Boston College lacrosse falls just short in quest to repeat as UNC prevails

"North Carolina was amazing today, and so were we."

The Boston College lacrosse team fell, 12-11, to North Carolina in the national championship game Sunday. Steve Ruark for the Boston Globe

By Trevor Hass

May 29, 2022

2 minutes to read

The Boston College lacrosse team came tantalizingly close to capturing its second straight national title but lost, 12-11, as North Carolina capped an undefeated season in style.

The No. 3 Eagles (19-4), playing in their fifth consecutive championship game, pulled even at 10 with 9:50 remaining on a goal from Belle Smith. Sam Geiersbach and Scottie Rose Growney delivered to put the No. 1 Tar Heels (22-0) ahead by two. Cassidy Weeks converted with 14.9 seconds remaining to slice the deficit to one, but BC ran out of time and came up short in a battle that lived up to the hype in Baltimore.

“North Carolina was amazing today, and so were we,” BC coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein said.

Charlotte North doing Charlotte North things 😤 @BCwlax

📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/e7Emrdw5dS
— espnW (@espnW) May 29, 2022

Charlotte North paced the Eagles with 4 goals, capping a spectacular career as the NCAA’s all-time leader with 358. North, who transferred to BC in 2019, helped take the program to the next level along with her fellow upperclassmen.

“I can’t really put it into words,” North said. “I’m forever grateful to Acacia for letting me be a part of this special family. I have the best teammates in the world. That’s the hardest part of this, is having to walk away from them. I’m forever indebted to them for giving me the memories of a lifetime.”

They nearly notched one more memory. BC fell behind, 5-2, through one, but responded to slice it to 7-5 at halftime as Rachel Hall made several key saves. Jenn Medjid kept the momentum rolling, and BC tied it at 8 through three. It was fitting that the game came down to the final quarter.

Jenn! She delivers the strike to slice the gap in the second quarter.

North Carolina – 6
Boston College – 4#ForBoston🦅 pic.twitter.com/CW7LiuZA2Q
— BC Women's Lacrosse (@BCwlax) May 29, 2022

Kayla Martello put the Eagles ahead early in the fourth, then UNC seized momentum when it mattered most.

Walker-Weinstein praised her players for sacrificing for one another and risking everything for the program with no guarantee. Losses like this don’t get any easier even after the triumph last year, but she left knowing the past, present, and future are all incredibly bright.

“To get here is really difficult. To win is even harder,” Walker-Weinstein said. “I’m really proud of our girls and their fight.”