(Photo: Boston College Lacrosse)
Boston College was just a goal shy of an appearance in the national semifinals, but after a coaching change in the offseason, will the Eagles be on the up-turn or the down-swing? This is part of an ongoing series during which we will focus on one of the MCLA’s top teams each day, counting down till Christmas to the true “cream of the crop.”
Last year
Record: 10-2
Postseason finish: MCLA Tournament Second Round
Quick season recap: The Eagles took the MCLA by storm in the early goings of the year with a tremendous showing at the Lax Coaches Vs. Cancer Classic in Palm Springs, Calif. They knocked off two preseason top-five teams in BYU and Chapman. Although BC would go on to lose to Colorado the day after upsetting the Panthers, it was a successful weekend in capturing the league’s attention. A tough road loss to Northeastern in late March was a set-back, but the Eagles would go on a late season tear with five consecutive wins heading into the conference tournament. The momentum would end there, though, as New Hampshire pulled off a one-goal victory in the PCLL Tournament’s first round to force Boston College into an at-large bid, knocking a bubble team (likely Grand Canyon) out of tournament contention. The Eagles wouldn’t stay down, though, coming up with a narrow one-goal win over Westminster in the first round after staving off a late Griffins comeback. Then Boston College ran into unbeaten Arizona State, a team that proved too tough for the Eagles. It was a hard-fought battle, but one that ended with BC heading home.
Roster losses: Three monster offensive pieces in attackman John Lambrecht, midfielder Robert Van Fossan, and midfielder Will Forsyth are all gone. That trio posted 91 total points last year, and they represented three of the team’s top four leaders in points, and their departure will open up gaping holes in this team’s offensive structure. Defensively, long-stick midfielder Chris Knoth, widely considered among the top LSMs in the country (based on his First Team All-American status in 2014 and three career First Team All-PCLL appearances) will be sorely missed. Defenseman Daniel Klemmer and defensive midfielder Ross Fishman, both All-PCLL representatives, will leave behind shoes that must be filled.
This year
Who to watch for: Mike Shepard, junior goalie
Assuming Shepard can hold onto the starting spot with new head coach Peter Sessa in town, he will be a crucial cog to the Boston College machine. With an entire season of starting play under his belt, Shepard’s experience could come in handy. He shone in big games last year, allowing only eight goals to BYU, Chapman, and ASU (in the postseason). He posted double-digit saves in each of those games. With a hefty core of the defense’s long-poles returning, this is an intriguing opportunity for Shepard to ride last year’s momentum into the 2015 season. His .580 save percentage left much to be desired and his 9.2 saves per game may be a bit sub-par, but a reasonable 6.67 goals allowed per game is a good clip to be at. If Shepard can rise into the top tier of goalies within the PCLL, Boston College will continue to be a dangerous team during the rest of his career.
They’re dangerous if they continue to perform at a high level in non-conference play. It’s easy for teams to focus attention on what goes on within its rivalries and its conference, but it can be challenging to bring the same level of intensity to tough games against powerhouse opponents. Last season, the Eagles did just that with significant performances that garnered national attention as early as February. While BC struggled to carry that through PCLL play (with losses to Northeastern and New Hampshire, the latter of which was in the PCLL Tournament), it’s a team that made a statement once it got into the MCLA Tournament. “Guys are buying in, top to bottom,” Sessa said. “Everyone is starting to get on the same page, and you can feel the excitement brewing for this season.” This year’s non-conference schedule features perennial powerhouses such as Colorado and Colorado State, so the Eagles will be no stranger to a quality strength-of-schedule in 2015. Proving themselves in those games (as they did last season) could be the ticket to another successful year.
Achilles’ heel: Offensive reload. Can this team replace the immense amount of playmakers that it has lost? Lambrecht and Forsyth weren’t just contributors on the stat sheet, they also held a strong role within the team’s leadership, as both were captains in 2014. Replacing three stars can be difficult for any team, especially a team with a new coach at the helm. This will be Sessa’s true test of the year, to see if he can utilize the team’s offensive depth (nine players finished the year with double-digit points) to help fill the holes left behind by graduated seniors. If the offensive unit comes together, expect another hot start and potentially a hot finish from a team that’s got a lot of the other pieces in the right place for a real run.
Trey Lanthier is a lacrosse reporter and editor at WCSN, as well as a contributor for Inside Lacrosse. You can reach him at treylanthier@gmail.com or on Twitter, @TreyLanthier.
