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After a tough loss, the defeated athlete longs for nothing more than another crack at the victor. Sometimes that chance at redemption does not reappear until the next season; other times, it never comes to pass. Fortunately for Boston College's field hockey team, neither of those painful alternatives are the case.
BC (13-5, 1-4 ACC) finished out the regular season Saturday, losing 5-2 to ACC rival Wake Forest (11-5, 2-3 ACC). "Wake played a phenomenal game," said BC head coach Ainslee Lamb. "They had one of their best (efforts)."
The next step for the team is the ACC tournament, and it just so happens that the fifth-seeded Eagles' first-round opponent is none other than Wake Forest. Despite the unfortunate outcome of Saturday, the game provided a chance for BC players to get a feel for the Demon Deacons' style of play.
This perfect scouting opportunity has allowed Lamb to make adjustments to the Eagles' game plan with Wake Forest in mind during the team's Tuesday practice, specifically concerning the team's transition play.
"We were turning the ball over a lot, and Wake is a very attacking team," Lamb said. "It's hard to play defense 90 percent of the time." To counter the Demon Deacons' persistent attack, BC's defense has made several corrections to its pressing of the opposing offense to hamper Wake Forest's scoring attempts, as the Eagles were outshot on Saturday, 14-8.
The opportunity for a rematch is especially appealing to the Eagles considering their quality of play on Saturday. "The girls know that overall, they didn't have their best game, so that's a good thing," Lamb said. Because the Eagles did not come out to play with their absolute best, they know that the game is still well within their power to win.
Seniors Caitlin McGovern and Chelsey Feole will be called on to lead the team, and they will do so without a thought of personal accolades or ambitions.
"[The seniors] are motivated by the fact that their team goal is to get to the NCAA tournament, and we need to win this game in order for that to happen," Lamb said.
Even in the face of the end of their collegiate careers, McGovern and Feole are completely dedicated to the team's success.
"It's not about their last game, it's about the program's potential last game," Lamb said. "They're going to do everything they can to put us in a position to win."
The bell for round two rings today at 1 p.m. when the Eagles meet the Demon Deacons in Charlottesville, Va., home of the Virginia Cavaliers, the hosts of this year's ACC tournament. As they already visited UVA in the regular season, Lamb believes that playing away from Newton will not be a problem for the Eagles; in fact, it may prove beneficial to the girls' concentration.
"Everyone always talks about home field advantage … I think the kids are really excited to get on the plane tomorrow and really have the opportunity to focus on what we need to get done away from home," Lamb said. The winning team will continue on to face the top-seeded, top-ranked Maryland Terrapins (18-0, 5-0 ACC) on Friday.
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