Boston College women's lacrosse looking to bounce back in NCAA Tournament after ACC championship loss
For Walker-Weinstein and her players, attention to detail and team chemistry are the areas of emphasis going into the tournament.
'I think we have to learn how to handle heart a little bit better,' she said. 'I think they'll be really keen on making changes and just adjusting and digging a little deeper."
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Before the loss in the ACC championship, Boston College was the top-scoring offense in the nation with more than 17 goals a game and a shooting percentage nearing .500.
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Nonetheless, players believe there's still room for improvement.
'When it comes down to games and preparation for games, any extra inch that we can get, any extra edge that we can find is what's going to push us there,' said senior attack McKenna Davis.
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Davis is one of the top scorers on the team and is entering her second NCAA Tournament after an all-tournament performance last season leading the nation and the ACC in assists.
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She said seeing a stronger grit and push from her teammates will give Boston College the edge in the tournament.
'Whether that's a ground ball, extra possession, extra step on a shot, it's going to come down to the little things and being able to find the little things,' Davis said.
With the only two loses on the season coming against North Carolina, Boston College is ready for the competition it expects to see in the tournament.
After beating opponents by an average of 10 goals and holding most of them to fewer than 10 goals a game over the course of the season, 'everyone is a target,' said graduate student and defense player Morgan Smith.
Coming into her third tournament and first with Boston College, Smith said the biggest motivator is the win-or-go-home stakes.
'It's all about just fighting for one more day,' she said. 'I've reached a level of competitiveness that I didn't even know I had.'
The three teams ranked just below the Eagles (Northwestern, Princeton, and Florida) also have just two losses.
'First round of NCAAs, whoever it is will be the focus,' Walker-Weinstein said.
The NCAA selection show is at 9 p.m. on Sunday (televised on ESPNU). Twenty-nine teams will make the field, and first-round games will be on May 9.
The semifinals and final will be held May 23 and 25 at Gillette Stadium, which will also host the final four of the NCAA men's lacrosse tournament on May 24 and 26.
Auzzy Byrdsell can be reached at
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