The scoreboard read Home: 4 Guest: 3. The clock indicated that less than five minutes remained. The players rushed to every ball and took every shot in order to capture the final conference win of the regular season. The visiting team needed this win. But it all came down to who wanted it the most. The visiting team really wanted it. Storming down field into the home team’s territory, a visitor pops a shot. Her teammate notices the ball headed wide and acrobatically one-times it midair to tie the game and send the game into overtime.
No. 14 Boston College (9-7, 1-5 ACC) headed down to Charlottesville, Va. for a date with No. 5 University of Virginia (12-4, 3-3 ACC). The Eagles hoped to leave the Cavaliers hanging and walk away with their first and only conference win of the regular season. UVA stood up to the challenge, but ultimately fell to BC 5-4 in a comeback, overtime thriller.
The Cavaliers indicated a victory would be no easy task for the Eagles as they stormed downfield and snuck one past Leah Settipane to make it 1-0 in the opening minutes.
The Eagles had plenty of chances to fight back on the offensive end, but they could not connect. Every shot on goal went wide, limiting the team’s chances to knot the game at one apiece. Brittany Sheenan came off the bench with determination to tie the game. Working hard in the circle, she earned a penalty corner for the Eagles. Even with the offensive advantage, BC could not convert after sending shots when wide. The offense slowly broke down, giving way for another successful Cavalier offensive run topped off by a goal by Riley Tata, her second of the game.
Down 2-0 and recharged with motivation, the Eagles flew downfield. The offense controlled their shots to direct them on goal but Rebecca Holden denied every effort. After plenty of back and forth play, the Eagles went into halftime down 3-0.
The threat of a defeated season in the ACC recharged BC, allowing the team to come out hot in the second half. After working her way down offensive end, Sheenan earned BC its fifth penalty corner. Once the ball was inserted, Eryn McCoy had possession in the circle. With defenders flying at her from the goal, McCoy connected with Romee Stiekema who fired one into the net to make it a 3-1 game.
Sheenan wanted to cut the lead even more. Working hard up in front of the goal, Sheenan earned BC its seventh penalty corner of the game. She did not stop there. Off the corner, Frederique Haverals dished the ball off to Chelcie Medonca who found Sheenan. Sheenan set herself and rocketed one past Holden to cut the Cavalier’s lead to one with 25 minutes to play.
Tata was having none of this. Ten minutes later she completed her hat trick for a 4-2 lead. The Eagles were not disheartened as they took their possession towards goal and within seconds were awarded a penalty corner. The ball was inserted and the play broke down. It seemed as though BC’s offensive opportunity slipped away. Medonca maintained her composure and connected with Kelcie Hromisin who snuck one into the goal to make it a 4-3.
With the lead cut to one and less than five minutes left, the Eagles remained hopeful and were ready to fight to the finish. BC pressed the UVA defense in the circle and crept closer to goal. Hromisin’s pass popped up into the air. AshLeigh Sebia decided to throw in some flare and one-timed it midair into the goal to tie the game at four apiece, sending the game into overtime.
With adrenaline pumping and determination high, BC was ready when the game whistle blew. Hromisin made a tackle on the defensive end causing a turnover. Second later when play stopped, Emily McCoy came in to replace Hromisin. McCoy seized this opportunity and carried the ball 90 yards downfield. She shot the ball right towards Holden, save. But she was right there for the rebound. McCoy fired it into the back of the goal, propelling her team to a 5-4 OT win.
The smack of the backboard echoed through the stadium as visitors stormed in celebration, a long awaited celebration in honor of the first and only conference win of the season.
Featured Image Courtesy of John Quackenbos / BC Athletics
