CHESTNUT HILL, MASS — Boston College needed a response and finally delivered one. Four days after a one-point heartbreaker in the opener, the Eagles finished the job at Conte Forum, beating New Hampshire 69–57 with timely shot-making, composure, and the kind of late-game toughness that had been missing.

The start was choppy but promising. Lily Carmody set the tone as a two-way piece, taking a charge, then answering at the other end with a three. Boston College led 18–13 after the first quarter, then let momentum slip with missed layups and turnovers that invited the Wildcats back. New Hampshire hit back-to-back threes and tied it late at 21 before BC steadied to take a 28–24 lead into halftime.

The third quarter turned into a grind. A clean Eagle break pushed the cushion to 37–31, but UNH kept countering and pulled even at 39–39 right before the horn. When the Wildcats jumped ahead 42–39 to start the fourth, Conte tightened. Carmody answered with a corner three to tie it at 42. From there Boston College controlled the final seven minutes with spacing, patience, and paint touches. Amirah Anderson drilled a go-ahead three in the middle of the run, Kayla Tomlinson converted an and-one to make it 60–48, and the Eagles closed with rebounds, free throws, and smart possessions to the horn.

Head coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee kept the message simple between quarters: “we have to play the way we practiced.” She added, “I thought that we really came together in the fourth quarter,” and later, “I’m glad they were able to pick that up and really end the game strong.” Asked about the swing from Monday to Thursday, she was blunt about who this team can be. “we are not a bad shooting team as a matter of fact, I know that we’re really good,” she said. “We can’t be a team that’s scared to make mistakes.”

Carmody’s fourth-quarter sequence mattered for tempo and for belief. She summed up her approach this way: “as long as I can do what I can on the defensive end and if I can make it up on the offensive end, then that’s also awesome.” On the late push she said, “coming off a loss last game, I think, honestly, everything was giving everything to my team and giving everything I had on the court… whether that was making shots or getting rebounds or playing on the defense, I’m just willing to do whatever.”

Freshman guard Teionni McDaniel helped set the early tone with pace and pressure, then backed it up with fourth-quarter poise. Her summary was as direct as her play: “I was trying to do my job.” A moment later she added that it was about “coming out, being focus… and doing what I need to do… on both ends.”

There was substance behind the emotion. BC’s spacing improved as the game wore on, which opened driving lanes and second-chance chances. The late-game composure was a step forward from the opener, where Boston College shot 53.5 percent on two-pointers and assisted on 60 percent of its field goals but could not close the final possessions. The difference Thursday was finishing. When the moment asked for it, the Eagles answered.

Context matters too. This roster has a different backbone. Carmody and fellow Australian Eleanor Trout bring a physical edge and maturity. Bernabei-McNamee is now the third-longest tenured head coach in the ACC, and the program’s identity has a clearer shape. Freshman Jocelyne Grier’s profile continues to rise as well; she entered the day as one of six freshmen nationally to post at least five steals in a debut and the only one among them to pair it with 10 points, five rebounds, and five steals.

The job now is to turn one response into a habit. The schedule cooperates. Boston College stays home to face UMass Lowell this Sunday, Nov. 9, at noon in Conte Forum. The charge is simple. Carry the fourth-quarter poise into the opening tip, keep the turnover count down, let defense and rebounding set the rhythm, and the shooting will follow. For a team that needed a reset, Thursday provided one. Sunday is the chance to build.

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Mac Hutchinson, a columnist in Boston, is the Multimedia Director of Eagles Daily, co-host of Eagles Weekly Podcast, and the founder of @BCFootballFans. He may be reached at mac@thinklyn.com

FOXBOROUGH, MA –  On a chilly and rainy afternoon at Gillette Stadium, the stage was set for another dramatic chapter in the storied rivalry between Boston College and Northwestern women’s lacrosse. Two teams intimately familiar with the pressures and triumphs of NCAA Final Four play went head-to-head, leaving everything on the field. In the end, it was Northwestern that emerged victorious, overcoming a significant deficit to secure a stunning 12-11 comeback victory over Boston College in the national semifinal.

The Eagles found themselves in a hole early, trailing 4-1 shortly into the contest. However, in typical BC fashion, senior Rachel Clark and her teammates quickly rallied, responding with three unanswered goals to level the score at 4-4. The momentum swings characterized much of this matchup, with neither team willing to yield.

One particularly memorable moment came in the second quarter, courtesy of BC captain Mallory Hasselbeck. The daughter of Matt Hasselbeck—Boston College’s former star quarterback and 17-year NFL veteran, who himself had numerous memorable performances at Gillette Stadium—Mallory delivered a poetic and impactful moment. Her goal gave the Eagles their first significant breathing room, putting them ahead 7-5 and igniting the neon-yellow-clad crowd, a beloved tradition initiated by head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein back in 2017 to ensure her players could visibly feel the support from their families and fans.

