It just had to be them, didn’t it?
Yes, it was always going to be them.
Because there was no way the Syracuse Orange were ever going to make a run for their first ACC Tournament title since 2015 without having to go through their arch-nemesis.
The Boston College Eagles. They’ve beaten ‘Cuse five straight times, including in the 2021 National Championship game and the 2023 National Semifinal. In the last three meetings, the Orange held a lead entering the fourth quarter, only to lose the game by one, once in overtime. Last year, BC ended SU’s undefeated record and their season.
The heartbreaks have been multiple and the own-age has been complete, at least in the last few seasons.
BC has stood between ‘Cuse and a lot more success in recent years. Will they do it again, or will the Orange finally get over their BC hump?
We’ll find out today at 12 PM on the ACC Network.
- All-time series: 30th meeting; Syracuse leads, 17-12
- Streak: Boston College won 5 in a row
- Last meeting: Boston College W, 11-10 OT, on April 18, 2024
- Boston College this year: 15-3 overall, 9-2 ACC
The Eagles started their ACC Tournament on Wednesday with a romp over Duke, 19-5, in the quarterfinals, and then followed that up with a 9-7 win over Notre Dame in Friday’s semifinals.
Scouting Boston College
So, I think we all get the deal with BC at this point, right? They are a loaded team. In every phase of the game, they have All-American caliber talent.
On offense, they’re led by one of the best goal scorers in the country in Rachel Clark (63G, 14A, 77P) and one of the best distributors in the country in Mckenna Davis (16G, 56A, 72P). Clark is just outside the Top 10 nationally in goals per game (3.71), while Davis is just outside the Top 5 in assists per game (3.11).
Emma LoPinto (47G, 23A, 70P) is their third 70-point scorer, and Kayla Martello (52G, 6A, 58P) is another lethal finisher for their attack.
Belle Smith (36G, 13A, 49P) and Cassidy Weeks (33G, 9A, 42P) are two of the best midfielders in the entire country, and they’re impact players in every phase of the game. Mentioning them fifth and sixth is a true testament to the incredible wealth and depth of talent on this BC roster.
Ryan Smith (56DC) will go up against Kate Mashewske in an incredibly important battle in the draw circle alongside a host of strong circle players in Weeks (57DC), Andrea Reynolds (43DC), Smith (39DC) and Abbey Herod (33AD).
The BC defense is just as loaded as their offense, headlined by Sydney Scales (29GB, 32CT), one of the best defenders in the country. Add to Florida transfer Becky Browndorf (24GB, 16CT), Hunter Roman (15GB, 16CT) and Shea Baker (10GB, 8CT), and you’ve got an elite unit that holds great offenses down.
To that point, the Syracuse offense has only been held under 15 goals once in their last 12 games, and it was the 10 they scored against BC 10 days ago.
Goalie Shea Sweet (115SV) is the backstop of that elite unit and one of the best goalies in the country with a .464 save percentage and an 8.17 goals-against average.
