Collegiate Times

Jazmine Reeves (5) charges towards the Boston College goal, but is stopped short by Lauren Bernard (5).

The Virginia Tech Hokies No. 8 women’s soccer team fell to No. 4 Boston College on Sunday, 2-1 at Thompson Field. 

Tech dropped their second straight, after their first loss of the season came earlier in the week against North Carolina.

Fifteen minutes into the first half, Ashley Meier sent a through ball into the left half of the box for Shannon Mayrose. Mayrose, Tech’s leading scorer, put her left foot on it and sent it past Boston College’s goalie Alexa Gaul for the first score of the day and her seventh this season.

“It was a simple up, back and through,” Mayrose said of the goal. “I got it in and I was able to get off a good shot.”

The shot provided the Hokies with a 1-0 lead, one that looked to be enough for most of the game thanks to Tech’s stingy defense.  The Eagles came into the game averaging over three goals a game, but the Hokies back four refused to give up anything easy.

Every time the Eagles attack gained control inside the box, they were swarmed by numerous defenders and unable to get a good shot on goal.

“I think in the first half we had great organization in the back,” said true freshman defender Jordan Coburn.  That organization prevented the Eagles from finding the back of the net, and allowed Tech to enter the locker room still clutching their one-goal lead.

In the second half, Boston College changed their offensive strategy and it immediately resulted in more scoring opportunities. The Hokies, anchored by junior goalkeeper Dayle Colpitts, kept the Eagles off the scoreboard for the first 80 minutes of the game, but it came with a share of close calls.

Colpitts made multiple diving saves in addition to a leaping effort — with 24 minutes left in the game — in which she was just able to extend far enough to punch the ball over the net.

The tired Hokies defense would eventually cave in the 83rd minute. 

Stephanie McCaffery, an Eagles attacker, found herself in front of the net as Rachel Davitt sent in a cross from just outside the box.  McCaffery redirected the ball with ease.  Boston College was on the board and the game was tied.

Just three minutes later, the Hokies found themselves on defense again, however this time it was all up to Colpitts.  McCaffery received a running ball from Lauren Bernard and she found herself with a great look at the net.  Colpitts dove to her left, anticipating a shot from McCaffery that never came. McCaffery maintained possession and dribbled past the last Hokie to net her second goal in six minutes. 

“A lot of people could tell the first half was better than the second,” Coburn said.  “We were really busy in the back and we were getting tired.  We just gave it away in the end.”

Before the Hokies take the field again, Head Coach Chugger Adair says the team has room for improvement.

“We are going to work on mentality," he said. "We didn’t close that game out well enough, from top to bottom. We were holding on for too long and we got tired and couldn’t hold on anymore.”

The Hokies will look to even out their ACC record, which currently stands at 1-2-0, against the Maryland Terrapins next Sunday at 5 p.m. in Blacksburg.

A version of this article appeared in the Sep 25 issue of the Collegiate Times.