The Eagles extended their lead to 9-6 in the third quarter thanks to Emma LoPinto’s clutch performance. Mia Mascone then further widened the gap, scoring to make it 10-6. Boston College goalkeeper Shea Dolce was instrumental throughout, steadily gaining confidence as the match unfolded, continuing her tradition of coming through in pivotal Final Four moments. The highlight reel expanded even further as McKenna Davis scored on a breakaway late in the third quarter, seemingly placing the Eagles comfortably in control at 11-6.

However, Northwestern demonstrated the resilience and tenacity befitting their storied program, initiating an impressive comeback that saw them score six unanswered goals to stun BC in the fourth quarter. Riley Campbell, a graduate transfer from Harvard, played hero for the Wildcats, scoring the tying goal midway through the final period to even things at 11-11. Moments later, Northwestern completed their improbable comeback by taking a decisive 12-11 lead—a margin they would not relinquish.

One of the game’s compelling subplots was the head-to-head competition between Northwestern’s Madison Taylor, the nation’s leading scorer entering the game with 105 goals, and Boston College’s Rachel Clark, just two goals behind her. Both athletes showcased their immense talents, underscoring the intensity and skill level of NCAA women’s lacrosse at its highest stage.

Despite the heartbreaking loss, Coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein reflected positively on her team’s remarkable run. Emphasizing her decade-long message of “DREAM BIG,” Walker-Weinstein spoke about the importance of aiming beyond the tangible. “Winning the national championship is almost impossible,” she noted, highlighting the magnitude of her team’s accomplishments—two national championships in the last four years and seven consecutive championship game appearances. Although the Eagles will miss their eighth straight championship game, the spirit of their ambitious pursuit remains unwavering.

Northwestern, buoyed by this extraordinary comeback, now advances to face undefeated No. 1 North Carolina in Sunday’s national championship game. For Boston College, the end was bitter, but the dream—and their place in collegiate lacrosse history—remains undeniably intact.

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Mac Hutchinson, a columnist in Boston, is a reporter for Eagles Daily, co-host of Eagles Weekly Podcast, and the founder of @BCFootballFans. He may be reached at mac@thinklyn.com or @Mac_Hutchinson

CHESTNUT HILL, MA – It’s a rain-drenched afternoon in Chestnut Hill, and the Boston College women’s lacrosse team charges across the practice field with a familiar intensity. The Eagles are preparing for yet another postseason run – their seventh straight appearance in the NCAA championship game last spring marked an almost unprecedented streak, yet you wouldn’t know it from the way they grind through drills as if they have everything to prove. On Sunday, they’ll open the 2025 NCAA Tournament as the No. 2 seed, hosting Stony Brook on May 11 at Alumni Stadium. Despite being defending national champions, the Eagles still practice with chips on their shoulders, fueled by an underdog mentality and an unquenchable desire to write the ending to their story on their own terms.

The scene is both triumphant and routine: BC’s women’s lacrosse has, quietly and methodically, become a dynasty hidden in plain sight. In the last seven completed seasons, Boston College has reached the NCAA title game every single year. They finally broke through with the program’s first national championship in 2021, and after a couple agonizing runner-up finishes, they won it all again in 2024, defeating Northwestern in a thrilling 14–13 comeback to claim the trophy. As head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein hoisted the championship trophy amid a blizzard of confetti last Memorial Day weekend, it was a moment of catharsis for a program that had so often been on the brink. “Coming home to Boston College is incredible because these girls are so passionate about this school,” Walker-Weinstein said after that win, her voice filled with pride. “To bring the trophy back, literally to the Heights, is a special moment.”

Yet in the pantheon of college sports, BC’s sustained dominance has largely flown under the radar. In a sports landscape that lionizes dynasties like UConn women’s basketball or Alabama football, the Boston College women’s lacrosse program – with seven straight NCAA title game appearances (the second-most in women’s lacrosse history) and two championships in four years – still doesn’t receive the same national fanfare. Even the players themselves still embrace an underdog identity, refusing to grow complacent with success. “We will never get complacent,” says senior attacker Rachel Clark, one of the team’s current stars. “We still consider ourselves underdogs compared to some of the more prestigious programs.” It’s an almost jarring statement given what the Eagles have accomplished, but it speaks to the unique psyche that fuels this team. Boston College women’s lacrosse is, in many ways, the most underrated powerhouse in college sports – a dynasty that thrives on being doubted and overlooked, even as it stands on the cusp of history.

The Architect: Acacia Walker-Weinstein’s Vision and Leadership

Any discussion of BC’s rise must begin with head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein. A former All-American player at Maryland and U.S. national team member, Walker-Weinstein took over the Boston College program in 2013 and quickly set about transforming it from an ACC afterthought into a national contender. Over her 12-year tenure, she has cultivated a culture of excellence built on love, trust, and ferocious competitiveness. Under her leadership, the Eagles have evolved from a non-factor to a juggernaut, with seven consecutive trips to the national championship game since 2017.

