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The No. 17 Boston College field hockey team defeated the eighth-ranked Virginia Cavaliers 1-0 on the road on Friday, snapping a two-game losing streak and improving to 5-5 on the season. The game was a defensive struggle, with each team recording just three shots on goal.
Fusine Govaert, assisted by Margo Carlin and Darcy Clement, recorded the game’s only goal off of a corner in the second quarter, finding the back of the net with just six seconds to play in the first half.
The Cavaliers, however, would do their best to respond. Virginia’s offense erupted in the third quarter, recording five shots in a furious attempt to even the score. Goalie Sarah Dwyer and the defensive unit stood firm, though, maintaining the 1-0 advantage and dismissing all of the Cavaliers’ opportunities.
Both defensive units clamped down in the fourth quarter, with neither team recording a shot, allowing the Eagles to hold onto their lead and secure an upset victory.
This was a much-needed win for the Eagles, who emerge from a four-game stretch against ranked opponents with a 2-2 record. Despite being ranked seventeenth nationally, Boston College had failed to prove itself against ranked opponents until Friday.
Losses to ranked opponents such as Maryland, Northwestern, Louisville, and Saint Joseph’s left considerable questions marks for the Eagles, who have taken care of unranked opponents but struggled against the more talented teams on the schedule.
As a result, this win could prove to be a confidence booster for the Eagles, who play three of their next four games at home. Bringing them to 5-5, the remaining stretch will be crucial for Boston College, with the schedule eventually leading to crucial conference matchups against Syracuse, North Carolina, and Duke.
With the ACC Tournament approaching in less than a month, those three matchups, in particular, will do a great deal to determine BC’s seeding. However, for a team that has struggled against talented opponents this season, Friday’s win against Virginia was a step in the right direction. The Eagles will have plenty to prove over the remainder of the season, but an upset win over a top-10 opponent should answer some of the questions surrounding this team.
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Born and raised in New Jersey, but I’m a Wisconsinite at heart. I talk way too much about the Green Bay Packers, Bruce Springsteen, and It’s Always Sunny.
