The victorious Boston College women’s lacrosse team came home to a boisterous celebratory reception on Monday afternoon outside Alumni Stadium.
The Eagles captured their second national championship in four years with a 14-13 victory over defending champion Northwestern on Sunday at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C.
The scene was in stark contrast to the reception the “bookend seniors” received after beating ACC rival Syracuse as freshmen in the 2021 title game.
The NCAA was still in COVID-19 lockdown when the Eagles defeated the Orange 16-10 in the solitude of Johnny Unitas Stadium in Towson, Md. The triumph lost more of its shine when the team returned to an empty campus.
“Coming home to Boston College is incredible because these girls are so passionate about this school,” said BC head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein. “So, to bring the trophy back literally to the Heights is a special moment.
“I said that to each and every one of them before they got off the bus. I said “listen, you have to take this all in because this is a once in a lifetime.”
“It was COVID the first year and nobody was here. No one watched us win. Everybody watched us on TV and the stadium was empty. So now, to come home and see this community come out is incredible and I am so grateful.”
Maddy Manahan, Annabelle Hasselbeck, and Kit Arrix were three of the “bookend seniors” that Walker-Weinstein credited for keeping the program at the highest level over the past four years. The first national championship is always special, but the win over Northwestern carried greater significance for the seniors that experienced both.
BC had been to the previous six national title games and only had one championship to show for it. The Eagles advanced to title games in 2022 and 2023 but were beaten by North Carolina and Northwestern. The sting of those defeats carried over into this season with a rematch against the Wildcats waiting there at the end.
“I think this one just honestly feels different from 2021,” said Hasselbeck. “In general, when you look at the game yesterday and you look at the whole thing, everyone just rallied around everyone and we were in this and we are not losing.
“To be a part of a group like this, it’s a special team from top to bottom. The fight we put up, that’s been us all year and it was just such an amazing way to kind of end that game. It had a different feeling from 2021.”
Most of this same group were trounced 18-6 by Northwestern in the 2023 title game. The Wildcats had won eight of nine championship matches under legendary head coach Kelly Amonte-Hiller before falling to BC by one goal.
BC brought its support system to North Carolina and a large vocal swath of the stadium was wearing Eagles’ gear. The unwavering support of the fan base came into play when the Eagles fell behind 6-0 in the first quarter.
BC faced a near impossible comeback against a Big 10 apex predator that is infamous for stomping on the jugular. The Eagles’ attack was relentless, the defense locked down and goaltender Shea Dolce made some incredible saves against the most dangerous snipers in Division 1.
Andrea Reynolds of Sudbury gave BC its first lead, 12-11, at 9:39 of the fourth while Kayla Martello’s five goals spearheaded the rally. Martello was named tournament MVP while Dolce and attackers Rachel Clark, MeKenna Davis and Emma LoPinto were named to the all-tournament team.
“I know how this operation works at Northwestern, so to be able to beat them is like slaying the dragon (because) Kelly Amonte is the greatest of all time,” said Walker-Weinstein.
“Andrea Reynolds was the backbone because she never stopped believing and she was never afraid of Northwestern or anything that they have ever been about. I was a little nervous at 6-0 but my players kept me hungry. I think the leader of that was Andrea Reynolds.”