Walker-Weinstein’s coaching style is equal parts demanding and nurturing. She empowers her athletes to take ownership of the team’s culture. “The truth is the girls own this team, not me,” she said in an interview, emphasizing that a player-led team is her ideal. “We [coaches] can strive to move forward, while the leadership and culture are carried over by the squad. I think that’s what I’m most proud of – we’re not dragging these girls along, they’re carrying the team and sustaining success, year in and year out.” From the start, Walker-Weinstein believed in recruiting a special type of player to build that culture. “We recruit type A competitors who are never content: unselfish, high-motor, hard-working,” she explained. These are athletes who will sacrifice normal college life – social events, downtime – in the relentless pursuit of a national championship. They want to win, but they also push themselves in the classroom and community. “When you have a whole team of well-rounded, balanced kids like that, good things happen,” she said simply.

Building a national power at a school without a prior championship pedigree was not easy. Walker-Weinstein methodically improved the infrastructure and support around the program, leveraging early success to gain investment. “As we started winning more and capturing the BC community’s attention, people just began to trust that the program was going somewhere, and they wanted to get behind us,” she recalled. Key donor contributions helped the team upgrade their locker room and secure full-time assistant coaches – steps that “really cemented our place as a legit program in the ACC,” according to the coach. Competing in the ACC, the nation’s toughest women’s lacrosse conference, meant BC needed every advantage to lure top talent away from the sport’s traditional powers. Walker-Weinstein’s efforts paid off. By the mid-2010s, Boston College was attracting elite recruits and was poised to make noise on the national stage.

Still, when the Eagles finally broke through to their first Final Four in 2017, they were widely seen as interlopers among blue-blood programs like Maryland, North Carolina, and Northwestern. Walker-Weinstein leaned into that underdog role, finding ways to give her players confidence on the big stage. In a now-famous moment before BC’s semifinal against Navy in 2017 – a game held at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts – she arranged for the Eagles’ cheering section to wear bright highlighter-yellow shirts as a show of force. “We were absolutely underdogs,” she said of that first Final Four. “I wanted our girls to look up in the stands and see their families and friends… and I wanted something that said ‘we’re not afraid to be here.’” She passed out 500 neon yellow shirts to the BC fans, turning the stands into a sea of gold. The stunt worked: Boston College edged Navy 16–15 to advance to the championship game, and “neon yellow has become a staple of BC lacrosse, unapologetic and loud in the stands at every game” since. It was a symbolic announcement that Boston College had arrived – and they weren’t going away.

Walker-Weinstein’s legacy at BC is already towering. In April 2024, she was named head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Team, a testament to the respect she’s earned in the lacrosse world. But her heart remains with her Eagles. Perhaps her most defining trait as a leader is how she harnesses heartbreak as fuel. After so many close calls – BC lost in the NCAA championship game in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022, often by narrow margins – Walker-Weinstein has spoken about how those disappointments forged the team’s resolve. “I think the losses along the way were part of this process – and I’m not glorifying losing by any means,” she told the media after finally winning the second title. “Maybe our staff and our players needed to be hardened a bit to be ready for this moment… those heartbreaking losses taught us what we needed to fix to be better and play smarter.” In other words, every stumble was a stepping stone, shaping Boston College into the battle-tested force it is now. That perspective has trickled down to her players, who have learned to embrace adversity as an education rather than a verdict. It’s why, even as the Eagles sit atop the sport, they continue to feel like they have something to prove each time they step on the field.

From Afterthought to Dynasty: A Historic Run

Boston College women’s lacrosse wasn’t always a powerhouse. In fact, before Walker-Weinstein’s era, the program had never reached an NCAA Final Four. The Eagles were often overshadowed in the ACC by the likes of Maryland (when the Terps were still in the ACC) and UNC, and by rivals like Syracuse. The transformation from a non-factor to a dynasty began with a few breakthrough recruiting classes and some transcendent players who put BC on the map.

First came the class of stars around 2017–2018: names now enshrined in BC lore like Sam Apuzzo, Kenzie Kent, and Dempsey Arsenault. That trio led the Eagles to their first title-game appearances, setting in motion the streak of championship runs. Apuzzo won the Tewaaraton Award (lacrosse’s Heisman) in 2018 and Kent delivered clutch performances that turned heads nationwide. They fell just short of a title – three years in a row BC came agonizingly close, losing the 2017 and 2019 championship games to Maryland and the 2018 final to James Madison. But the foundation had been laid: top recruits now saw Boston College as an up-and-coming power.

