Boston College beats Syracuse, advances to national title game vs. Northwestern
🦅 BC beats Syracuse, advance to national title game vs. Northwestern
The final 15 minutes weren't as easy as the first 45 for Boston College, but their early game defensive brilliance help the Eagles beat Syracuse, 10-7, and advance to their seventh-straight national championship game.
Syracuse out-scored Boston College 3-1 in the fourth quarter, but their lack of offense through the first three quarters keep them out of the national title game with another big game loss to their conference rival.
Shea Dolce finished with 12 saves for BC, besting the 10 saves for Syracuse's Delaney Sweitzer. Rachel Clark iced this semifinal with a late goal to extend the lead back to three. This was her fifth of the night and 76th tally of the season.
Boston College will now face Northwestern in the national championship game for the second year in a row. The top-seeded Wildcats beat Florida, 15-11, in Friday's first semifinal. The game is set for Sunday, May 26 at 12 p.m. on ESPN.
👀 END 3: Boston College extends lead to five
BC continues to dominate defensively, holding Syracuse scoreless in the third quarter. They now lead 9-4.
Rachel Clark scored the Eagles' last two goals, her third and fourth goals of the night.
🦅 HALF: Boston College leads by two
Boston College's 5-0 scoring run helps the Eagles soar into halftime with a 6-4 lead.
Delaney Sweitzer has been outstanding in net for Syracuse, with seven saves in the first half. But, Boston College has largely been able to quiet. the Orange's potent attack. The Eagles' stars have shown up so far, as both Rachel Clark and Emma Lopinto scored twice in the opening 30 minutes.
END 1: BC leads 3-2
It took Syracuse just 25 seconds to find the back of the net in the semifinal nightcap, but the Orange were able to beat Boston College goalie Shea Dolce just once in the final 14+ minutes of the opening frame.
Emma Lopinto scored twice, and Rachel Clark scored her 72nd goal of the season to help the Eagles take the lead after 15 minutes.
⏰ It's gametime in semifinal two
Syracuse meets Boston College for a spot in the national title game against Northwestern. Watch live on ESPNU
👀 What the stats say
Here's how the statistics break down between the Eagles and the Orange.
| Boston College | STATS | Syracuse |
|---|---|---|
| 18-3 | Record | 16-5 |
| 348-174 | Goals for-against | 328-203 |
| .489 | Shot percentage | .477 |
| .521 | Free position % | .489 |
| .936 | Clear percentage | .913 |
| Rachel Clark, 71 | Goals leader | Emma Tyrrell, 70 |
| Rachel Clark, 89 | Points leader | Emma Tyrrell, 91 |
| Shea Dolce, 18-3 (8.61 GAA) .465 save % |
Goalkeeping | Delaney Sweitzer, 16-5 (9.63 GAA) .413 save % |
📚 Championship history
Below is every NCAA DI women's lacrosse championship winning team since 1982.
