In its second week of competition, the women's lacrosse team reeled off five unanswered goals in a thrilling comeback to defeat Boston College 10-7, improving to 2-0 on the season.
Midfielders Kate Staley '06 and Mimi De Tolla '08 led the Bears on offense with three goals apiece. On defense, Noelle DiGioia '09 scooped up five ground balls to lead the team.
Down 7-5 with just over 15 minutes to play, De Tolla started the Bears' comeback with her second goal of the day. Attacker Krystina DeLuca '09 tied the score with her second goal of the game less than a minute later.
At the 18:54 mark, Staley maneuvered her way through the Boston College defense and delivered her third goal to give the Bears a lead they would not relinquish. Staley attributed the Bears' comeback to improved defense and the team's confidence in itself.
"I think the defense came up with a lot of big turnovers and we converted very well," she said. "I think it was just the result of the momentum going our way. We believed we were going to win the whole game."
De Tolla joined Staley in registering a hat trick when she netted an insurance goal to put the Bears up 9-7. Midfielder Amie Biros '07, coming off a four-goal performance last week against Sacred Heart University, scored her only goal of the game in the final minutes to push the score to 10-7. With five goals on the season, Biros is tied for the team lead with De Tolla.
The story of the afternoon, however, was Staley's clutch performance. Justine Lupo '08, who was quiet against BC but delivered a big game last week against Sacred Heart, commented on Staley's impact.
"We look at Kate as a role model," she said. "She is a critical part of our attack and her aggressive play is contagious."
Staley was involved in three of Bruno's first four goals, notching two of them herself and dishing out an assist to De Tolla on another one.
The Eagles presented a big step up in terms of competition compared to Sacred Heart. While the Bears obtained an easy victory in their first game, this weekend's contest was hard-fought and dramatic. Lupo spoke about the significance of the victory.
"We lost to BC last year," she said, "So beating them now provides us with a boost of confidence, and is a great way to start the season."
The Bears face an even tougher test on Saturday when they take on the No. 5-ranked University of Maryland, College Park on the FieldTurf pitch.
- with additional reporting from Assistant Sports Editor Charlie Vallely