In 2020, Walker-Weinstein landed a program-changing transfer: Charlotte North from Duke. North, a Dallas native with a rocket shot, electrified the sport. She stepped in to fill the void left by Apuzzo’s graduation and promptly became a two-time Tewaaraton winner and the face of college lacrosse. With North spearheading the attack, Boston College finally broke through and captured its first NCAA championship in 2021, defeating Syracuse in the final. North shattered scoring records and brought an unprecedented spotlight to BC – suddenly young girls across New England were showing up to games wearing No. 8 jerseys, and highlight reels of North’s goals were going viral. As USA Lacrosse Magazine later put it, North “became a two-time Tewaaraton Award winner, NCAA record setter and lacrosse icon” during her time at BC. More importantly for the program, she proved that Boston College could climb the mountain and win it all.

That 2021 title lifted a weight off the program’s shoulders, but it didn’t satiate their hunger. The very next year, BC was back in the championship game (their fifth straight appearance by that point), only to fall to North Carolina in 2022. In 2023, they reached the final again, but ran into a buzzsaw Northwestern team and suffered a lopsided defeat, 18–6, in the title game. Critics wondered if the Eagles’ run was fading. But internally, BC only hardened its resolve. As the 2024 season dawned, the team embraced a mantra of finishing the job. “The magnitude and gravity of losing those championships kind of hits home,” Coach Walker-Weinstein admitted, reflecting on all the silver medals in their collection. Heading into Memorial Day 2024, Boston College still had “something to prove” – that they could win a second championship and silence any whispers about failing to seal the deal.

Memorial Day Weekend 2024 in Cary, North Carolina, will go down in BC lore as the moment the Eagles shattered the last remnants of doubt. In the NCAA final against undefeated Northwestern – a rematch of the previous year – Boston College fell behind 6–0 early, a nightmare start. But this program had been forged by fire too many times to panic. “I was a little nervous at 6–0,” Walker-Weinstein admitted afterward, “but my players kept me hungry.” Indeed, the team stayed composed and chipped away at the lead. By halftime it was 8–6. In the second half, momentum swung back and forth in a thriller. With just over 11 minutes left, Rachel Clark – then a junior attacker – scored to tie the game at 11–11. Minutes later, midfielder Andrea Reynolds put BC ahead 12–11, the Eagles’ first lead of the game. Northwestern, the reigning champion, threw everything into a furious last-minute rally, but Boston College’s defense and goalie held strong. When the final horn sounded at 14–13, BC had done it – a second national title, earned the hard way. In the process, they avenged the previous year’s defeat (that 18–6 drubbing) and emphatically proved that Boston College could finish on top more than once. The Eagles had now won two of the past four national titles, becoming just the eighth school with more than one lacrosse championship. The narrative that BC “struggles to finish the job” was laid to rest on that hot Carolina afternoon.

With that triumph, Boston College entered rarefied air. Their streak of seven straight championship-game appearances is already historic – trailing only the all-time great dynasties of Maryland and Northwestern (each with eight straight in their heyday) in NCAA women’s lacrosse history. Consider the company: Maryland won seven national titles in a row from 1995–2001, and Northwestern won seven in eight years from 2005–2012. BC hasn’t piled up that many trophies (yet), but in terms of sustained excellence and consistent presence on the biggest stage, the Eagles of the 2017–2024 era are right alongside those legendary programs. In the broader context of college sports, very few teams have made seven consecutive national championship games – not UConn basketball, not Alabama football. It’s a feat more reminiscent of John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins or Anson Dorrance’s UNC women’s soccer dynasty of the 1980s. And if the Eagles reach the final again this season, they will tie Maryland and Northwestern’s record streak at eight. This run is truly one of the most remarkable in college athletics – and it has been accomplished at a school that, a decade ago, had never even been to a Final Four.

Stars Leading the 2025 Championship Charge

The 2025 Eagles are a potent mix of battle-tested veterans, superstar transfers, and rising young talent – all coming together in pursuit of back-to-back national championships, something never before done at Boston College. Leading the way up front are two names that strike fear into opposing defenses: Rachel Clark and Emma LoPinto. Both arrived at BC via the transfer portal, and both have been nothing short of sensational.

Clark, a senior attacker wearing the maroon and gold No. 1, is the offensive engine. After two stellar seasons at Virginia, including ACC Freshman of the Year honors in 2022, Rachel Clark transferred to BC to chase a title. “A big reason I went to Virginia in the first place was to play for Coach [Julie] Myers,” Clark said of her decision to leave UVA after Myers’s retirement. “Her leaving is what prompted me leaving. I wanted to play for another coach with a winning history. [Acacia Walker-Weinstein] has built a successful program at BC and has a great connection with her players. She’s almost a motherly figure to them.” In Chestnut Hill, Clark found the championship culture she craved – and BC gained a lethal scorer. This season, she has been nothing short of dominant. Clark is averaging nearly five goals per game, the second-best mark in the nation, and has poured in 91 goals on the year. At times, she makes scoring look effortless, unleashing quick-stick finishes and dodges that leave defenders stumbling. It’s no surprise that she was named the ACC Attacker of the Year for 2025. Yet Clark remains humble and hungry. “Being surrounded by so many great players is going to push me to be better,” she said when she arrived at BC. “I learned that playing for the U.S., you have to earn your jersey every single day. That’s the mindset I am going to bring to BC.” She’s done exactly that – earning her spot and then some.

