What to know about No. 5 seed Syracuse’s ACC quarterfinals match against No. 4 seed BC
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No. 5 seed Syracuse (14-4, 3-3 Atlantic Coast) kicks off the ACC Tournament against No. 4 seed Boston College (8-9, 3-3 ACC) on Nov. 1. This year’s tournament, hosted by Duke, runs from Nov. 1-4.
The Orange dropped to the No. 5 seed, their worst ranking since being No. 7 in 2018. Syracuse finished its regular season with a 4-0 loss to No. 12 Wake Forest last week, getting shut out for just the second time this season and taking only seven shots. A win against Wake would have given SU the No. 2 seed for the second straight season.
The Eagles leapfrogged SU into fourth place after beating Louisville 4-1 on Friday. Boston College improved to 3-3 in conference play and enters on a two-game winning streak.
Here’s what to expect from Boston College going into Tuesday’s game.
All-time series
Syracuse leads 26-12.
Last time they played
Syracuse beat then-No. 16 Boston College 3-0 on Sept. 30, 2022. Scoreless through the first three quarters, the Orange tallied three goals in the fourth quarter. SU improved to 9-2, while BC dropped its first conference game.
While the Orange didn’t score until the game’s final 15 minutes, their offense notched 12 shots and a penalty corner in the first three quarters. One minute into the fourth, Eefke van den Nieuwenhof slotted a pass to Charlotte de Vries, who cracked the ball past Boston College goalkeeper Emily Gillespie to put Syracuse up 1-0.
Joy Haarman and Willemijn Boogert scored later as SU finished with 17 shots (seven on goal) and four penalty corners.
“We had so many shots on goal in the first half. During halftime, we (said) ‘let’s keep firing’ and I think we did a great job of that,” de Vries said after the win.
Syracuse’s defense allowed just two shots against the Eagles, the fewest BC recorded in a contest all year. In the first quarter, goalkeeper Brooke Borzymowski made a diving save to stop a BC penalty corner. That was all SU allowed the entire game, securing its seventh shutout victory of the season.
“BC’s a tough opponent and they’re feisty and aggressive,” head coach Ange Bradley said. “We needed to be able to maintain that composure and play good pressure defense.”
The Eagles report
BC finished 3-3 in conference play for the second consecutive season with wins over Virginia, Duke and Louisville and losses to Syracuse, North Carolina and Wake Forest.
Eight starters from last year either graduated or transferred. As a result, the Eagles finished below .500 for the first time since 1999, their worst year in eight seasons under head coach Kelly Doton.
Emily Gillespie took over the reins in goal after Jonna Kennedy departed, but the results have been subpar. Boston College’s 39 goals conceded are the most in the ACC.
The Eagles don’t bring much offense to the table, either. BC ranks in the bottom half of the conference in goals scored, despite returning its top-two goalscorers from 2021. The duo of Sarah Johnson and Milagros Arteta have combined for just three goals in the regular season.
Instead, Peyton Hale and Margo Carlin received an uptick in minutes and provided the bulk of the BC offense. Hale led the team through the regular season with eight goals and 20 points, while Carlin tallied seven goals and 18 points.
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How Syracuse beats Boston College
The blueprint is clear for the Orange: get shots on net early and often while dominating possession.
In its earlier game against BC, Syracuse peppered Gillespie with 17 shots. While it didn’t crack the scoreboard until the fourth quarter, it was just a matter of time before it did. Boston College allows 2.29 goals per match, so controlling the game offensively should be Syracuse’s priority.
With the Orange dominating time of possession, their defense can reset and get back in position. Look for a well-rested Syracuse defense to stifle Boston College on breakaway opportunities. SU’s defensive prowess, which allowed just two BC shots earlier this year, must be on display again to advance. If all goes according to plan, the Orange will face No. 1 seed UNC in the semifinals.
Player to watch: Margo Carlin
Carlin was a bright spot toward the back end of the season for the Eagles. While Syracuse held her to just one shot in its matchup this season, Carlin more than doubled her goal total from three to seven in BC’s final two games and notched her second career hat trick against Louisville. The senior also led the team with 46 shots, fifth in the ACC.
