WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - A resilient effort from Stanford field hockey came up just short on Tuesday evening, as the Cardinal lost 3-2 to Boston College in the opening round of the ACC Field Hockey Championships.
Stanford battled back from a two-goal deficit to tie the game at 2-2 early in the fourth quarter, but the Eagles responded with the game-winner on a penalty corner chance later in the frame to advance to tomorrow's second round.
"Boston College is a great them that is well coached, but I am so proud at how we got back into the game in the second half," head coach Roz Ellis said. "The second half is what Stanford field hockey is all about and we proved we belong in the ACC."
After a scoreless first quarter, Boston College took a 1-0 lead in the second on a penalty corner chance that was tipped past Stanford goalkeeper Daisy Ford's left pad, taking the one-goal lead into the break.
The Eagles extended their lead to 2-0 early in the third quarter when a shot from the top of the circle found the back of the net, but Cardinal would get on the scoreboard later in the quarter, as Star Horlock buried a one-timer off an Esther Pottebaum helper to cut the Boston College lead in half heading into the fourth.
Pottebaum would collect her second assist to start the fourth quarter, this time finding Allison Kuzyk, who would lift a shot over the Boston College netminder's left shoulder to tie the game at 2-2. However, just two minutes later, the Boston College penalty corner attack would strike again as a sweeping shot skipped over Ford to push the Eagles back into the lead.
Stanford would pull Ford out of the net in exchange for an extra attacker in the final four minutes, but the Cardinal could not find the equalizer as its ACC tournament run would come to an end.
Kuzyk lead the team with a pair of attacks on cage, while Horlock, Chantal Eiwanger, Liv Martin, and Tottie Taylor also registered shots. Ford made five stops between the posts in the losing effort.
"We've set the expectations with how we train and how we play into our standards," Ellis added. "We've etched ourselves into the program record books with how we performed in our inaugural ACC season and we return nearly our entire team. This is just the beginning for us."
Stanford falls to 8-9 following its first-ever ACC tournament appearance, while Boston College jumps to a 13-5 record as they prepare for a semifinal contest against Duke tomorrow afternoon.