Syracuse University
No. 9 Boston College
Orange Looks for Revenge in First Round of NCAA Tournament
11/14/2009 2:15:51 PM | Field Hockey
PRINCETON, N.J. – The eighth-ranked Syracuse University field hockey team (17-3) is slated to take on the ninth-ranked Boston College Eagles on Saturday, Nov. 14, in the opening round of the 2009 NCAA Tournament in Princeton, N.J. at the Class of '52 Stadium. The game marks the fifth time in program history that the Orange has made an appearance in the tournament. The game will commence at 2 p.m., with ticket sales beginning at approximately 10:30 a.m. on the day of the contest.
The contest is part of the opening round bracket hosted in Princeton, N.J. In the other opening round contest, No. 4 Princeton will take on No. 14 Stanford. The winner of the contest will face the winner of the Syracuse-Boston College game at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 15.
SU enters the game after splitting a pair of games at the BIG EAST Tournament last weekend in Providence, R.I. The Orange defeated RV Providence, 2-1, before losing in the championship game to No. 7 Connecticut by the same margin. The Orange entered the tournament looking to defend its 2008 BIG EAST Tournament title. The team is also the owner of the 2009 BIG EAST Regular Season Championship after an undefeated 6-0 regular season versus conference competition.
In the opening round Syracuse will face a Boston College team that handed it one of only two regular season losses on the season. The first matchup between the two teams was contested in Chestnut Hill, Mass., and resulted in a 1-0 BC win. The Eagles were powered in the match by forward Chelsey Foele's lone goal, and a shutout performance by goalie Kristine Stigas, who turned away 13 SU shots in the contest.
Feole has tallied 25 goals and 62 points to lead the Eagles in scoring. She is followed by Janna Anctil and Emily Kozniuk who recorded 33 and 27 points respectively. In net, the Eagles are led by Stigas who has posted a 13-6 record with a 2.15 GAA and a .695 save percentage.
The Orange are led offensively by BIG EAST First Team member Lindsey Conrad ranks fourth on SU's all-time goals scored list with 36 and sixth on SU's all-time points list with 89. Her 38 points this season rank tied for seventh on SU's single-season chart. The junior forward was named the BIG EAST Offensive and ECAC Offensive Player of the Week once during the season. She has tallied a team-best 38 points off a team-high 15 goals and eight assists.
Sophomore back Martina Loncarica is Syracuse's all-time assists leader with 45. Her 83 career points rank ninth and her 13 assists this season rank tied for sixth on SU's single-season chart. The sophomore was named the BIG EAST Honor Roll once this season and was Syracuse's lone unanimous selection to the first team. Loncarica has recorded 18 points off two goals and a team-high 14 assists and was an unanimous BIG EAST First Team selection.
Leading the Orange in net, freshman goalkeeper Leann Stiver r has recorded a goals-against-average of 1.02 and a .727 saves percentage.
Syracuse owns four All-BIG EAST First Team members, including Conrad, Loncarica, Maggie Befort and Amy Kee. Head coach Ange Bradley received the conference's Coach of the Year award for the second time in three years.
