Saturday, October 18
Syracuse, N.Y.
1 p.m.
Syracuse University
0
vs
1
Connecticut
The Orange looks to rebound from the loss when they resume action tomorrow at J.S. Coyne Stadium against Holy Cross at 1 p.m.
Syracuse and Connecticut Compete in Heated Defensive Battle
10/18/2008 4:22:16 PM | Field Hockey
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SYRACUSE - It was a physical battle to remember, as the No. 1 ranked Syracuse Orange field hockey team hosted the No. 9 ranked University of Connecticut at J.S. Coyne Stadium. The two BIG EAST rivals went head-to-head for the 31st time, with the Huskies prevailing in the end, 1-0. The win moves UConn to 13-1 on the season and 2-1 in the BIG EAST. The game ended the Orange’s undefeated season. SU is now 14-1, 3-1 on the year. 862 fans were in attendance for a rivalry that always seems to fill the stands regardless of the sport being played.
SYRACUSE - It was a physical battle to remember, as the No. 1 ranked Syracuse Orange field hockey team hosted the No. 9 ranked University of Connecticut at J.S. Coyne Stadium. The two BIG EAST rivals went head-to-head for the 31st time, with the Huskies prevailing in the end, 1-0. The win moves UConn to 13-1 on the season and 2-1 in the BIG EAST. The game ended the Orange’s undefeated season. SU is now 14-1, 3-1 on the year. 862 fans were in attendance for a rivalry that always seems to fill the stands regardless of the sport being played.
“The ball didn’t fall for us today and we didn’t execute our corners. We will learn from this and evaluate and in the end we will be where we want to be,” head coach Ange Bradley said. “There are a lot of positives. We played a better second half, we outshot them and statistically we dominated. They just got one on the board early and we were unable to find the back of the cage.”
UConn’s Melissa Gonzalez netted her seventh goal of the season unassisted just 4:23 into the contest. In what appeared to be a scuffle in front of the cage, senior goalkeeper Heather Hess saw the ball slip by into the back corner of the box, giving the Huskies a 1-0 lead.
Despite the Orange outshooting the Huskies 14-6, UConn goalkeeper Andrea Mainiero would not let the ball find its way toward the back of the cage. Syracuse kept the pressure up throughout the entire first half, outshooting Connecticut, 10-3. Senior captain Shannon Taylor recorded a game-high seven shots for Syracuse. She played an excellent game, returning from a bloody nose in the second half to lead the Orange’s push during the final minutes.
Syracuse had several scoring chances, one of which proved to be a pivotal point in the game. It came from a penalty corner at 29:51 remaining in the second half, when sophomore back Maggie Befort fed a pass to senior back Heather Doran, who set up freshmen back Anne Sophie Van der Post for the shot. The ball made its way through the circle and appeared to be deflected in by sophomore forward Kristin Girouard, but officials waved off the goal, as it was determined that it had made contact last with her foot, rather than the stick. The Orange earned 13 penalty corners compared to UConn’s five, but was not able to execute as the Huskies defense was able to divert the threats.
The contest was full of physicality, as green and yellow cards were administered to players on both sides. Sticks were clashing, players were falling and injuries ensued. Six cards were drawn in the match, three of which were yellow. Although both teams had to play a man down at some point, it did not deter either side from stepping up to prevent any further damage. The penalty killing for the Orange has been strong all year, and today was no different.
As the Orange’s chances seemed to dwindle, Bradley decided to pull Hess in the final minutes to provide an extra man advantage. But it was too little too late. The Huskies would stave off the last push for Syracuse, walking away with a 1-0 victory and an important win for their BIG EAST record.
The Orange looks to rebound from the loss when they resume action tomorrow at J.S. Coyne Stadium against Holy Cross at 1 p.m.
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