Emma LoPinto, another senior attacker, has been the perfect partner-in-crime for Clark. LoPinto transferred from the University of Florida, where she was a two-time All-AAC performer and one of the nation’s most exciting young scorers (125 goals in two seasons at UF). Seeking a more competitive conference and a Northeastern homecoming (she’s from Long Island), LoPinto chose BC, drawn by the program’s habit of playing on the season’s final day. “I wanted something a little closer to home and better academically,” LoPinto said of her transfer. “I wanted to be in a conference where every game is with a top-10 team in the country.” She called up friends on the BC team – including goalie Shea Dolce – to get the inside scoop. “They said something big was the culture and how much they love each other,” LoPinto recalled, noting how warm and loving Coach Walker-Weinstein was during the recruiting process. Now in the Eagles’ lineup, LoPinto has fit right in, bringing creativity and clutch finishing. She tallied 58 goals in the regular season (7th-most in the nation), often of the highlight-reel variety. In one game, she wowed the crowd with a behind-the-head flick shot on the crease – a play that ignited a run for BC. Together, Clark and LoPinto form one of the country’s most formidable one-two punches. As primary catalysts, they have led Boston College’s offense to be the top-scoring unit in the nation, with the Eagles scoring 26 more goals than any other team in Division I this year (averaging over 18 goals per game). Any given game, one or both might explode for five or six goals, and it’s often a matter of “pick your poison” for opposing defenses.

Crucially, Clark and LoPinto are far from the only weapons. One hallmark of BC’s 2025 squad is its depth of contributors. McKenna Davis, a “longtime Eagle” now in her senior season, provides veteran leadership and playmaking from the attack. Davis was the nation’s assists leader a year ago, and she continues to be the quarterback of the offense, often feeding Clark and LoPinto from behind the net. She speaks like a coach on the field, emphasizing the little things that make a difference. “When it comes down to games and preparation for games, any extra inch that we can get, any extra edge that we can find is what’s going to push us there,” Davis said, describing the team’s mindset. She has a knack for delivering that “extra inch” – whether it’s an extra pass to turn a good shot into a great one, or a burst of grit to win a ground ball in traffic.

In the midfield, grad student Mia Mascone has been a revelation. A transfer from Brown, Mascone brings Ivy League smarts and tenacity; she earned a starting role and scored clutch goals in the ACC Tournament, even earning praise for igniting BC’s offense early in the ACC final against UNC. Mascone’s emergence this year has made the Eagles midfield unit as balanced as it’s ever been. Meanwhile, Molly Driscoll and Kylee Colbert, two sophomores from Massachusetts and Long Island respectively, have blossomed into serious scoring threats. Described as “breakout sophomore talents” by observers, Driscoll and Colbert each have dozens of goals to their name this season as part of BC’s high-flying offense. Driscoll, in particular, has a flair for the dramatic – in the ACC title game, she buried a late fourth-quarter goal, a laser on the run, that gave BC hope in the waning minutes. Colbert, a highly touted recruit (#6 in her class nationally), has started to live up to the hype, using her speed and athleticism to win matchups and find the back of the net with impressive regularity.

On the defensive side of the ball, Boston College boasts an equally star-studded cast – starting with the last line of defense, goalkeeper Shea Dolce. Now a junior, Dolce took over the starting goalie job as a freshman and immediately made a name for herself with her poise and quick reflexes. In 2024’s championship win, she made an “iconic kick save” in the final that people still talk about. This season, she’s elevated her play to another level entirely. Dolce leads the nation in save percentage and ranks second in goals-against average (trailing only UNC’s goalie). In the pressure cooker of close games, having a rock-steady presence like Dolce in the cage is a security blanket for the Eagles. Coach Walker-Weinstein can’t hide her appreciation: “To have a stabilizer like Shea in cage – any slip up or a good offensive play [by the opponent], we have Shea back there to back everybody up,” she said. It’s no exaggeration to say Dolce has stolen multiple games for BC with acrobatic saves. 

In front of Dolce stands a formidable defensive unit, anchored by graduate student Morgan Smith. Smith, a transfer who joined BC for her final year of eligibility, brought veteran savvy to the back line. She’s seen every kind of attacker and isn’t fazed by big moments – after all, this will be her third NCAA Tournament (though first with BC). Smith has helped tighten up an Eagles defense that allows under 10 goals per game on average, giving BC the second-best scoring defense in the ACC (behind only UNC). “Everyone is a target,” Smith says of facing opponents who bring their best against the defending champs, but she relishes the win-or-go-home stakes of tournament play. The Eagles have a defense that complements their offense’s firepower. The result is a team with no obvious weaknesses – the kind of team that wins titles.

