown. It was the second consecutive season where UNC ended an undefeated streak for BC, and it represents another year where the home team now must reboot for a potential national tournament run.
"I give so much credit to North Carolina," Walker said. "They're awesome. Their defense is so athletic. I'm not sure it was a lack of composure (on our side), but I'm still trying to figure it out to be honest. We just couldn't string it together from our traditional scoring (sets)."
UNC was forced to play its semifinal matchup against Duke on Saturday after Friday's weather necessitated a postponement. It meant the Tar Heels lost a day off for recovery, something BC gained when it defeated Syracuse in a late deluge of rain during the prior evening. The rest served the Eagles well and enabled them to open a pair of five-goal leads in the game's first seven minutes. Sam Apuzzo and Cara Urbank both scored two goals, all of which came before UNC got on the board.
It took that long for the Tar Heels to really find their footing and after that early body blow, they began executing their game plan like a boxer that finally grew comfortable in the ring. UNC controlled the pace and flow, outshooting BC by a 15-8 margin after that first exchange to take a 21-14 advantage into halftime. The attack slowly chipped away at the BC defense, waiting three minutes before scoring twice in 30 seconds, then scoring once every two minutes to cut the BC lead to 6-5. It was eventually extended back to three, but a late UNC goal kept it a two-goal game into halftime.
"It's really hard to stop (UNC) when they have the ball a lot," Walker said. "It's something we will continue work on, but I don't think that's where fell apart (either). It's just really hard to stop them when they have the ball so often. Separation was an issue, not just for Sam but for everyone. It's tough to go against athletic defenders. They're very quick in small places and explosive in big places."
The lead finally evaporated for good early in the second half. UNC used the first seven minutes in something of a poetic twist, dictating its own pace with three spaced goals. It gave the Tar Heels a 10-9 lead, one that it wouldn't fully surrender despite two additional tie scores. Halfway through the second half, UNC went on a three-goal run, again using patience over nine minutes to open up a 14-11 advantage. BC would claw back within one with six minutes left, but Katie Hoeg iced the game with a goal with two minutes remaining.
"We lost the game in that second stretch when they scored (three goals)," Walker-Weinstein said. "That was the period that we're going to tackle as coaches. I think, had we slowed the ball down a little bit more and called some offensive plays differently, we could've held onto the ball more to hold onto momentum."
BC now misses out on an ACC Championship that has seemingly eluded the program for four years. This represents the second consecutive loss for the Eagles in the conference's tournament final and second straight to UNC. It illustrates just how difficult it is for lacrosse teams to beat a team twice in one season, and it further demonstrates the razor-thin margin of error that exists within the nation's most elite conference.
One thing it doesn't represent, however, is the terminal ending. Boston College entered the week as one of only two undefeated teams in the nation and, despite the loss, still has a better overall record than the Tar Heels. Four ACC teams ranked in the top five of the NCAA's Women's Lacrosse RPI, all behind No. 1 Maryland, and Virginia lost to Syracuse, which in turn lost to BC.
That means the Eagles should still be in place for a top four seed, which would guarantee home field advantage through to the Final Four. The top eight teams host first and second round games, but the top six receive first round byes. If all national seeds advanced, the top four would host the NCAA Quarterfinal before advancing to the Final Four in Baltimore.
When the NCAA released its preliminary Top Ten last week, BC held the No. 2 spot while North Carolina was No. 3, while Maryland topped the list. The undefeated Terrapins will wind up as the No. 1 overall seed as long as they hold serve in the Big Ten, which plays its championship next weekend.
Syracuse and Northwestern are at No. 4 and No. 5, but because BC beat the Orange twice in an ACC that's loaded with elite teams, it stands to reason that the Eagles should be the No. 3 overall seed. That establishes a potential Final Four collision course with the Tar Heels as long as BC wins its second round game and subsequent NCAA Quarterfinal - both of which would be at home.
The NCAA Selection Show is next weekend, meaning the Eagles have a week off to digest this one before preparing for the next step.
"We'll just get back," Walker said. "We have a lot to work on as a full body. It's not the end of the world. The season's not over. It's going to sting and it's another agonizing loss, but (the team is) resilient. We have a really good group of leaders, and I believe in them that they'll learn from this (defeat)."
So when Acacia Walker-Weinstein took the podium after Boston College's 15-13 loss to North Carolina in the ACC Championship, everything she said spoke to exactly how she felt, from the steely-eyed look to the simple words.
"The season's not over," she said. "That's it."
