Maryland women’s lacrosse vs. Boston College preview: Terps begin a homestand

On Wednesday, Maryland women’s lacrosse plays its first home game at the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex against Boston College. The Eagles enter the matchup with a 6-2 record and a three-game winning streak. Boston College received votes for this week’s rankings, but aren’t in the official top 20. Maryland, meanwhile, is still the No. 1 team in the country.

Boston College Eagles (6-2)

Head Coach Acacia Walker. She’s in her fifth season as head coach at Boston College. Walker was the fastest coach to reach 50 wins, doing so in her 74th game last season. Under Walker, the Eagles have made four straight NCAA Tournament appearances and have been ranked as high as third in the country.

Players to Watch

Kate Weeks, 5’9, Attack, No. 24. Weeks, who lead Boston College in goals last season with 43, leads the nation in goals this year with 30. The senior boasts a .588 shooting percentage and has scored at least three goals in each of her last four games, including sox last week.

Sam Apuzzo, 5’6, Attack, No. 2. Apuzzo was the 11th ranked incoming freshman prior to the 2016 season. She leads the Eagles in points with 45 and is second in goals with 25, also good for sixth in the country. Apuzzo is coming off a five-goal, nine-point performance last week against Navy, her third five-goal game of the season.

Strength

Scoring. Boston College is 21st in the country with 14 goals per game, eighth in points with 22, and seventh in assists with 7.5 a game. They have scored double-digit goals in all but one game this year, including at least 18 three times and 20 last week. This should be another great test for Maryland’s tough defense.

Weakness

Free Position. The Eagles have only scored 21 goals on 61 free position chances in 2017. That 34 percentage is only good for 83rd in the country, and this should allow Maryland to play aggressive defense.

Three Things to Watch

1. The Eagles split goalkeeper duties. Through eight games, Boston College goalkeepers Zoe Ochoa and Lauren Daly have both played over 200 minutes. In seven games, they’ve split responsibilities, with Ochoa playing the first halves and Daly playing the second halves.
2. Two dominant units. Maryland’s defense that has only allowed 8.25 goals a game will take on Boston College’s explosive offense. The game will be decided on Maryland’s end of the field.
3. It’s good to be home. The Terps will play on their true home field for the first time during this game. While playing four games in four unfamiliar stadiums hasn’t affected them, returning home for four consecutive games should only strengthen their chances to keep the wins coming.