Arriving at Newton Campus for Boston College field hockey's first practice of 2017, head coach Kelly Doton felt something different. There were nerves and anxiety as the team set foot on the field for the first time. There was the usual excitement. But there was something else, something potentially setting the tone for the upcoming season that made it more special.
"This group has an aura about them that, as a coach, I have not felt before," she said. "It's almost uncontrollable. They want to learn. The progression from the first couple of hours of practice to the end of the second session is already a huge leap.