The women’s lacrosse team (1-2) lost to No. 1 Boston College (5-0, 1-0 ACC) 15-9 Saturday at Stevenson-Pincince Field. The final score was the undefeated Eagles’ smallest margin of victory yet in the season, with BC having already waltzed past ranked powers Northwestern University, the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the University of Virginia, in addition to Boston University.
Goalkeeper Erin Tucker ’22 posted 13 saves against an Eagles team that had scored 22 goals in each of their prior three games. But BC’s attacking talent — centered around Charlotte North, the winner of the 2021 Tewaaraton Award for the best player in college lacrosse — was too much for the Brown defense to handle.
North, who in 2021 set an NCAA record for most goals in a season, entered the game with a staggering 24 goals in four games in 2022.
Brown caught a glimpse of her dominance just 77 seconds into the game. On a free position, North fired a bullet into the top corner to give the defending national champions a quick 1-0 lead.
But the Bears responded three minutes later when attacker Jackie Mason ’24, while facing away from the goal, shoveled a backhand shot past BC goalie Rachel Hall to pull the score even at one apiece.
On the defensive side, Brown stood firm after North scored her opening goal, forcing two straight BC turnovers.
Midway through the first quarter, midfielder Mia Mascone ’23 capitalized on the defense’s efforts, making an explosive cut down the right side of the cage and finding the back of the net to earn the Bears a surprising early lead.
Tucker and the Brown defense continued to shut down the BC attack, barring any Eagles from scoring until BC attacker Jenn Medjid tied the game with just under two minutes left to play in the first quarter.
“Our main goals on defense were to stop their transition attack and to protect the eight-meter,” said defender Lydia Bongiorno ’23.
The Eagles soon unleashed their explosive attacking talent. After Medjid scored, BC added two more goals before the end of the quarter. When play resumed, the Eagles netted an additional four unanswered goals — including three from North — to suddenly make it an 8-2 game. North particularly showcased her renowned shooting ability on BC’s eighth goal, switching to her off hand to avoid a Brown defender and ripping a pinpoint shot through Tucker’s legs.
North would have had another score in the second if not for a superb reaction save from Tucker after North had strolled past the Bears’ defense.
Tucker made a total of four saves on North in the game and also denied several point-blank opportunities and free position shots from others in the BC attack.
“She was awesome,” said Head Coach Keely McDonald.
“Having a goalie like that really does set the standard for how we want to play,” attacker Alaina Parisella ’22 said.
After falling behind by six, Brown launched their own run, scoring three unanswered goals across the second and third quarters, with scores from Mascone, Parisella and attacker Claire Jeschke ’22.
But after Medjid and Bears attacker Maggie Fowler GS exchanged goals to make it a 9-6 game, BC went on a devastating 6-0 run, including three goals in a 50-second span at the start of the fourth quarter to make it 15-6.
The Brown defense did not allow another goal for the final 13 minutes, allowing the team to cut the final deficit to six, with goals from attacker Leah Caputo ’24, midfielder Emmie Lau ’23 and Mason.
“We wanted to play team defense,” McDonald said. “For 90% of the game, we did that great.” Regarding the stretches in which BC ran up the score, McDonald added, “in those moments, they capitalized on turnovers that we made.”
The loss to BC came after a disappointing defeat to Hofstra University Feb. 22, but Bongiorno maintained that the performance against the Eagles was different. The contest against BC “was our best game yet,” she said.
The Bears will next travel to the College of the Holy Cross today, before opening up Ivy League play against Columbia on Saturday.
