HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — Isabella Pesaresi (Newton, Mass.) made nine saves – including seven stops in the first half to allow her team to acquire a four-goal lead – to earn Player of the Game recognition and lead No. 19-ranked/New England Division Champion Boston College to a 7-2 victory over No. 19/Mid-Atlantic Division Champion Pennsylvania State University in the opening round of the 2022 Women’s National Collegiate Club Championship.
Competing at the Huntsville Aquatics Center, the Eagles landed a spot in the tournament semifinals as Boston College will meet No. 1/Sierra Pacific Division Champion the University of California at 11:20 a.m. on Sunday, May 7. The loss drops Penn State into the consolation side of the bracket as the Nittany Lions will battle No. 8/Southwest Division runner-up Arizona State University – which dropped an opening round contest to California by an 8-7 score – at 8:40 p.m this evening.
Boston College fell behind 24 seconds into the game as Julie Warren (Kildeer, Ill.) spun in a shot for Penn State. The Eagles closed out the first quarter with the lead, however, as Jessie Velishka (Stamford, Conn.) and Audrey Mullen (San Jose, Calif.) punched in shots at 5:51 and 1:15, respectively, to provide BC a 2-1 margin at seven minutes of action.
The pair of tallies started a 5-0 run by the Eagles which lasted until the start of the fourth quarter.
Allie Tom (Honolulu, Hawaii) (4:31), Kayleigh Massengill (Summit, N.J.) (3:08, man-up) and Julia Harron (Wilmette, Ill.) built the spread to 5-1 in the second quarter before a scoreless third quarter allowed the Eagles to enter the final seven minutes of regulation with a convincing four goal lead.
Olivia Sparkman (Orlando, Fla.) cut Penn State’s deficit to three at 5-2 with 6:18 left in the fourth quarter, but Mullen (5:32) and Tom (3:13) drove home the final strikes to allow Boston College to advance with a 7-2 win.
Warren and Sparkman combined to account for the Nittany Lions’ offense. Lindsey McMackin (Souderton, Pa.) made two saves in taking the loss.
Penn State has previously placed Seventh (2015), Eighth (2011), 10th (2001, 2018), 11th (2005 2017) and 13th (2019) as the Nittany Lions will aim to win their next three games and claim Ninth Place in the final 2022 standings.
Tom and Mullen powered the Boston College attack with pairs of markers, while Velishka, Harron and Massengill each contributed solo tallies.
By downing Penn State and ensuring a Top Eight finish, the Eagles are already guaranteed to equal their prior best finish at the National Collegiate Club Championship following prior Eighth (2018, 2019), 12th (2009), 13th (2008) and 15th (2010) place marks.
| 1st Q | 2nd Q | 3rd Q | 4th Q | – | FINAL | |
| No. 19 Pennsylvania State University |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | – | 2 |
| No. 13 Boston College | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | – | 7 |
| BC Goals: | Allie Tom (2); Audrey Mullen (2); Jessie Velishka; Julia Harron; Kayleigh Massengill | |||||
| Penn State Goals: | Julie Warren; Olivia Sparkman | |||||
| Saves: | BC – Isabella Pesaresi (9) ; Penn State – Lindsey McMackin (2) | |||||
| Exclusions: | BC – 2 ; Penn State – 8 | |||||
| Advantage Opportunities: | BC – 1-for-8 ; Penn State – 0-for-2 | |||||
| Sprints: | BC – 2-for-4 (2nd, 4th) ; Penn State -2-for-4 (1st, 3rd) | |||||
| Cards/Misconducts: | None | |||||
| Officials: | Brandon Nicholson; Mark Kessler | |||||
Boston College’s Kayleigh Massengill (#17) defends Pennsylvania State University’s Maggie Krieger (#9)
Pennsylvania State University’s Casey Brennan (#8) attempts to block a shot by Boston College’s Jessie Velishka (#13)
Pennsylvania State University’s Molly Brant (#15) spots an opening as Boston College’s Audrey Mullen (#8) closes in
