2022 NCAA WOMEN'S LACROSSE CHAMPIONSHIP

May 27, 2022

Acacia Walker-Weinstein

Cassidy Weeks

Charlotte North

Jenn Mejid

Boston College Eagles

Homewood Field

Media Conference

Boston College 17, Maryland 16

COACH WALKER-WEINSTEIN: I'm so proud of our girls, it was such a tough game for 60 minutes. Maryland gave us literally everything we could handle. They were exactly who we thought they were. So smart, so athletic, fast paced. Their tempo was difficult to defend and obviously well coached. I admire Cathy. She was my coach and I admire everything she's done there. I'm proud of our girls that they stuck it out until the very end. It was a great team win. And I'm just really proud of them. Got one more to go.

Q. Cassidy, walk us through the goal.

CASSIDY WEEKS: At the end of the game I knew that anyone on our team could score, everyone was ready for the moment. I just saw the chance, the opening. I knew Caitlyn would throw it and just put it away.

COACH WALKER-WEINSTEIN: Can I tell a funny story? On the sideline, Cass survived a triple team coming up the field and I was debating subbing her for a minute. I'm like there's four minutes, so I didn't make the call. I looked at the twin sister on the sideline and I said, does your sister need a break, and she said no. 30 seconds later she scored the winning goal.

Q. What was the mentality and did it help that you had just been here before.

CHARLOTTE NORTH: Our coaches do a great job in those moments. We know we can climb out of any hole we're in, take the lead with any amount of time. I believe in these guys more than anything. And it's just that belief that gets us through and it's our preparation all week long for those moments when we need it.

Q. When you pulled within one with about five minutes to go, what specifically did you see from Maryland that was allowing for the momentum to shift in your favor? Could you kind of feel the game coming right into your hands?

CASSIDY WEEKS: I just knew our defense would step up at the right moment. We all had each other's backs. We took what we can and ran with it.

Q. Charlotte, going back to the final play, you started with the ball, drew a double, passed it off. Were you thinking about going towards goal or was the entire plan to pass it off. What was your perspective on that last play?

CHARLOTTE NORTH: I mean, we talk about having a seven threat offense. All year you see we have that and we have more than that. And it's incredible. And I think in any moment, like Cassidy said, everyone's equipped to step up, and our plan was to win them one v. one. If we got the slide, to move the ball to the back side, and find the option there. That's exactly what we did.

Q. Jenn, I know you want to celebrate the win tonight but third matchup against UNC, could you talk about what you've learned of these two matchups previously and this is a whole new stage now but really anything goes?

JENN MEDJID: Like you said, anything goes. It's anyone's game. We played them twice and lost to them both times. But I think we've learned so much from both of those losses. I think we were really excited for this third time.

Q. Last four or five goals of the game there, what happened in that late spurt there, what do you think turned the tide for you?

COACH WALKER-WEINSTEIN: It's the same thing that happens every game. Our defense makes critical stops. They take really smart risks. And they deliver the ball to the offense. And then the offense just does their job. I really give all the credit to the defense. The goals are in a way the easy part. The defense is the most challenging part of the game.

And our defense really stepped up and I was just proud of the risks they took. They took really athletic, smart risks and gave us the opportunity to score.

Q. Obviously pretty clear, I think, that Cassidy was deferring a lot of the praise, what did you see from her this season that makes her the person ready for these moments?

COACH WALKER-WEINSTEIN: She was equipped for this because she has such, like, long-term grit. The kid is always grinding every day for four seasons, 12 months a year. This kid is the hardest working kid ever. She rarely gets any credit. She is a true, two-way middy who prioritizes their defense.

To see someone like that in a game like this be able to come out and get a little bit of the spotlight, she's so deserving of it. She's unquestionably our hardest working player.

I'm just so proud of her. She's ready. She's practiced that a billion times. You have to see that shot once but she's ready for it.

Q. The last seven minutes, did you get a sense that maybe Maryland was getting a little nervous with the ball and maybe that contributed to the turnovers that allowed you guys to make the comeback?

COACH WALKER-WEINSTEIN: Maybe a little. I just think there was like a huge momentum shift. I don't think Maryland is ever afraid, really, or nervous. I think there was just the natural sways of the games, the ups and downs. And I think we were just able to capitalize on it.

Q. I doubt you were thinking about this, but 2019, same side, a little different scenario, but who scores the game winner, any comparison to Weeks' goal here, semifinal?

COACH WALKER-WEINSTEIN: Yeah, I think it was poised for 60 minutes. We scored both of those goals in the last few minutes of the game. I think it shows even when we were down the whole team believed. Looking in their eyes in the huddles, they were so composed, it was almost alarming. And they were just prepared for anything.

But, yeah, I mean, I think the culture of the team is that they're composed. They always have been like that to the point where I'm like, guys, hello, where are you?

But I think it favors us in these moments and they're just so steady, and I think that's probably the comparison.