Ithaca’s Baker helps Boston College to 1st ACC title

There are countless alumni from the Ithaca High School girls lacrosse program who have gone on to further make a name for themselves in college. For recent graduate Shea Baker, she has already made history with her new team as a freshman.

On April 30, Baker helped Boston College women’s lacrosse win its first-ever ACC championship after defeating reigning national champions North Carolina 11-9. Baker shared how much it meant to her to make a significant impact in just her first season with the Eagles.

“It feels amazing,” Baker said. “This year has surprised me more than I ever could have imagined. We’re just playing for each other and having each other’s backs, and it feels so amazing to make history with this group of girls, because I know they all deserve it. We’ve been working hard for it.”

Not only was this game a rematch of last season’s national championship, the Eagles were also seeking revenge after falling to the Tar Heels 16-5 in the regular season. Baker explained what went differently this time around in order to come out on top.

“Leading up to the whole ACC tournament, we just harped on focusing on ourselves and maximizing our potential rather than playing into anybody else’s game or focusing too much on what the other team is going to do,” Baker said. “I also know that we just didn’t play well in the first matchup against North Carolina, so it was a little bit of a redemption game. We knew that we could give them a run for their money if we just focused on ourselves, had each other’s back and executed the game plan to a tee, which is what we did.”

Baker has yet to start for the Eagles, but she has made tremendous contributions off the bench, no more so than against the Tar Heels. Up by two goals with under two minutes to go, North Carolina had numbers forward in transition, but Baker got her stick up to dispossess the Tar Heels, putting an end to any hopes of a comeback.

“I was standing on the restraining line, so I saw us lose the ball,” Baker said. “Our defense had been such a unit the whole second half, so we were just ready to make the next stop whenever it came. We didn’t expect to turn the ball over early in the possession, but when we did, I saw Brooklyn Walker-Welch running up with the ball. I just didn’t want to let her get any steam. I started to angle her and I got my stick up with a little bit of luck and a little bit of being in the right place, but it was huge.”

The ACC Championship was an all-Ithaca affair, as Baker faced off against two of her former teammates: Alecia Nicholas in goal and Mackenzie Rich in attack. Having played alongside the two with the Little Red, Baker reflected on how memorable it was to face off against her old teammates on one of the biggest stages in women’s lacrosse.

“Part of the reason why I chose to come to Boston College was because I knew I’d be able to compete with those girls again, and I’m always rooting for them,” Baker said. “It’s actually incredible to be able to share the same field again. It’s also fun to have a little bit of an inside scoop on those girls. When Mackenzie came out, I was telling my team, ‘This girl’s a good dodger, we got to slide early.’ It definitely feels nice, and I’m rooting for them. They’re killing it.”

With any sport, the transition from high school to college can be daunting. But Baker has thrived in a more limited role. In 14 appearances off the bench, the two-time All-American has six goals and two assists while helping out defensively on multiple occasions. Baker attributes her time with the Little Red for helping set her up for success in college.

“Just like Ithaca lacrosse, my coaches here harp on the same exact techniques, tactics and aspects of togetherness and unity,” Baker said. “It’s just a great environment. It’s really not much different than high school because I was fortunate enough to be on such a great team. The transition’s been pretty seamless. Definitely hard, but so worth it.”

As Boston College looks to make it back to the NCAA Championship game for the sixth straight season, Baker hopes to bring some more hardware back to Chestnut Hill and continue the ever-growing legacy of Ithaca lacrosse in the collegiate landscape.

“In order to win a national championship, I think the biggest thing is spirit and heart,” Baker said. “I know we all want it and it’s just a matter of how hard we’re willing to work for it and working overtime and just finding ways to get better out of practice in practice and really devoting everything to that now that school is going to be wrapping up soon that’s going to be a big part of making a run.”