It Comes Down to This: Syracuse, Connecticut, BIG EAST Championship
11/9/2008 11:11:58 AM | Field Hockey
STORRS, Conn. – The top-seeded Syracuse Orange field hockey team (19-1) battles the third-seeded Connecticut Huskies (17-2) in the 2008 BIG EAST Championship Game on Sunday, November 9 beginning at 1 p.m. at the George J. Sherman Family Sports Complex at the University of Connecticut. The Orange advanced to the championship by defeating fourth-seeded Providence, 3-1, yesterday. Three different players scored as SU secured its first BIG EAST Tournament victory since winning the championship in 2001.
The Huskies advanced to the championship game with a 4-1 win against second-seeded Louisville yesterday. Lauren Aird scored a pair of goals as UConn earned a berth in the conference championship game for the seventh consecutive season.
Syracuse is 10-14 (.417) all-time in BIG EAST Championship play. The Orange has won three championships; 1993, 1995 and 2001. SU also has three second-place finishes; 1992, 1994 and 1999. Syracuse lost to Connecticut, 2-0, in the semifinals of last year’s tournament.
Syracuse’s second-most familiar foe, Connecticut leads the series at 25-5-1. The Huskies have defeated the Orange in the last nine match-ups, including earlier this season. SU is 2-9 all-time against the Huskies in Storrs. The Orange is also 2-9 all time versus UConn in BIG EAST Tournament games.
It was a physical battle to remember, as Syracuse hosted Connecticut at J.S. Coyne Stadium on October 18. The two BIG EAST rivals went head-to-head for the 31st time, with the Huskies prevailing in the end, 1-0. 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. Senior captain Shannon Taylor recorded a game-high seven shots for Syracuse. 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.
Connecticut is tied for the No. 6 spot in the NFHCA poll with North Carolina. UConn went 2-0 in conference play last week to finish the regular season with a 16-2 overall record and 5-1 conference mark. On November 1, UConn garnered a share of the BIG EAST regular season title for the 11th time in the program’s history and the seventh time in the last nine seasons with a 4-0 shutout at Villanova. The victory also represented the 300th win at Connecticut for head coach Nancy Stevens. Stevens boasts a mark of 301-105-8 in her 19 years at UConn and has guided the Huskies to a combined 21 BIG EAST regular season and tournament crowns. On October 29, UConn defeated Georgetown 6-1 after Aird matched her career-best performance with three goals. For the first time this season, Aird was named the BIG EAST field hockey Offensive Player of the Week. Aird has recorded a team-best 19 goals and 45 points. Jennifer Kleinhans has dished out a team-high 10 assists. Andrea Mainiero has seen the majority of action in the cage, registering a 1.22 goals-against-average and a .800 saves percentage.
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