Orange Prevails in Final Regular-Season Home Game

Sunday, October 26

Syracuse, N.Y.

Noon

Syracuse University

Boston College

Sophomore forward Lindsey Conrad's 39 points this season rank fifth on SU's single-season list.

Orange Prevails in Final Regular-Season Home Game

10/26/2008 2:56:48 PM | Field Hockey

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. – It only seemed fitting for the Orange to wrap up its final regular-season home game with a victory. With what has proven to be the best season in the field hockey program’s 37-year history, No. 3 Syracuse was able to pull out a 3-1 win against No. 14 Boston College, improving to 17-1 overall. Prior to the start of the game, seniors Heather Doran, Heather Hess, Brittany Shannon and Shannon Taylor were honored with flowers in front of their families, as they stepped onto the field at J.S. Coyne Stadium for the last regular-season contest of their careers.

The Orange got on the board first on a goal from sophomore forward Lindsey Conrad. A turnover by the Eagles in their own territory allowed Taylor to lead Conrad with a pass which eventually produced the score 3:56 into the contest. Conrad’s 39 points rank third-best on the team this season.

Syracuse’s lead increased to two when Taylor blasted a shot past BC goalkeeper Julia Berkowitz with 8:25 remaining in the half. Sophomore back Maggie Befort and freshman midfielder Martina Loncarica were credited with the helpers, stemming from the penalty corner. Taylor, improving on her own single-season points record, now has 67 on the year.

The Eagles were able to cut the deficit to one when forward Tara Fernandez cleaned up a rebound off of a penalty corner with 3:19 left in the first half. Play went back and forth for some time before the Orange finally was able to figure out a way to pad its lead.

In the opening minutes of the second half, Hess made a heads up play that was nothing less than stellar. BC had a two-on-none break heading toward the SU circle when Hess broke from the cage and slid into the BC forward, stopping a major scoring opportunity for the Eagles. She helped keep the Orange in the lead by registering three saves on the day.

An insurance goal was something SU had desperately been searching for and finally found when Loncarica, on a feed from Taylor, put one past Berkowitz with 5:28 left in the game. The cushion was just what the Orange needed to make any attempts for a BC comeback that much more difficult. It would allow coaches and players alike to breathe a little bit easier down the homestretch, but it was not over yet.

With 4:06 left to play sophomore forward Kahli Vojkovic was charged with a yellow card that would put Syracuse at a one-man disadvantage through the end of regulation. The SU defense refuted a last push by the Eagles, successfully stopping a corner with 3:00 left to play, and was able to run out the final minutes on the clock, earning the victory.

The 17th win on the year ties the club’s single-season victory record, set in 1990 when the Orange went 17-3 and again in 1993 when it went 17-4-1. With one more to go, Syracuse can break its single-season victories record on the road next week. The last game of the regular season takes the team to Piscataway, N.J., where the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers plays host to the Orange on Saturday, November 1 at 1 pm.