Eagles Picked Second in ACC Preseason Poll, Five Earn Preseason Honors
February 07, 2023 | Lacrosse
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Boston College lacrosse was picked to finish second in the preseason ACC poll, while five Eagles were named to the all-preseason team.Â
North Carolina was picked to win the league with 92 points and seven first-place votes, while the Eagles tallied 86 points and one first-place vote. Rounding out the top five were Syracuse (85 points), Duke (65) and Notre Dame (64). BC finished the season 19-4 with a fifth straight national title appearance.Â
The five Eagles that earned preseason honors are the most in the conference, as Jenn Medjid (attack), Belle Smith (midfield), Hollie Schleicher (defense), Rachel Hall (goalie) and Cassidy Weeks (at-large) represented BC.Â
A unanimous All-American last season, Medjid is coming off a career senior season in which she posted a personal best 74 goals, 28 assists and 102 points. The graduate is on an impressive 53-point streak dating back to 2019 and enters the season fifth all-time in goals with 169 points and eighth in points with 225. Medjid was named a preseason All-American by USA Magazine and Inside Lacrosse.
Smith followed up a stellar freshman season with a career-high 55 goals, 28 assists, and 83 points. A unanimous first-team All-American and ACC selection, she was the only player in the league to post at least 55 goals, 25 assists, and 20 caused turnovers last season. She was the sixth-fastest player in school history to reach 100 points and played with Team USA in the Sixes Games and the USA Fall Classic roster. The New York native was a USA Lacrosse Magazine and IL Women Preseason All-American earlier this offseason.
Schleicher is coming off a solid season after she finished second on the team and sixth in the ACC with a personal-high 108 draw controls. She also tied a personal best with 33 ground balls and posted a career-high 21 caused turnovers. The Sag Harbor, N.Y., native was named to the All-ACC Second Team and earned Inside Lacrosse/IL Women All-American Third Team honors. She enters the year fifth all-time in school history with 218 draw controls.Â
Hall started in 22 of 23 games between the posts last season, boasting an 18-4 record while amassing a 10.63 goals-against average on top of a .347 save percentage. She earned IWLCA All-Northeast Region honors and was named ACC Defensive Player of the Week (2/15). Hall finished second in the ACC and 22nd in the country in goals against average.
Weeks produced career numbers with a personal-high 30 goals and 10 assists, totaling 40 points. Half of her scores came during the postseason and delivered the game-winning goal against Maryland in the National Semifinal. She produced a hat trick in the national title game against North Carolina and was named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team.Â
BC opens the season on Saturday against No. 18 USC at 12 p.m. in Fish Field House.
