2021 Boston College Athletics Year In Review
2021 was a memorable year for Boston College athletics for a number of reasons, both positively and negatively. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, games were postponed and cancelled, as players came down with the virus. But through all of that, there were moments that stood out, as the athletic department continued to change under AD Pat Kraft.
Early in the winter the first big story was the firing of basketball head coach Jim Christian. While his departure wasn't totally a surprise, the timing of his firing certainly was. The Eagles were in the midst of a 3-13 tumble under Christian, and out of the blue he was let go. Scott Spinelli took over, and the Eagles had one big win on Senior Day against Notre Dame.
With the head coach gone, the basketball program changed drastically. Out were players like CJ Felder, Wynston Tabbs and Jay Heath all of whom entered the transfer portal. Then Kraft shocked the BC community again with the hiring of College of Charleston coach Earl Grant, a name that seemingly came out of nowhere.
The winter season ended with a whimper as men's hockey fell in the Hockey East tournament, and were crushed in the second round of the NCAA tournament after getting a bye due to COVID-19. Men's and women's basketball also had unremarkable seasons as well.
The spring started, and the baseball team struggled as well, but one team stood out. The women's lacrosse team, led by Tewaaraton winner, and NCAA goal record holder Charlotte North. The Eagles went on a tear, winning the National Championship, downing powerhouses UNC and Syracuse on the way to the title.
During the summer, Boston College also changed apparel companies, as all non-football teams signed with New Balance, while football joined up with Adidas. Kraft also announced the plans for a much needed basketball practice facility.
Fall brought a sense of normalcy back to the Heights, as fans returned to Chestnut Hill. Football came in with huge expectations, but after thrashing Colgate, quarterback Phil Jurkovec was lost for most of the season with a hand/wrist injury. The team pulled off a big overtime win against Mizzou, that led to storming the field after a memorable interception by Brandon Sebastian. But the program struggled under Dennis Grosel, averaging just 10 points a game in the month in October.
The Eagles got huge news though before the Red Bandana Game, as Jurkovec returned. Leading the Eagles, Jurkovec pulled off back to back wins against Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech. Unfortunately his wrist/hand was not 100% and in the final two games he struggled, only throwing for 19 yards in the season finale against Wake Forest.
The year ended the same way it started, with COVID-19 news. Basketball (both men and women's), hockey and the Military Bowl were all cancelled due to outbreaks.
Now the Athletic Department heads in to 2022 with new COVID protocols to hopefully mitigate the cancellations, a hockey program who has is on a six game streak without a loss, and two basketball teams that are struggling in conference. However there is potential everywhere, what will the new year bring? Stay tuned and have a happy New Year!
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