Pitt lacrosse falls to No. 1 Boston College 19-3

Pitt lacrosse (1-3, ACC 0-1) hosted No. 1 Boston College (5-0, ACC 1-0) on Saturday afternoon. Both teams were playing their first ACC game of the season. Despite a strong defensive effort from Pitt, the Panthers’ offense couldn’t convert on offense to score goals and ultimately fell to the Eagles 19-3. 

Pitt’s defense carried its weight by creating strong transitions, limiting the number of fouls and pressing tight man-on-man coverage. Yet Pitt’s offense struggled to get ball control from the draws and get strong, accurate shots on goal. 

Despite the score, Pitt did put up a fight early in the game against one of the strongest women’s lacrosse teams in the nation. Pitt kept the score close for the first 15 minutes, but the Panthers struggled to convert on offense later in the quarter. 

With less than two minutes into the game, a quick shot from junior attacker Emma LoPinto put Boston College on top early.

Pitt’s tighter coverage prevented Boston College from taking an early lead. 

Pitt junior attacker Sydney Naylor ultimately tied up the score. 

The Pitt defense returned to zone coverage, which Boston College capitalized on and regained the lead shortly thereafter with two quick shots from junior attacker Rachel Clark and Cassidy Weeks. 

The No.1 team in the nation went to score three more goals straight. Boston College’s lead scorer on the season, Kayla Martello, scored the next goal for Boston College. LoPinto and Clark scored the following goals.

Pitt couldn’t capitalize on miscues from Boston College later in the first quarter, which led to successes from the Eagles. 

The lack of draw controls ran down Pitt’s defense and its offense couldn’t get anything to work. Boston College ended the quarter up 6-1.

The second quarter was a slower start for both teams. The Panthers played aggressive defense, but their offense still failed to convert goals, which allowed the Eagles to extend their lead further. 

The physicality from the Eagles on the draw controls allowed Weeks to secure the first goal of the second quarter. 

Pitt’s junior attacker Ava Washington then scored to put the Panthers back on the board. 

But Pitt didn’t catch a break, as Boston College answered with three more goals by Clark, LoPinto and Martello. The second quarter ended with a score of 10-2.

To start off the third quarter, Pitt received a shooting space penalty, which gave Boston College a free position shot. Boston College junior attacker Mckenna Davis capitalized off of the penalty and scored the first goal of the second half. Boston College ultimately scored four goals more in a row. 

The Panthers’ offense struggled to create clean offensive plays and opportunities. Their struggles in creating space or pulling out the ball resulted in a significant number of one-on-one situations. This made it easier for the Eagles to defend. 

The third quarter ended with a score of 15-2. 

Boston College began another strong quarter by scoring three more consecutive goals. Clark created space for herself and found a perfect shot to score the first goal of the final quarter. Senior midfielder Annabelle Hasselbeck and Martello scored the following goals. 

Senior midfielder Emily Coughlin finally put Pitt back on the board by scoring the team’s third goal of the day.

Yet Boston College answered right away with a goal from Hasselbeck. Boston College ultimately walked away with the 19-3 victory. 

Pitt lacrosse will host Detroit Mercy on Monday, Feb. 26, at 12 p.m. at Highmark Stadium. Coverage will air on ACCNX.