Last Minute heroics Lifts Boston College over Northeastern University

This past Sunday, the Boston College Eagles played a tightly contested match against the Northeastern University Mad Dogs. After a convincing victory over UConn the weekend before, BC may have entered the game a bit overconfident. From the whistle, the Mad Dogs, who were supported by a boisterous home crowd, outplayed the Eagles, particularly at the breakdown. BC soon went down by a score of 3-0 after Northeastern scored their first penalty kick. Although BC answered with an impressive offensive attack, they were stopped short of the goal line several times. Before the half was over, the Huskies managed to score another try and conversion and went up 10-0. The Eagles needed to turn things around if they hoped to salvage the game and win the match. Veteran players such as Kevin Wilkinson, Conor Hynes, Stew Harris, David Walsh and Ted Brisbin took it upon themselves to ignite the team as they headed back onto the pitch for the second half of play.
From the get-go, the Eagles were knocking on the Mad Dog try-line, but once again they failed to touch down the ball. The Mad Dog’s took advantage of a BC turnover and were able to score another try to go up 15-0. A miscommunication at the back of the BC scrum led to the Mad Dog scrum half breaking 80 meters down the field towards the try-zone. Just when it seemed as though Northeastern would put out any hope of a BC comeback, Dave Walsh made a last attempt to trip up the Northeastern player. He was able to make a shoestring tackle and force him down short of the score. A knock-on ensued, returning possession to BC. Looking back, this play saved the game for the Eagles. Their spirits were lifted however, when sophomore wing Jack Casey caught a Northeastern pop kick, and took it 70 meters to the house. This exciting run was what BC needed to get right back into the game. With the score now 15-5, the Eagles were threatening again but this time had to settle for a penalty kick. Dave Walsh put the kick through the posts to bring BC closer to evening the score, however, they still trailed by 7. With just under 15 minutes to play, BC was once again deep in Mad Dog territory. This time, they were able to capitalize and Senior Co-Captain Kevin Wilkinson fought to get the ball across the try line. A tough angle on the kick kept the Eagles from evening the score. With less than 5 minutes left, BC was once again making their way down the field. They were awarded a penalty for a Northeastern fraction at the ruck. Displaying confidence in Walsh's kicking, BC made the decision to go for the win and kicked for points. Walsh nailed his second kick of the day and put the Eagles ahead by a point, 16-15. The Mad Dogs tried to rally a last minute comeback but were stopped short as BC held onto possession of the ball. The Eagles were able to escape Sunday night’s match with a victory but will have to work hard during their week off to improve their defense and set pieces. After the game, Assistant Coach Jeff Monfette had this to say, “Its great that we came away with the win, but let’s not let this happen again. We can’t underestimate any opponent.” Assistant Coach Justin Goonan thought the boys showed strong resolve in their comeback.
Prior to the A-Side match, the BC second side dismantled the Northeastern B-side. Although the home team was first to get on the board with a penalty kick, they did not score again. The BC second XV again displayed the depth of the club and won the game with a final score or 40-3. This was an inspiring accomplishment considering many of the B side players were rookies playing for the first time. Conor Hynes had this to say about the growth of the club, “It’s exciting to see younger players like Jack Casey stepping up in big spots. Likewise, it is great to have a B side that has dominated all season, going back to the tournament at Dartmouth. It is comforting to know that we will continue to have a strong program in the future.” After this next weekend off, the Eagles next match will be at the University of Connecticut.