NCAA Women's Lacrosse Preview: 'Winning Fuels Winning' for No. 1 BC

USA Lacrosse Magazine is beginning its countdown to the 2025 women's lacrosse season by releasing one team preview per day beginning on Monday, Jan. 13.

We continue the countdown with No. 1 Boston College, which isn't shying away from its repeat aspirations.

No. 1 Boston College

2024 record: 20-2 (7-2 ACC)
Head Coach: Acacia Walker-Weinstein
Assistants: Jennifer Kent, Sam Apuzzo, Callahan Kent, Emily McDermott

“The champs are the champs until …”

Cue the groans. And for many programs, losing all-timers like three starting defenders and four draw-control leaders (including a program staple in Belle Smith) would mark a rebuild. Not at Boston College.

To start, the Eagles return a talented crop of stars from last year’s deep championship roster, including starting goalie Shea Dolce and lead attackers Rachel Clark and Emma LoPinto. Mix in a slew of incoming talent (freshmen and transfers), and it’s clear that the Eagles’ spot atop the preseason ranking is a deserved one rather than an act of deference.

Internally, something else is driving the program, and it’s not rocket science.

“Winning fuels winning,” Boston College head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein said. “You get a little bit addicted to it.”

There’s no reason to think the Eagles won’t satisfy those cravings.

TOP RETURNERS

Rachel Clark, A, Sr. (78G, 23A)
Emma LoPinto, A, Sr. (58G, 28A)
Shea Dolce, G, Jr. (8.74 GAA, .470 SV%)

Walker-Weinstein struck gold in the summer of 2023 when Clark and LoPinto entered the transfer portal, looking to move on from Virginia and Florida, respectively. Unlike many transfers in the post-COVID era, these two offensive juggernauts had two years of eligibility left — sort of like Charlotte North when she came to BC from Duke. And, like North, the duo helped deliver a national crown in year one. 

LoPinto and Clark, along with Mckenna Davis (26G, 69A), provide cohesion to a group that will still need to make up for the losses of Kayla Martello (68G, 8A), Belle Smith (43G, 20A) and Cassidy Weeks (40G, 9A). Power lefty sophomore Molly Driscoll (11G, 5A) is a prime breakout candidate who Walker-Weinstein said had “one of the best falls of anyone on the team.”

KEY ADDITIONS

Mia Mascone, Gr., A, (Brown)
Morgan Smith, Gr., D (Penn)
Julia Hodell, Fr., M (Holy Family)

Unlike LoPinto and Clark (and North), Boston College will get one year out of former Ivy League stars Mia Mascone and Morgan Smith. Mascone finished third nationally in goals per game (4.13), while Smith contributed to a Penn defense that was No. 14 in Division I in goals allowed per game (9.15). Julia Hodell, however, is homegrown. A high-IQ defender with good footwork — perhaps a product of her basketball experience — she could see time on a retooling defense. Freshman defender Kaitlyn Cole (Sacred Heart Academy) and midfielder Devon Russell were other rookies who impressed Walker-Weinstein.

NOTABLE DEPARTURES

Graduations: Becky Browndorf, D; Kayla Martello, A; Sydney Scales, D; Belle Smith, M; Ryan Smith, M; Andrea Reynolds, M; Hunter Roman, D; Cassidy Weeks, M

X-FACTOR

Shea Baker, M, Sr. (24DC, 16CT, 25GB)

The Eagles are in good shape on offense and in net. However, it’s the hustle plays and circle presence they’ll miss with players like Smith, Scales, Roman, et al., gone. They’ll look to Shea Baker to take a mantle she arguably laid partial claim to in 2024. Walker-Weinstein noticed her taking things to a new level in the fall, and unsurprisingly, expects her to be a key cog on the draw unit with leaders Cassidy Weeks (67DC), Ryan Smith (66DC), Andrew Reynolds (59DC) and Smith (47DC) graduated.

THE NARRATIVE

Is the gang all back in town? No. But the Eagles aren’t lowering their standards.

“The recipe is the same,” Walker-Weinstein said. “We’ll just have different players. We’ll figure out what new threats we have, build new systems around those threats and give it our best shot.”

The competition for those spots is fierce. Besides the players mentioned above, junior Michaela O’Connor will likely contribute more on defense after playing in four games last year, and Lydia Colasante (24GB, 5DC) was consistently excellent on draws during the fall. She will also have the green light to go to goal.

And the Eagles have the green light to discuss the chances of repeating.

“The goal is to do something we’ve never done, which is to win back-to-back championships,” Walker-Weinstein said. “We’ll just take it day by day to do that. We’re not going to get ahead of ourselves. We never get ahead of ourselves. We just know what the ultimate goal is.”

The dream is always big for Walker-Weinstein. At least on paper, the reality of achieving that dream is within reach.