Syracuse University
Richmond
Richmond Defeats Field Hockey in Three Rounds of Penalty Strokes, 1-0
11/3/2002 5:33:21 PM | Field Hockey
After two overtimes and two rounds of penalty strokes, the University of Richmond field hockey team defeated Syracuse University during a sudden-death third series of strokes. Richmond won, 1-0 and extended its winning streak to 12 games. The Spiders improved to 14-6, while Syracuse finished its regular season with a 10-10 record.
Offensively, the Spiders dominated the game, outshooting the Orangemen 22-3, but were unable to convert on any of their attempts.
Syracuse's best scoring opportunity came halfway through the first overtime period when Michelle Marks (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) fired a shot that was saved by Spider goalie Michelle Swartz
. On the first two rounds of penalty strokes, both teams had two players score. During the third round, Richmond's Jess Stern hit a high shot to the right to give Richmond the edge. Swartz stopped the following Syracuse stroke to clinch the Spiders' victory.
Swartz made three saves on the afternoon for the shutout and Syracuse's Audrey Latsko (Emmaus, Pa./Emmaus) recorded 16 saves.
Next up for the Orangewomen is the 2002 BIG EAST Championship, which will be hosted by Syracuse on Friday and Sunday, Nov. 8 and 10. The semifinal games are set for 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Friday, with Sunday's championship matchup scheduled for noon at Coyne Field.
Syracuse, the No. 4 seed, will face No. 1 Connecticut in the first semifinal at 5:00 p.m. The Orangewomen are the defending BIG EAST champions and the only program to qualify for every championship since 1989. Connecticut claimed the 2002 BIG EAST regular season field hockey title with a 5-0 record in conference play.
No. 2 Villanova will meet No. 3 Boston College in the second semifinal.
The winner of the BIG EAST Championship receives the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship. First and second round games will be held on the campuses of participating institutions on Nov. 16 and 17. The semifinals and championship will be hosted by the University of Louisville in Louisville, Ky. The semifinals are scheduled for Friday, Nov. 22 with the national championship game on Sunday, Nov. 24.
