Boston College didn’t waste much time settling in at Virtue Field.
The Eagles struck early, kept pouring it on and rolled past Vermont, 5-1, on Thursday night in Burlington, giving head coach Chris Watkins his 100th career win in the process.
Emily Mara and Nicolette Kiorpes each finished with two goals, and Georgina Clarke added the other as Boston College moved to 5-0-0 on the season. The attack came in waves, and the Eagles never let Vermont find much breathing room.
Mara got it started just 2:52 into the match, finishing an assist from Alex Schoenstadt for the opening goal. Kiorpes followed in the 13th minute, converting off a Mara assist to make it 2-0, and Clarke made it 3-0 just under three minutes later with help from Sophie Reale.
Vermont briefly answered in the 27th minute when Eleni Stowell scored unassisted, but Boston College shut the door after that and took control again in the second half.
Kiorpes struck again in the 62nd minute, with Mara and Ashley Roberts credited with the assists, and Mara finished off the scoring in the 67th minute for her second goal of the night.
The Eagles backed up the scoreboard with the kind of possession and shot volume that usually tells the whole story. Boston College held a 13-8 edge in shots, put 10 attempts on frame to Vermont’s three, and controlled 54 percent of possession.
Faith Fenwick and Olivia Shippee split time in net. Fenwick made two saves in the first half before Shippee came on after halftime for her first minutes of the season. Boston College limited Vermont to just three shots on target overall.
And with the final whistle, Watkins reached a milestone night as the Eagles came away with their fifth straight win to open the year.
In Other News...
Boston College Opens Home Invitational With An Encouraging Early Statement
Boston College opened its home invitational with a clean start, rolling past Stonehill in a 3-0 sweep that gave the Eagles an early boost in tournament play. Audrey Ross paced the attack with 14 kills, while the offense kept humming around her as Boston College controlled the match from the outset and stretched its winning streak over Stonehill to four straight.
There was plenty else to like in the performance, including a strong night at the net from Sam Hoppes and a breakout contribution from Reese Dunkle, who notched a career-high seven kills. The Eagles will try to carry that momentum into their next tournament match against Bucknell, with the kind of balanced production that can make a home weekend turn quickly from encouraging to meaningful. [Read more 🡒]
Boston Colleges Cincinnati Opener Will Test A Risky New Eagles Formula
Boston College heads into its season opener against Cincinnati with a roster that has been turned over in a major way, a mix of 26 transfers and 25 freshmen giving Bill OBriens first team in Chestnut Hill a very different look. The Eagles have spent camp trying to stitch together an identity around a revamped group on both sides of the ball, with new faces expected to help lift a program that wants a better start than it managed a year ago.
The spotlight will fall early on the offense, where the staff has leaned into change everywhere from the quarterback room to the play-calling structure. Mason McKenzie, one of the more intriguing additions, is part of a quarterback setup that reflects how aggressively Boston College has reworked the roster, while Ted Roofs arrival as defensive coordinator adds another layer of uncertainty as the Eagles try to find out quickly whether this new formula can hold up against a real opponent. [Read more 🡒]