High Seed Allows Eagles To Rest

The No. 8 Boston College men's soccer team (14-6-0) will begin NCAA tournament play next Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. in Newton. On Monday, the Eagles were awarded the nation's fourth overall seed. They will play the winner of Colgate and Rutgers after receiving a first-round bye.

Head coach Ed Kelly said his team is eagerly anticipating this opportunity after not expecting such a high seed heading into the weekend. The announcement came after a strong performance by the Eagles in the ACC tournament. Despite losing to No. 3 North Carolina in the championship match, the team picked up two quality wins against perennial powerhouses No. 6 Maryland and Duke.

"I was a little surprised and very happy that we did get this seed, because there were some great teams that got left out, such as Maryland," he said. "I thought we might have ended up at eight, but the win against Maryland probably sealed it for us. Then, playing against North Carolina again helped."

Kelly is excited for his team's positioning in the playoffs, but he is cautious not to rest on his team's laurels.

"On paper, it's very important," he said of the fourth seed. "However, we had the No. 1 seed in the country in 2007, and we lost in the first game. We're trying to avoid letting that happen again this year, but obviously that's what people play for. Everyone tries to get home-field advantage all the way to the Final Four. It's much better to be at home than to be on the road."

The team began its ACC tournament run against Maryland, winning 2-1. The Terps had embarrassed the Eagles, 4-0, in BC's first ACC game. The Eagles were able to get the upset when it mattered most, though. Maryland, due to this latest loss, received a No. 2 seed in the Eagles' branch of the bracket. If both teams win out, they will meet in the Elite Eight.

"It'd be a fun match-up," he said. "[Maryland head coach Sasho Cirovsky] and I talked yesterday and discussed our games from the past and what our games were like. And we both laughed at what a great match-up that would be, if we ended up playing against each other again. "

Regardless of the opponent, Kelly realizes the importance of focusing on what the Eagles  can control, rather than guessing which team they could potentially play.

"At the end of the day, you're glad to have an opportunity to play, and we just have to focus on each team," he said. "I know that sounds kind of corny, but it really is the truth. You start to think about all of the brackets. Maybe it's UCLA. Maybe it's this person or that person. It doesn't mean anything at the end of the day."

Kelly believes that his team's strength comes, in large part, from its group unity. The Eagles work well with one another, an important aspect of their game that will be needed in the season's final push.

"They're a very focused group and a very tight group," he said. "They are that kind of team, compared to having several very good individuals. They're a real team, and that is obviously a major part of the locker room, all of the team stuff that goes on and makes them strong. So, when things go bad, they still stick together, and they've grown from the time we lost to Maryland, 4-0. We changed some technical things, but they also grew up, and they also didn't want to leave it like that, so they worked hard. The strongest thing about this team is the chemistry of the group."

The Eagles will know tonight which team they will be matched up against in this weekend's contest. They will have the opportunity to host either Colgate (11-4-6) or Rutgers (9-6-3). Despite the uncertainty that comes with not knowing the team's opponent until late tonight, Kelly believes BC's ability to focus puts it in a strong place to start the tournament.

"We just have to play each game, let the cards fall where they may," he said. "It's tough. It's tough to try to figure it all out. It's all about taking care of what you're in control of."