Statistically, the balance is striking. Boston College enters the NCAA Tournament with the nation’s No. 1 scoring offense (over 18 goals per game) and the No. 2 scoring defense in the country. They also lead the ACC in draw control percentage, an often overlooked stat that has been key to their dominance. In fact, even in games where BC has lost the majority of draws – for instance, in the Final Four last year against Syracuse, where the Eagles faced a record-setting draw specialist – they find ways to compensate, like crashing the circle for ground balls. That speaks to their hustle and tactical adaptability. “The mission was to get the ball to the ground,” Coach Walker-Weinstein said of facing Syracuse’s ace draw-taker, explaining how BC swarmed every 50/50 ball to negate the draw disadvantage. Indeed, in that game BC won the ground ball battle 21-12 to help offset the possession gap. It’s those details that make Boston College so hard to beat.

The ACC Gauntlet and the UNC Rivalry

When you ask Coach Walker-Weinstein or the players what keeps them sharp, they often point to the crucible of the ACC schedule. Seven of the top 16 teams in the country hail from the ACC. The conference even added a new member, Stanford, expanding its geographic reach. In such a league, there are few easy games – and that’s exactly how BC likes it. The Eagles ripped through the conference slate with a 17-2 regular season record, the only blemishes coming at the hands of their arch-nemesis, North Carolina. In fact, outside of their two losses to UNC, Boston College won every game against ACC opponents by at least six goals, including decisive victories in the ACC quarterfinal and semifinal. That statistic is jaw-dropping given the caliber of competition – it underscores that BC was a cut above the rest of the ACC pack this year. But it also highlights the one hurdle they haven’t yet cleared in 2025: the Tar Heels of UNC.

If Boston College is the sport’s most underrated dynasty, North Carolina is the current colossus blocking their path. The Tar Heels are the defending ACC champions and enter the NCAA Tournament undefeated at 18-0, ranked No. 1. They handed BC a heartbreaking 14-12 loss in the ACC championship game on April 27 – a game that was tied late in the second half until UNC pulled off a four-goal comeback in the fourth quarter. The Tar Heels also beat BC by a single goal in the regular season (a 12-11 nailbiter in Chapel Hill). Those two battles were wars of attrition, featuring runs and responses between evenly matched heavyweights. The two teams went back-and-forth all game, with nobody holding a lead of more than two goals. Ultimately, UNC’s dominance on the draw (they won 8 of 10 draws in the fourth quarter) tilted that game in their favor. In the regular season meeting, it was similarly razor-thin. As BC players are quick to remind, the aggregate score of their two clashes is 26-23. These teams are close.

North Carolina has become a familiar foe for Boston College. The two have met in four of the past seven NCAA title games (UNC beat BC in 2016 and 2022; BC beat UNC in 2021’s semifinal en route to the title). A genuine rivalry has developed between the Eagles and the Tar Heels – one built on mutual respect and high stakes. UNC’s program is itself a powerhouse, with three NCAA titles (2013, 2016, 2022) under coach Jenny Levy and a track record of championship-level consistency. This year’s Tar Heels boast the nation’s No. 1 defense and No. 2 offense, essentially the mirror image of BC’s profile (BC has No. 1 offense, No. 2 defense). In the ACC final, UNC showed championship mettle by roaring back when down 11-9, reeling off four straight goals. BC’s players walked off the field that day bitter but resolute. However, there’s also a quiet confidence. As the saying goes, it’s extremely hard to beat the same team three times in one season. Boston College hopes to earn one more shot at UNC, and if they do, they’ll carry that adage with them. For neutrals, a UNC-BC title showdown in Foxborough on May 25 would be a dream matchup: undefeated Goliath vs. defending champ with a grudge. For BC, it would be the ultimate chance to validate their season. But, as coaches always say, there’s work to do before that can happen.

The Road Ahead: NCAA Tournament Preview

As the 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket unfolded on Selection Sunday (May 4), Boston College learned its path back to Championship Weekend. The Eagles earned the No. 2 overall seed (behind only UNC) with their 17-2 record. That seeding not only reflected respect for their season, but it also granted them a first-round bye – a crucial reward given the expanded 29-team field. While 26 other teams duked it out in the first round on May 9-10, BC could rest and refocus.

Their tournament journey begins in the second round on Sunday, May 11, at home in Alumni Stadium, facing the Stony Brook Seawolves, a team that’s no stranger to the NCAA stage. Stony Brook has quietly been a mid-major power for years under coach Joe Spallina – they just captured their third straight CAA championship and have made 12 NCAA appearances in his tenure. The Seawolves sport a stout defense (allowing just 8.8 goals per game, 6th-best nationally) and a methodical style of play. They’re led by a defensive star, CAA Defender of the Year Avery Hines, who averages 3.5 caused turnovers per game (2nd in the nation). Offensively, Stony Brook isn’t as explosive as BC, but they’re efficient and patient, averaging a respectable 15.2 goals. For Boston College, the key in this matchup will be to assert their tempo – they’ll want to turn it into a shootout rather than a defensive slog. On paper, BC’s firepower should be too much (the Eagles beat most teams by an average of 10 goals this year), but this is the survive-and-advance season where anything can happen. One need only recall last year’s quarterfinal scare, when an upstart Loyola team pushed BC to the brink, to know the Eagles won’t overlook anyone.