| YEAR | CHAMPION | COACH | SCORE | RUNNER-UP | SITE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Northwestern | Kelly Amonte Hiller | 18-6 | Boston College | Cary, N.C. |
| 2022 | North Carolina | Jenny Levy | 12-11 | Boston College | Baltimore, Md. |
| 2021 | Boston College | Acacia Walker-Weinstein | 16-10 | Syracuse | Towson, Md. |
| 2020 | Canceled due to Covid-19 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2019 | Maryland | Cathy Reese | 12-10 | Boston College | Baltimore, Md. |
| 2018 | James Madison | Shelley Klaes-Bawcombe | 16-15 | Boston College | Stony Brook, N.Y. |
| 2017 | Maryland | Cathy Reese | 16-13 | Boston College | Foxborough, Mass. |
| 2016 | North Carolina | Jenny Levy | 13-7 | Maryland | Chester, Pa. |
| 2015 | Maryland | Cathy Reese | 9-8 | North Carolina | Chester, Pa. |
| 2014 | Maryland | Cathy Reese | 15-12 | Syracuse | Towson, Md. |
| 2013 | North Carolina | Jenny Levy | 13-12 (3OT) | Maryland | Villanova |
| 2012 | Northwestern | Kelly Amonte Hiller | 8-6 | Syracuse | Stony Brook |
| 2011 | Northwestern | Kelly Amonte Hiller | 8-7 | Maryland | Stony Brook |
| 2010 | Maryland | Cathy Reese | 13-11 | Northwestern | Towson |
| 2009 | Northwestern | Kelly Amonte Hiller | 21-7 | North Carolina | Towson |
| 2008 | Northwestern | Kelly Amonte Hiller | 10-6 | Penn | Towson |
| 2007 | Northwestern | Kelly Amonte Hiller | 15-13 | Virginia | Penn |
| 2006 | Northwestern | Kelly Amonte Hiller | 7-4 | Dartmouth | Boston University |
| 2005 | Northwestern | Kelly Amonte Hiller | 13-10 | Virginia | Navy |
| 2004 | Virginia | Julie Myres | 10-4 | Princeton | Princeton |
| 2003 | Princeton | Chris Sailer | 8-7 (OT) | Virginia | Syracuse |
| 2002 | Princeton | Chris Sailer | 12-7 | Georgetown | Loyola (Md.) |
| 2001 | Maryland | Cindy Timchal | 14-13 (OT) | Georgetown | Johns Hopkins |
| 2000 | Maryland | Cindy Timchal | 16-8 | Princeton | TCNJ |
| 1999 | Maryland | Cindy Timchal | 16-6 | Virginia | Johns Hopkins |
| 1998 | Maryland | Cindy Timchal | 11-5 | Virginia | UMBC |
| 1997 | Maryland | Cindy Timchal | 8-7 | Loyola (Md.) | Lehigh |
| 1996 | Maryland | Cindy Timchal | 10-5 | Virginia | Lehigh |
| 1995 | Maryland | Cindy Timchal | 13-5 | Princeton | TCNJ |
| 1994 | Princeton | Chris Sailer | 10-7 | Maryland | Maryland |
| 1993 | Virginia | Jane Miller | 8-6 (OT) | Princeton | Maryland |
| 1992 | Maryland | Cindy Timchal | 11-10 (OT) | Havard | Lehigh |
| 1991 | Virginia | Jane Miller | 8-6 | Maryland | TCNJ |
| 1990 | Harvard | Carole Kleinfelder | 8-7 | Maryland | Princeton |
| 1989 | Penn State | Susan Scheetz | 7-6 | Harvard | West Chester |
| 1988 | Temple | Tina Sloan Green | 15-7 | Penn State | Haverford |
| 1987 | Penn State | Susan Scheetz | 7-6 | Temple | Maryland |
| 1986 | Maryland | Sue Tyler | 11-10 | Penn State | Maryland |
| 1985 | New Hampshire | Marisa Didio | 6-5 | Maryland | Penn |
| 1984 | Temple | Tina Sloan Green | 6-4 | Maryland | Boston University |
| 1983 | Delaware | Janet Smith | 10-7 | Temple | Penn |
| 1982 | Massachusetts | Pamela Hixon | 9-6 | TCNJ | TCNJ |
Note: Before 2001, this championship was a national collegiate championship.
🧐 How they got here
Both Boston College and Syracuse entered the 2024 tournament with a first round bye, as the top seeds in their respective regions of the bracket. The Eagles and Orange each cruised through the second round and the quarterfinals.
Here's a look at each team's complete path to the national semifinals:
| Boston college | ROUND | Syracuse |
|---|---|---|
| BYE | First Round | BYE |
| Princeton 21-16 | Second Round | Stony Brook 15-10 |
| Michigan 14-9 | Quarterfinals | Yale 19-9 |
📺 How to watch Boston College vs. Syracuse
In a rematch of the 2021 national championship game, No. 2 Boston College will take on No. 3 Syracuse in the 2024 DI women's lacrosse national semifinals at 5:30 p.m. ET on Friday, May 24. Here's how to watch:
- Date: Friday, May 24
- Time: 5:30 p.m. ET
- TV channel: ESPNU |
- Location: WakeMed Soccer Park| Cary, North Carolina
- Live stats