Boston College lacrosse dedicated its game against Virginia Tech on Saturday to the One Love Foundation, advertising it as the “One Love Game,” to raise awareness about abusive relationships and raise money for the organization that provides education about abuse and resources to victims.
No. 2 Boston College lacrosse (11–1, 4–1 Atlantic Coast) dedicated its weekend game against Virginia Tech to the One Love Foundation. The Eagles came out of the gates with energy on Saturday, taking home an 18–8 win over Virginia Tech (8–6, 2–4 Atlantic Coast).
The Eagles started off hot and never lost their lead throughout the game. They worked the ball around the field, creating high-percentage scoring opportunities while holding off the Hokies on the defensive end. BC ended the first period with a 8–1 lead.
Charlotte North scored four goals in 10 minutes and ended the first half with six goals. She finished the game with seven. Six other Eagles added their names to the books in the first half.
The Eagles continued to pressure the Hokies’ defense and increased their lead to 13–5 by halftime.
Virginia Tech looked like a brand-new team in the second half. Its defense began to click as it quelled BC’s attack, holding the Eagles to two goals in the third period. The Hokies still struggled on offense, however, only finding the back of the net twice within the period and leaving the Eagles’ eight-goal lead intact.
By the end of the game, BC had pulled away again to finish with a double-digit win. Eight players scored for BC, including Mallory Hasselbeck, Annie Walsh, Belle Smith, Caitlynn Mossman, Andrea Reynolds, Jenn Medjid, and Kayla Martello, as well as North.
In addition to BC’s formidable offensive attack, BC head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein said that her defense is what separates BC from other teams.
“What differentiates us was our defense in Sydney Scales and Melanie Welch,” Walker-Weinstein said. “Today, they were just off the charts. They gave all of the offensive players the opportunity to score when they were getting shot clock violations. They were causing turnovers. They were playing good team defense.”
Sharon Love created The One Love Foundation in 2010 after her daughter Yeardley Love, a lacrosse player at Virginia, was beaten to death by her ex-boyfriend just three weeks before her graduation. The organization provides education and resources about unhealthy relationships through its education center and workshops held across the country.
“It’s such a good thing for our girls to have awareness on because the profile of Yeardley is someone that’s similar to all of our girls,” Walker-Weinstein said. “It’s important for the girls to be paying attention—especially in a time with really fragile mental health—to be paying attention to all the relationships, not just boyfriend/girlfriend, but friendships.”
Despite the victory of the Eagles, the game meant more for both teams than a normal ACC matchup. While competing on the field, the Hokies and the Eagles worked together to draw awareness to the epidemic of relationship abuse and Love’s story.
“It’s just exciting to be able to play for something bigger today,” Walker-Weinstein said.
Featured Image by Nicole Wei / Heights Staff
