2017 KEY MOMENTS
1. Queens of lax
The Boston College women's lacrosse team made an unprecedented postseason run before falling to perennial power Maryland, 16-13, in the NCAA title game at Gillette Stadium. Acacia Walker was the easy choice for IWLCA National Coach of the Year as she led the Eagles to the best season in program history. Junior attacker Kenzie Kent set an NCAA record with 37 points in the Eagles' five tournament games. Kent, a twosport standout in ice hockey and lacrosse, was named NCAA Tournament MVP and
ACC Female Athlete of the Year.
2. Coach for a day
UMass Athletic Director Ryan Bamford made a tough call when he fired popular basketball coach Derek Kellogg at the end of the 2016-17 season. The coaching transition didn't go quite as he'd hoped, though. UMass initially hired Winthrop coach Pat Kelsey, who reneged on the deal the day of his introductory press conference in Amherst. Bamford reconvened the search committee and hired Chattanooga's Matt McCall, who had the Minutemen off to a respectable start.
3. ’Pot o’ gold
The Harvard men's hockey program, under the direction of coach and Crimson alum Ted Donato, captured its 11th Beanpot title and first since 1993 on Feb. 13 at the TD Garden. The Crimson secured the 65th annual Battle of Boston with a thrilling 6-3 victory over Boston University. Nathan Krusco netted two goals with an assist and was named Beanpot MVP.
4. Dillon runs wild
Boston College tailback AJ Dillon enjoyed the most successful freshman season at his position in school history. Dillon rushed for 1,432 yards, the second most by a freshman in ACC history. Dillon had a pair of 200-yard rushing games that included a phenomenal 272 yards and four touchdowns at Louisville on Oct. 14. Dillon was named the ACC Rookie of the Year and a first-team ACC All-Star.
5. Babson grabs the prize
The Beavers won their first-ever Division 3 national basketball title with a 79-78 victory over Augustana College in Salem, Va. The championship was not without drama as Babson rallied from 25 points down in the semifinal to get to the title game. Then, with time ticking down and Babson clinging to a one-point lead, Div. 3 Player of the Year Joey Flannery blocked an Augustana layup to seal the championship.