2010-2011 BC Year in Review, Part V: Women’s and co-ed sports

(Part I: Football)
(Part II: Men’s Basketball)
(Part III: Men’s Hockey)
(Part IV: Other men’s sports)

This is it, folks: the final wrap-up article of the 2010-2011 Boston College sports season. There are a host of women’s and co-ed teams at Boston College, and since Soaring to Glory wants to endorse all of our teams, not just the few most popular ones, this is where all the rest of our student athletes finally get some love.

This is how our women’s and co-ed teams did during the 2010-2011 season:

Women’s basketball

The ladies opened up their season on an impressive eleven-game winning streak, their best start in program history, which catapulted them to the national rankings. As soon as they got into the ACC schedule, however, the wheels started shaking loose. They went from 11-0 to start the year to 18-12 (5-9) at its end. BC missed out on the NCAA Tournament yet again but (this year) accepted their invitation to the WNIT. The women’s season ended in their third game of the WNIT against fellow ACC team Virginia. Following the conclusion of the season, star player Carolyn Swords (along with football player Anthony Castonzo) was named Eagle of the Year.

Women’s cross country

The women’s XC club had an easier go of things in 2010 than their male counterparts. They won two competitions, the Boston College Invitational and the New England Championships. This team took fourth in the ACC championship, fourth in the NCAA qualifier (out of 35 teams), and ultimately advanced to the NCAA Tournament. It was their seventh NCAA appearance since 2000, which I’d say makes for a pretty good run from this team.

Women’s fencing

Looking at this fencing results sheet is again making my head hurt, but it would appear that their season was a mixed bag. Like the men, the women won their New England championship event.

Women’s field hockey

The BC field hockey team had a great season, until they didn’t. After their final game of the regular season, they were ranked #13 and had a 12-6 overall record. Their run ended, however, when they lost in the first round of the ACC Tournament in overtime. They did not make the NCAA Tournament thanks in large part to that game, but several players were recently selected to play for their nations’ national field hockey teams.

Women’s golf

Again, like the field hockey team, women’s golf had a great season, until they didn’t. Prior to losing (9th place) in the ACC Tournament, they had suffered back-to-back tenth-place finishes. Before all that, however, the lady Eagles won four tournaments.

Women’s ice hockey

Having Kelli Stack and Molly Schaus return this season really did make all the difference. What was a dismal year in 2009-2010 turned into a very successful 2010-2011 for the ladies’ hockey team. BC hit the hockey Beanpot exacta when the women followed up the men’s victory with one of their own (over Harvard), and they rode a wave of momentum all the way to their first Hockey East tournament title. They lost in the Frozen Four in overtime to Wisconsin, the eventual national champions, but had one of the program’s best seasons yet.

Women’s lacrosse

The women’s lacrosse team had a historic season, making the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. Despite going 1-4 in the conference during the regular season, the ladies had a 12-7 overall record which included the Eagles making it as far as the ACC semifinals. This was good enough to earn them a spot in the national tournament, where they fell to #2 Northwestern in the first round. Kristin Igoe was the sole BC player on the ACC’s All-Tournament team and was just named an All-American; she and Brittany Wilton were also named to the All-ACC team.

Women’s rowing

Finding BC rowing news online is like digging for precious metals in your backyard: you hope it’s there but you’re not counting on finding it. I do know that the Eagles came in fifth (out of six) in the ACC championship, Alycia Da’Loia Moore was named ACC Fresman of the Year, and they did not do particularly well in the Beanpot in late April.

Co-ed sailing & women’s sailing

Our sailing team continues to be one of the few programs we have that wins on a consistent basis. They started 2010-2011 ranked #1 in the country, and their list of accomplishments this year includes winning the New England Intercollegiate Sailing Association’s fall coed Conference Championship, the Inaugural Intercollegiate Sailing Associations Match Race Championship, and the New England Conference Team Racing Championship (fourth in a row). As of early May, they were ranked #2 in the nation.

Women’s skiing

Much like men’s skiing, information on individual events is hard to come by. In the USCSA national championship, the women’s combined performance was good for an 11th-place finish. Two women were named USCSA Academic All-Americans.

Women’s soccer

This team had a very successful 2010 when all was said and done. Their regular season was alright but not spectacular, having finished at 12-5-1 (5-5), and likewise, they only stuck around in the ACC Tournament for two games, but when the NCAA Tournament began, so did a tremendous run. BC streaked all the way to the final four, losing in the College Cup semifinals to Stanford by a 2-0 score. Shortly after the end of the season, Kristen Mewis was named New England Women’s Soccer Player of the Year by New England Soccer News, becoming the third Eagle to win this award.

Softball

It wasn’t a banner year for the BC softball team. Their regular season saw them finish 15-30 (5-13) , and their performance in the ACC Tournament wasn’t much better, as they got mercy-ruled in the first round by a score of 9-0 (5 innings). Freshman Tory Speer was both the ACC Freshman of the Year and a member of the All-ACC first team. She was the program’s first ACC award recipient since BC joined the conference.

Women’s swimming

Like skiing, there’s just not a lot of information out there about what this team accomplished this year. What I do know is that they went 10-12 overall and placed 11th at the ACC Tournament, though several players were honored for outstanding individual performances.

Women’s tennis

The women’s tennis team was slightly more successful than their male counterparts in the 2011 spring season. The Eagles were 9-14 as a team, including 3-8 in the conference (9th place). When it came time for the ACC Tournament, they were bounced early by NC State, and thus their season ended.

Women’s track and field

Our men’s track and field team is indoor; this bunch is outdoor. Now that I’ve cleared that up, the ladies had a couple of good finishes (as a team) in their meets, but also had a number of not-so-good ones. At the ACC Tournament, they finished in 11th place. The Eagles did get some individuals in the NCAA championship, however: Caitlin Bailey, Caroline King and Jillian King all qualified for races in the 2011 NCAA East Preliminary.

Women’s volleyball

Not a very good season at all for the volleyball team, as they went 9-24 overall and only 1-19 in the ACC, dropping them to last place. The ACC has no conference tournament for volleyball, so BC’s season ended after the conclusion of the regular season. Two players were named to the All-ACC Academic team.

*******

It was quite a year for Boston College sports, complete with some new beginnings and disappointing ends. The 2010-2011 season of Eagles athletics probably won’t rank amongst the most memorable, but in spite of things not having gone our way in the end, it could still have been far worse. All we can do is look forward to the hope of a new season, and that sounds fine by me.

Onward to 2011-2012.