If Boston College advances past the second round, the next stop is the NCAA quarterfinal on May 15 (a Thursday night) in Chestnut Hill. The bracket sets up a likely quarterfinal showdown between BC and the No. 7 seed, Yale. Yale is an intriguing opponent – an Ivy League champion with a defense-oriented identity. The Bulldogs boast the nation’s 4th-best scoring defense, trailing only UNC, BC, and Northwestern. They play a physical, disciplined style and have a top-tier goalie anchoring their unit. However, Yale’s offense ranks just 28th nationally, meaning they can struggle to keep up with high-scoring teams. Boston College did not face Yale this regular season, but they did meet in 2024: the Eagles won 16-8 in that game, using a big second-half run to pull away. In a quarterfinal scenario, the pressure will be immense – for Yale, it would be their first Final Four trip in modern history, while for BC it would be an expectation. The contrast in style (BC’s run-and-gun vs. Yale’s slow-and-steady) could make for a fascinating chess match. Expect BC to try to blitz Yale early and avoid a low-scoring grinder. The familiarity of home turf and the roar of the BC fans – likely donned in neon yellow and smelling a Final Four – should provide a boost.

Survive that, and it’s back to Championship Weekend – this time, effectively, a home game. The 2025 NCAA Women’s Final Four is being held at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA, just a half hour down the road from BC’s campus. The Eagles have had this date circled all year: the chance to play for a title in front of a partisan Massachusetts crowd. If they do punch their ticket, the national semifinal on May 23 could set up yet another titanic clash – this time with likely opponent No. 3 seed Northwestern, in what would be a rematch of the last two NCAA championship games. The subplot writes itself: the Eagles and Wildcats have developed quite the post-season rivalry, meeting in the title game in 2022 and 2023 (NU won in 2023, BC in 2024). Northwestern, led by legendary coach Kelly Amonte Hiller, is synonymous with women’s lacrosse excellence – they won seven NCAA titles between 2005 and 2012 and have reloaded for another run now. This year’s NU team is extremely stout defensively and still a top-10 scoring offense. Boston College actually traveled to Evanston back in February and beat Northwestern 13-9 on their home field, a victory that announced BC’s 2025 intentions loudly. But that was three months ago, practically a lifetime in sports. It’s worth noting: a BC-Northwestern semi would pit the last two national champions against each other, effectively a de facto title match in terms of pedigree.

If Boston College manages to navigate all those challenges – the hungry mid-major (Stony Brook), the defensive Ivy upstart (Yale), and the old foe with a score to settle (Northwestern) – then, and only then, will they likely get the matchup they have wanted since last May: a national championship showdown with North Carolina. It would be the eighth straight NCAA title game for BC, an accomplishment almost unimaginable a decade ago. If they do advance, they are likely to face No. 1 seed undefeated North Carolina on the field, the only team that has beaten the Eagles this year and the team who just took them down in the ACC Championship. The prospect is mouth-watering: Boston College vs. North Carolina, Round 3, with the biggest prize at stake, and in front of a massive crowd in Foxborough. The narrative practically writes itself: BC looking to go back-to-back and officially shed any remaining “underrated” label; UNC looking to complete a perfect season and claim its fourth national title. The two best offenses and two best defenses in the country would be on display. Stars all over the field. Coaching chess matches. The history of BC’s frustration against UNC, versus the hunger to finally slay the giant. As fans, we can only hope we get to see it. But as Coach Walker-Weinstein and her players will be the first to say, they cannot look past anyone. “One game at a time” may be an old cliché, but it’s an ethos that has served BC well. They know better than to let their gaze drift to North Carolina when Stony Brook is the immediate hurdle in front of them. As senior defender Morgan Smith put it, in the NCAA Tournament, “everyone is a target” – including the favorites. And Boston College, despite their underdog self-image, knows they carry a big target as the reigning champions.

Underdogs at Heart: The Eagles’ Mindset

Spend any time around this Boston College team, and one word keeps surfacing: “underdog.” It’s almost surreal – how can a program that has accomplished so much still genuinely see itself as an underdog? But they do. It’s a mindset deeply ingrained, and it’s one of the secret ingredients to their success. The players talk about “keeping that edge” and “playing with something to prove” all the time. As Coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein says, her team is made up of kids who are never satisfied. “These girls are deeply, intrinsically motivated. Singular moments of success are not what they’re seeking,” she said. “They want long-term success, consistent success, and they’re always looking for more – like me. As long as there’s still more out there for us, we’re coming for it.” 

