Stony Brook Plays the Favorite Role in Edging Boston College

STONY BROOK, N.Y. — Rule No. 1 of attempting to knock off a juggernaut? Don’t talk about the history and the accolades.

That was the message from Stony Brook head coach Joe Spallina on Sunday when his fifth-seeded Seawolves were staring down Boston College in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

While no doubt a worthy opponent, this wasn’t Charlotte North’s Eagles. Or even the team that ended Stony Brook’s season a year ago in this same round in Chestnut Hill en route to an eighth straight trip to the national semifinals.

Play the name, not the brand, was Spallina’s message to his team.

Oh, and this isn’t the game for Herb Brooks Miracle on Ice speech in the locker room.

“I lost my mind, I was pissed,” Spallina said. “Boston College should’ve been doing that. We’re the favorite. We’re not backing down from anybody.”

The Seawolves heeded their coach’s message, racing out to an early lead before surviving a late Boston College surge, to come away with a 10-9 win at LaValle Stadium to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2022.

Stony Brook (19-2) will head to Homewood Field to face fourth-seeded Johns Hopkins on Thursday, looking to avenge one of its two losses this season and book that elusive first ticket to the semifinals.

“That was an unbelievable NCAA playoff game,” Spallina said. “That’s one of the things we talked about when I got the job here, is to be in those situations where we’re able to play in front of that crowd, in that environment against a team that has players who have done the ultimate lift we talk about, that 37-pound lift.”

Stony Brook led 4-0 after the first quarter and 7-3 at halftime.

But the ejection of defender Shea Baker for a second yellow card early in the third quarter galvanized the Eagles, who immediately fell behind 9-3 on back-to-back goals by Isabella Caporuscio, who led her team with four goals on five shots.

Boston College (10-8) clawed back, with Long Island native Kylee Colbert the catalyst. Her fourth goal of the game, off a feed from her sister Casey, cut the Eagles’ deficit to 9-7 in the closing seconds of the third quarter.

“I think as players, that was just, our senior captain is out of the game, and we are doing everything we possibly could for her,” Kylee Colbert said. “She is one of the strongest people on our team and would die to be on that field with us today and fighting until the last second.”

Haydin Eisfeld stopped that momentum, attacking the cage to put Stony Brook in front 10-7 with 11:48 left in regulation. Eisfeld, who lay prone on the turf for a few minutes after taking a hard check, wasn’t done with her heroics.

Goals four minutes apart by Molly Driscoll and Giulia Colarusso pulled the Eagles to within 10-9 with 4:13 left.

The Seawolves came up with several big plays in the final chaotic and dramatic minutes. Olivia Schorr scooped up two huge ground balls, and Hailey Huebner drew a charge on Caroline Chisholm.

In a game that lacked flow due to numerous stoppages for fouls — the teams combined for 15 cards — and video reviews, the gritty moments loomed large. Stony Brook had the edge there, winning the ground ball battle 17-8.

Still, Boston College had a chance to force overtime with Avery Hudson staring down Stony Brook goaltender Natalia Altebrando on a free position attempt with 16 seconds remaining in regulation.

The shot never made it to Altebrando, with Eisfeld stick-checking the ball off Hudson’s stick from behind to secure the win for the Seawolves.

“I talked to Haydin on that play, I was like, ‘let’s go Haydin,” said Altebrando, who made eight saves. “And she did her job, and I’m really proud of her too.”

It is a bitter defeat for Boston College, which saw its streak of consecutive trips to the Final Four snapped at eight.

“It’s really hard when you have a game like that, where you fight all the way back against a great opponent, against four officials, and to come up short in the end is just such a heartbreaker,” head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein said

It also marked the end of Shea Dolce’s illustrious career. She finished with seven saves.

“Coming here was a dream of mine, and the coaches gave me the ability to do that,” Dolce said. “I thank Acacia every day for it. I don’t regret anything in my four years here. I’ve been surrounded by the best people, the best coaches. I’ve built lifelong relationships with everyone I’ve come across.”

And while the focus for Stony Brook shifts to Johns Hopkins, it won’t be today. Spallina wants his players to appreciate what they just accomplished.

“I told them I didn’t want them thinking about Thursday now,” Spallina said. “I wanted them to enjoy what they’ve earned here today.”