Bridgewater, Va. – This week in Bridgewater College Athletics, the postseason took place for three sports — while basketball opened their campaign.

Women’ Soccer (15-2-3, 7-0-3 ODAC)

The women’s soccer team took part in the ODAC tournament this week and opened the week with a quarterfinal match against Randolph Macon on Tuesday. 

The Eagles came out of the gate with a plethora of offensive chances. Sophomore Skyler Daum was finally able to connect as she took a shot just outside the box and nailed it into the upper ninety to put the Eagles up 1-0.

The Eagles added to the lead in the second half when senior Hanna Randolph connected from the top of the box, just under the crossbar, to put the Eagles in front 2-0.

The Eagles locked up the win with six saves from senior Sydney Davis. 

The women then turned their attention to a rematch with Lynchburg College on Friday afternoon. Both teams seemed to be locked in for another battle, until Lynchburg entered their first goal of the afternoon on a rebound that found its way past Davis for a 1-0 lead.

Lynchburg’s defense led the way, trapping the Eagles and leading to lots of chances for the Hornets. Lynchburg added three goals in the second frame to take the match 4-0,  and to advance to the ODAC Championship Game on Sunday, Nov. 7.

Field Hockey (6-12, 3-5 ODAC)

The field hockey team took on Lynchburg in the opening round of the ODAC tournament. 

The Hornets have gained national attention throughout the year — being ranked as high as No. 19 in the country when they took on the Eagles in the regular season.

Lynchburg’s Jackie Lerro took over the game, netting three goals en route to a 3-0 win for the Hornets.

BC had only one shot on goal in the game, which was taken by first-year Emily Tyler.

Senior goalkeeper Brooke Hamm made 14 saves in between the pipes.

Volleyball (14-13, 8-4 ODAC)

The BC volleyball team took part in the ODAC tournament this week and they began with a home game against Lynchburg.

BC took the opening set 25-17, but as expected, Lynchburg fought back and got the second set 25-18.

At that point, the Eagles began to pull slightly ahead, behind a superb set from junior Ann-Marie Johnson. The Chowan University transfer tallied five kills and three blocks during the frame to push the Eagles to a set victory 25-16. 

The Eagles rolled the momentum into the fourth set by storming out to a 7-2 lead, and never looking back to take the set and the match 25-18.

The Eagles then made the short trip to the top seed Washington & Lee on Friday night in the semifinal round and fell in straight sets.

Johnson had another strong night by adding 12 kills — tying her career best. 

Washington & Lee advances to the ODAC Championship Match on Sunday, Nov. 7.

Football (3-6, 0-5 ODAC)

The BC football team made the trip to Hampden-Sydney on Saturday afternoon for an ODAC matchup.

The Eagles struggled offensively and failed to put up any points in the opening half of play as they were down 17-0 at the break.

BC opened the second half with a touchdown drive that was capped off by a Kenneth McCray TD run as the senior punched it in from a yard out. McCray led the Eagles in rushing yards with 38, as he and fellow senior QB Matt Lawton split snaps at the helm.

Senior Chad Jones caught a late game touchdown, but it was not enough as the Tigers prevailed 24-14.

Senior wide receiver Dylan Maclachlan shared his thoughts on the game, 

“Our offense was struggling in the first half because of the coverage and speed of their defense. We felt confident during the entire game, especially coming out in the second half. We made some big plays but our defense could not stop them on third downs which really hurt our chances. We will be ready next weekend for our senior day at home.” 

The Eagles will be back in action on Senior Day, when they host Guilford on Nov.13 at 2:00 p.m.

Women’s Basketball (0-1)

The BC women’s basketball team opened their 2021-22 campaign when  they made the short trip to Mary Baldwin on Friday.

The Eagles led 34-28 at the half, but Mary Baldwin was able to control the third gram of play — taking the lead headed to the final period 47-45.

The Fighting Squirrels had the ball in the closing second with the game tied. They sank a jumper to take the lead and ultimately the game 64-62.

Sophomore Jaden Alsberry led the way for the Eagles by tallying a double double in the win with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Junior Mary Ruth Shifflett also added double digit rebounds — with a total of ten .

The Eagles struggled to hold on to the ball, turning it over 29 times in the loss. 

The Eagles will be back in action on Tuesday, Nov. 9 when they travel to Christopher Newport.

Player of the Week

The BCVoice Player of the Week, for the second time this season, is Ann-Marie Johnson. Johnson. The junior led the Eagles on the way to avenging their regular season loss to Lynchburg in the opening round of the ODAC Tournament and also led the Eagles in kills in their loss to W&L.