Eagles do it in the air.
The field hockey team used every inch of the field on Saturday - and a good portion of the air above it - as it attempted to defend its home turf against Duke's Blue Devils.
Though the No. 4 Devils dominated the game, the Eagles refused to "roll over," according to coach Ainslee Lamb.
"We showed that our offenders can hold their own against one of the best defenders in the country," she said.
"We are just as athletic as they are - they just apply it differently."
And the football boys have nothing on these girls; whereas football is a game of stop and go, field hockey doesn't seem to believe in walking, much less stopping for anything, even taking penalty shots on the run.
Fans in the crowd remarked constantly on the Eagles' enthusiasm as well as their skill.
Duke came roaring out the first half of the game and made it its own, from its opening drive to its third goal with 2:42 left in the half.
Despite several strong offensive drives by Boston College, it couldn't seem to break through Duke's defense, managing only four shots in the half to the Devil's 12.
The Eagles seemed to be plagued by small errors - errors which grew exponentially with Duke's exploitation.
The Devils continued their power trip in the beginning of the second half, holding the Eagles scoreless despite a strong offensive push in the first five minutes of play, and then breaking through the defensive line to score three times in as many minutes.
The game may have been Duke's show, but the last 10 minutes belonged to the maroon and gold.
A magnificent charge led by freshman Bob Dirks and sophomore Crystal Frates resulted in the Eagles' first (and only) goal of the game, a sweep by Frates with 8:15 remaining.
It seemed that this goal was all BC needed to rally, as it forced Duke to stay on the defensive for the remainder of the game and earned two more penalty corners before the end.
Despite the 6-1 loss, Lamb remained optimistic.
The game "showed us where we are, and it's exactly where we should be," she said, pointing out that Duke was one of the top teams in the country.
"It also showed us things we could do better; exposed things we need to work on."
The Eagles played like a true team, passing smoothly and covering for each other when they needed to.
This strategy allowed the goalies (freshman Julia Berkowitz and senior Jillian Savoy) much more freedom of motion as they completed save after save, going airborne or hitting the ground where the situation warranted.
Duke was awarded one stroke for a foul within the circle, and BC forward Caitlin Gillen received a green card.
This was the first meeting between the Eagles and the Blue Devils since 1998, when BC beat Duke 1-0 in Durham, N.C. and the Devils' first trip north since 1997, when the Eagles won again.
Currently Duke stands at 8-2 overall and 2-1 in the ACC.
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