Monday morning brought the aftermath of an absolute battle on Alumni Stadium, one where the No. 3-ranked Tar Heels rallied from a 6-1 deficit to upend the previously-undefeated, No. 1-ranked Eagles for the conference's postseason crown. It was the second consecutive season where UNC ended an undefeated streak for BC, and it represents another year where the home team now must reboot for a potential national tournament run.
"I give so much credit to North Carolina," Walker said. "They're awesome. Their defense is so athletic. I'm not sure it was a lack of composure (on our side), but I'm still trying to figure it out to be honest. We just couldn't string it together from our traditional scoring (sets)."
UNC was forced to play its semifinal matchup against Duke on Saturday after Friday's weather necessitated a postponement. It meant the Tar Heels lost a day off for recovery, something BC gained when it defeated Syracuse in a late deluge of rain during the prior evening. The rest served the Eagles well and enabled them to open a pair of five-goal leads in the game's first seven minutes. Sam Apuzzo and Cara Urbank both scored two goals, all of which came before UNC got on the board.
It took that long for the Tar Heels to really find their footing and after that early body blow, they began executing their game plan like a boxer that finally grew comfortable in the ring. UNC controlled the pace and flow, outshooting BC by a 15-8 margin after that first exchange to take a 21-14 advantage into halftime. The attack slowly chipped away at the BC defense, waiting three minutes before scoring twice in 30 seconds, then scoring once every two minutes to cut the BC lead to 6-5. It was eventually extended back to three, but a late UNC goal kept it a two-goal game into halftime.
"It's really hard to stop (UNC) when they have the ball a lot," Walker said. "It's something we will continue work on, but I don't think that's where fell apart (either). It's just really hard to stop them when they have the ball so often. Separation was an issue, not just for Sam but for everyone. It's tough to go against athletic defenders. They're very quick in small places and explosive in big places."
The lead finally evaporated for good early in the second half. UNC used the first seven minutes in something of a poetic twist, dictating its own pace with three spaced goals. It gave the Tar Heels a 10-9 lead, one that it wouldn't fully surrender despite two additional tie scores. Halfway through the second half, UNC went on a three-goal run, again using patience over nine minutes to open up a 14-11 advantage. BC would claw back within one with six minutes left, but Katie Hoeg iced the game with a goal with two minutes remaining.
"We lost the game in that second stretch when they scored (three goals)," Walker-Weinstein said. "That was the period that we're going to tackle as coaches. I think, had we slowed the ball down a little bit more and called some offensive plays differently, we could've held onto the ball more to hold onto momentum."
BC now misses out on an ACC Championship that has seemingly eluded the program for four years. This represents the second consecutive loss for the Eagles in the conference's tournament final and second straight to UNC. It illustrates just how difficult it is for lacrosse teams to beat a team twice in one season, and it further demonstrates the razor-thin margin of error that exists within the nation's most elite conference.
One thing it doesn't represent, however, is the terminal ending. Boston College entered the week as one of only two undefeated teams in the nation and, despite the loss, still has a better overall record than the Tar Heels. Four ACC teams ranked in the top five of the NCAA's Women's Lacrosse RPI, all behind No. 1 Maryland, and Virginia lost to Syracuse, which in turn lost to BC.
That means the Eagles should still be in place for a top four seed, which would guarantee home field advantage through to the Final Four. The top eight teams host first and second round games, but the top six receive first round byes. If all national seeds advanced, the top four would host the NCAA Quarterfinal before advancing to the Final Four in Baltimore.
When the NCAA released its preliminary Top Ten last week, BC held the No. 2 spot while North Carolina was No. 3, while Maryland topped the list. The undefeated Terrapins will wind up as the No. 1 overall seed as long as they hold serve in the Big Ten, which plays its championship next weekend.
Syracuse and Northwestern are at No. 4 and No. 5, but because BC beat the Orange twice in an ACC that's loaded with elite teams, it stands to reason that the Eagles should be the No. 3 overall seed. That establishes a potential Final Four collision course with the Tar Heels as long as BC wins its second round game and subsequent NCAA Quarterfinal - both of which would be at home.
The NCAA Selection Show is next weekend, meaning the Eagles have a week off to digest this one before preparing for the next step.
"We'll just get back," Walker said. "We have a lot to work on as a full body. It's not the end of the world. The season's not over. It's going to sting and it's another agonizing loss, but (the team is) resilient. We have a really good group of leaders, and I believe in them that they'll learn from this (defeat)."
Players Mentioned
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