Second-half rally by W. Lax defeats BC Eagles

The Hopkins Women’s Lacrosse team came away this past weekend with an impressive win against the 16th-ranked Boston College (BC) Eagles.

The Jays were determined to win their last regular season game, and this resolute determination sparked a remarkable second half comeback for the Jays.

The win keeps alive the team’s hope of vying for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament later this month.

The Eagles quickly controlled the scoreboard in the first half of the game, racing out to a 6-1 advantage midway through the second quarter.

By the end of the first half the Jays had a tough fight ahead of them as the Eagles had a dominant 7-3 lead going into the second half.

However, this deficit did not prove to scare off the Jays as they came back to dominate the second half. After an opening second-half goal by BC, the Jays took control of the game and did not look back, scoring six unanswered goals in the span of 10 minutes.

Standout sophomore attacker Emily Kenul was a large contributor to the Jays’ success in the second half, totaling five points (three goals, two assists) during the contest. Kenul now has 31 career assists and ranks 16th all-time for assists in Hopkins history.

“We were very motivated to rally past the deficit in the second half,” Kenul said. “We knew that if we lost, it could mean the end of our season. We fought to keep chipping away at the score.”

Sophomore Shannon Fitzgerald provided a spark to Kenul and the rest of her teammates. She tallied a career-high six points, five of which came in the second half. Fitzgerald scored Hopkins’ first goal in the second half to start off their six-goal streak, and just 51 seconds later she assisted Kenul to put another point on the board for the Lady Jays.

Kenul finished off Hopkins’ six-goal streak to tie the game with her third goal of the day. Later, Fitzgerald and Kenul would combine again, this time Kenul with the assist to Fitzgerald, giving Hopkins a 10-9 lead.

“What contributed most to our win was our performance in the second half of the game,” Kenul said. “Our defense was able to shut down their offense, and that really frustrated them.”

A key component to the Jays’ success in the second half was their control of key possessions, largely thanks to senior captain Dene’ DiMartino. The mid-fielder totaled nine draw controls, as many draws as the entire BC team combined and just one shy of her school record. DiMartino also extended her impressive point and goal-scoring streaks to 51 and 43, respectively.

With more than enough time to come back from a quick 6-1 deficit, the Lady Jays did not back down. Their offense took control in the second half, and they were able to string together successful plays and rocket more shots into the back of the net. The Jays were determined to finish the last game of regular season strong and did not disappoint. Hopkins outscored the host team 9-2 in the second half to walk away with a 12-9 win.

Capping off the season on a high note, the Lady Jays finished with an 11-7 record. Hopkins is now 1-1 all-time against Boston College. The team will wait to hear their postseason fate and determine whether they have done enough to be considered for the NCAA tournament.

The possibility of an at-large berth rests on the NCAA selection show set for Sunday, May 8 at 9:00 p.m.