Part of the underdog mentality comes from the journey BC took to get here. This wasn’t a legacy program handed down by a pioneer coach decades ago; this was built brick by brick in recent years. Many of the fifth- and sixth-year seniors remember what it felt like when BC was almost on top but not quite – those string of championship game losses that earned them sympathy but not glory. “The magnitude and gravity of losing those championships kind of hits home,” Walker-Weinstein admitted. Rather than breed fear, those disappointments bred a sort of collective chip on the shoulder. 

Chasing History and Craving Respect

As Boston College enters the 2025 NCAA Tournament, they stand on the precipice of making even more history. A championship this spring would mean back-to-back national titles – something no team at Boston College (in any sport besides men’s ice hockey) has ever accomplished. It would mark eight straight title-game appearances, tying the all-time record held by Maryland and Northwestern, and firmly placing BC’s run among the greatest dynasties college lacrosse has seen. It would also give the Eagles their third NCAA trophy in five seasons, suddenly putting them in the conversation with the sport’s elite programs in terms of hardware. For a program that not long ago was desperate to shed the bridesmaid label, that’s a seismic shift.

Yet, despite all they’ve done, there is a lingering sense that Boston College hasn’t gotten its full due in the wider sports landscape. Perhaps it’s because lacrosse is still a growing sport nationally. Perhaps it’s because BC, as an athletic department, is more often associated with hockey or the occasional big upset in football. Whatever the reason, the Eagles’ accomplishments haven’t permeated the mainstream sports consciousness the way, say, Alabama football’s dynasty or UConn women’s hoops’ dynasty have. When people talk about dominant college teams of the 2020s, BC women’s lacrosse deserves to be mentioned in the same breath – but usually it isn’t. And that’s why we call them “the most underrated program in college sports.”

Consider the consistency and excellence: Seven straight championship games (with the potential for an eighth). Only a handful of NCAA programs in any sport can claim a streak like that – John Wooden’s UCLA men’s basketball teams in the 1960s and 70s, Anson Dorrance’s UNC women’s soccer (nine straight titles from 1986-94) – and those are legendary dynasties etched in sports history. Boston College women’s lacrosse is right there in consecutive finals appearances. Or take their recent championship tally: two titles in four years, which doesn’t sound like a lot until you realize only six programs ever have even two NCAA women’s lacrosse championships. BC is one of them, joining the likes of Maryland, Northwestern, Virginia, Princeton, and North Carolina. They have achieved in a decade what took other powers much longer to build.

And yet, the Eagles remain oddly under-appreciated. They aren’t on national TV every week; their players don’t become household names outside lacrosse circles in the way that, say, a UConn or Tennessee basketball star might. Some of that is just the niche nature of lacrosse. But some of it is that Boston College, as a smaller catholic private school in New England, doesn’t have the built-in fan base or media hype of some state school powerhouses. Walker-Weinstein and her team don’t mind. In fact, they lean into it. It gives them freedom to play with a fearless style – after all, if people underestimate you, you’re free to prove them wrong.

This year, however, the secret is well and truly out. Every opponent knows BC is the team to beat (aside from UNC). And if the Eagles manage to hoist the championship trophy again on May 25 in Foxborough, there will be no denying their place among the all-time great programs. The Eagles are very much writing a dynasty story of their own.

But ask the players, and they aren’t chasing headlines – they’re chasing fulfillment for themselves, their team, their school. When Coach Acacia accepted the NCAA championship trophy last spring, she immediately turned and handed it to her co-captains. It was symbolic: this program belongs to the players who built it and carry it forward. “It is not easy to get to the national championship, it’s not easy to win, almost impossible,” she conceded after last year’s win, acknowledging the magnitude of what they’d done. “Everything has to be aligned.” 

As Boston College embarks on the 2025 NCAA Tournament, there’s a quiet feeling around the program that they are on the verge of something truly special. They have a shot to do what they’ve never done – defend a title – and to do it in front of their home crowd at Gillette Stadium. They carry the pride of the entire BC community, which has gradually awoken to just how extraordinary this team is. They also carry the lessons of all those near-misses and the confidence of champions. And, importantly, they carry that underdog spirit – paradoxical as it may seem – that keeps them scrappy and hungry.

Underrated? Perhaps. Underappreciated? Maybe in some quarters. But undeterred and unbeatable when it matters most? That’s the identity Boston College has forged. All that’s left is to finish the job – and maybe then, the most underrated program in college sports will finally get their full due as the champions they have proven themselves to be, time and time again.

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Mac Hutchinson, a columnist in Boston, is a reporter for Eagles Daily, co-host of Eagles Weekly Podcast, and the founder of @BCFootballFans. He may be reached at mac@thinklyn.com or @Mac_Hutchinson