Boston College Athletics

Five minutes into the second half, Boston College didn't have any more second-half magic in its sticks. Trailing 10-5 to the top-ranked Maryland Terrapins, the clock strike drew nearer, and Cinderella's time at the ball danced its final dance. The game slipped away, and there was no way the Eagles could or would come back against a team the caliber of their ultra-tough, ultra-talented opponent.
 
Apparently the message was lost on the Maroon and Gold sideline.

Though Maryland ultimately pulled away late in the game, multiple second half BC rallies allowed the Eagles to walk away from their NCAA Championship Game appearance with the respect of every single of the nearly-12,000 fans in attendance at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, plus lacrosse fans all over the country. 
 
"I'm really proud of my team," head coach Acacia Walker said. "To take down Maryland is like slaying a dragon, and I think my girls fought until the very end. I'm really proud of our group. They're really good people, and they changed everything for BC."

In the national title game itself, BC delivered one of its finest team performances. The Eagles joined the Terrapins for a record amount of offense, with a combined 29 goals breaking the record of 28 set in both in 2007 and 2009. Their 13 goal performance joined marked the second time BC scored at least that amount against Maryland this season; only three other teams achieved that height, none more than once. And they just kept coming, even when they were down five goals late, scoring late goals to pressure the scoreboard even when victory was all but out of reach.
 
"(We told the players) to just do their thing," Walker said of the team's ability to rally. "We just got into a rhythm. We had so many plays to run; I make them run like 55 plays with 12 options on each play. They're just so smart, and they just tuned in and did what they needed to do. Every person did their job. We just sort of plugged away on our set plays."
 
Individually, Kenzie Kent became perhaps the brightest star. Her 10-point performance in the NCAA Championship tied the game's record set by Maryland's Jen Adams in 2000, equaling her career best. She scored five goals, the second-most allowed by the Terrapins this season.
 
She also shattered the NCAA Tournament points record, scoring 21 goals and 16 assists in the team's five national postseason games. Named Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament, the two-sport phenom still has one year left under BC colors.
 
"Boston College is a different team with her than they are early in the season while she's still competing in hockey," Maryland head coach Cathy Reese said. "She's tough to defend. She's got great field vision. When you watch her play, she can see the field really well and she can find her open teammates. She's been a big part of where they were able to go this season."
 
Losing the national championship game can be bitter, but the Eagles can take solace in what they accomplished. When they started the season, a blank slate of games stood in front of them. Impossible to imagine, it ended after graduation, after nearly every other sport's completion, as one of the last two teams standing on their sport's grandest stage.
 
"You look at your schedule when you get it," goalkeeper Zoe Ochoa said, "and you obviously want to win every game. You hope to perform your best and get a win, make it to the ACC and win your first ACC game, and then you go into the national tournament and championship. It happens so fast, and it's kind of incredible how you blink and your season's over. We've had some amazing games and really had a lot of comebacks."
 
"Obviously no one expected us to be here," echoed Kent. "After I lost in the Frozen Four, I couldn't be more excited, for some reason, to join this team. We lost today, but it's a cool experience. It's been amazing, especially with this team. It's been a really special one."
 
Acacia Walker has now been a part of 14 of the last 15 national tournaments as a player or a coach, with Boston College earning berths in six of seven seasons in her tenure as both head coach and associate head coach. This graduating senior class advanced played postseason NCAA games every year, including an Elite Eight and Final Four/National Championship berth.
 
"It just goes to show how great our team is," Ochoa said. "They're amazing people. Our coaches are incredible people. We wouldn't be as amazing as we are without the leadership of our coaches. They teach us how to be amazing people and work hard. We go out to every practice (as) best friends, and we just work hard and beat the crap out of each other."
 
It's a culture that became a capstone for their performance. The lower bowl of Gillette Stadium stood nearly full, with the attendance of 11,668 breaking the record for most people witnessing a women's lacrosse championship game. Many of those in attendance came to support the Eagles, with most staying until the end to cheer for their team.
 
"Playing in front of 12,000 people will change you in a good way, no matter what the result of the game is," Walker said. "I think it will build their confidence as people, and (they'll) realize that they've done a special thing for themselves and their teammates. We're trying to make these girls confident women to go out and change the world once they're done at BC. I think they're so humble sometimes that I have to shake them and say, 'You guys are great. Look at what you've done. Listen to the crowd.' I was excited for them."