Boston College junior forward Stephanie McCaffrey scored three goals to lead the Eagles to a 4-1 win over Duke on Sunday afternoon in front of 571 fans at the Newton Soccer Field in an Atlantic Coast Conference game.

 

McCaffrey scored two last second half goals to post her first career hat trick. The BC junior forward was active all day attacking the Duke offense. The three goals gives McCaffrey seven goals and seven assists on the season for 21 points.

It was McCaffrey’s speed that earned BC a penalty kick opportunity. She was dropped in the box in the 23rd minute by a Duke defender. Eagles sophomore McKenzie Meehan converted on the PK  for a 1-0 lead.

 

With under eight minutes to play Duke’s Kelly Cobb broke in on BC’s goalkeeper Alex Johnson (four saves). The Eagles goalkeeper cut the angle and Cobb’s shot hit the right post. The rebound popped back out to Cobb about eight yards out. She sent her second shot far post, but BC’s defender Lauren Bernard blocked the shot and cleared it from the goal mouth.

 

With under a minute to play, McCaffrey gave BC a 2-0 lead when she received a through ball from McKenzie Meehan. She ran onto the pass and took two dribbles and placed it by the Duke goalkeeper, Ali Kershner (eight saves). 

 

After 2-0 halftime, Duke struck early when Kim DeCesare sent a cross low through the box. Laura Weinberg was on the far post and one-timed the shot into the open goal for a 2-1 game in the 48th minute.

 

Duke started to press forward sending ball forward looking to break the Eagles down. BC’s defense held the Blue Devils from getting a solid opportunity.  Weinburg had a shot from the 22yard line off a corner kick, but the shot went high. DeCesare got her toe on a shot inside the box but Johnson was there for the save.

 

McCaffrey snuffed out any of a comeback for Duke when she notched her second goal in the 83rd minute. Senior Patrice Vettori received the bal l in the middle of the field and sent McCaffrey in behind the Duke defense. McCaffrey calmly placed the ball in the back of the goal.

Her third goal came two minutes later in the same manner when she got behind the defense off a ball from Madison Meehan. McCaffrey chipped the shot over the goalkeeper for her final goal in the 84th minute.

 

BC (7-6-0, 4-4-0) held a 12-5 edge in shots on goal. Duke (4-6-3, 1-4-2) had four corner kicks to three for the Eagles.

 

Game Notes: Boston College is off this week and will resume play when the Eagles host No. xx North Carolina on Sunday, October 13. Fans remember admission is free for all regular season home games … McKenzie Meehan scored on a PK, giving her at least on goal in the last four games … She has a goal or an assist in eight games  … BC is 3-1 in the last four games … The Eagles scored 11 goals in the last four games … Stephanie McCaffrey has now scored a goal or assist in six games … This was her first game-winning goal of the season. She now has six career GWG … Alex Johnson started her seventh game of the season. She is now 4-2 … Prior to the game, the BC women’s soccer team honored former defender Anne T. Kavanagh for being inducted into the BC Varsity Club Hall of Fame on Friday night. Kavanagh is one of the few players that played club and helped the women’s program enter varsity status. She was also the 1981 Eagle of the Year.