BC women’s lacrosse beats Syracuse 10-7, advances to seventh straight National Championship game

The Eagles held Syracuse scoreless for over 15 minutes two separate times on Friday.

Boston College is heading back to the women’s lacrosse National Championship game for a seventh straight year.

The Eagles’ defense stifled Syracuse, and sophomore goalkeeper Shea Dolce made 12 saves, guiding BC to a 10-7 win in Friday’s semifinal matchup. Two separate times, once in the first half and again to open the second half, the Eagles held the Orange scoreless for over 15 minutes of game action.

“I’m so proud of the teamwork, these girls prepare so hard,” coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein said postgame. “I think these guys really have something special this year, the leadership is really something special.”

Syracuse opened the evening’s scoring less than a minute into the game, and took a 2-1 lead six minutes in. After that, it was all BC, who scored five straight goals from the end of the first quarter to the midway point of the second frame.

Out of the halftime break, the Eagles retook control again. Rachel Clark completed her hat trick under seven minutes into the third quarter; she finished the night with four goals and one assist. Equally important, BC again held Syracuse off the scoreboard, not letting the Orange pot a single goal in the entire third quarter.

During that stretch, Dolce was called upon to make key stops, and delivered for the Eagles on nearly every occasion. Her seven second-half saves were vital to BC maintaining its lead.

“She amazes me, and again her composure as such a young leader is so incredible,” Walker-Weinstein said. “12 saves against the greatest shooters in the country is incredible.”

Syracuse still had hope late in the fourth quarter, down two goals with just under two minutes to play. But the Eagles had 71 seconds to work with on the shot clock, and drained every last second of it before potting a game-sealing goal with 31 seconds remaining.

Clark led BC’s offense with five points, followed by McKenna Davis with four (three goals, one assist). The Eagles will take on No. 1 seed Northwestern for the National Championship on Sunday, in a rematch of last year’s title game.