SU Heads To College Park To Face Richmond In NCAA Tournament
11/8/2011 9:12:54 PM | Field Hockey
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The third-ranked Syracuse field hockey team (18-3) will make its fourth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament when it travels to College Park, Md. to face Richmond in the first round of the 2011 NCAA Division I Field Hockey Tournament on Saturday, November 12. The Orange, the No. 3 overall seed, secured an automatic bid into the national tournament after capturing its second straight BIG EAST Championship last weekend against Connecticut.
Host Maryland (15-4) and Iowa (15-4) will meet in the other first round game. The winners of the two contests will square off on Sunday with the opportunity to advance to the Final Four.
Syracuse advanced to the quarterfinals of last season NCAA Tournament with a 2-1 overtime victory against host Penn State, and reached the National Semifinal game in 2008. Syracuse is 6-6 all-time in the national tournament, also making appearances in 2010, 2009, 2008, 2001, 1995 and 1993.
SU won its sixth-ever BIG EAST Championship title last weekend. The Orange defeated No. 3 seed Villanova, 3-0 in the semifinals before downing top-seeded Connecticut, 3-2 in the championship game on Sunday.
Syracuse is led by fifth-year head coach Ange Bradley, who is 86-21 in her four-plus seasons at SU. The Orange has won 15 of its last 16 games dating back to Sept. 16 and was 5-1 in BIG EAST play during the regular season, clinching the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament. Eleven of Syracuse's 18 wins this season have come against teams that were either ranked or receiving votes in the NFHCA Coaches Poll.
Bradley will face her former team in the opening round. She spent six seasons with the Spiders, winning five consecutive Atlantic 10 Championships and earned five NCAA Tournament invitations. Bradley also posted a 42-0 record in conference play during her tenure.
Leading the attack for the Orange in 2011 has been forwards Kelsey Millman and Heather Susek. Millman is first in the BIG EAST in points, goals and assists this season en route to an All-BIG EAST First Team selection. She broke the school record for points in a game earlier this season against Georgetown, while also tying the SU record for goals in a game (four).
Susek, the BIG EAST Co-Offensive Player of the Year, has 17 goals and six assists this season. A NFHCA Senior Game selection, she is seventh on the SU career goals list, and helped the Orange register 11.1 points per game this season, which is fourth-best in the nation. The Orange is 15-1 this season when Susek records at least one point, and 13-1 when she scores at least one goal.
The defensive corps of Laura Hahnefeldt, Iona Holloway, Amy Kee, Liz McInerney and Nicole Nelson has led the Orange to a 1.06 goals against average, which is second in the BIG EAST and seventh in the nation. SU has also allowed one goal or less in 13 of the team's 21 games this season. McInerney, an All-BIG EAST First Team selection, has six goals and 11 assists, while Nelson earned All-BIG EAST Second Team honors.
Richmond, winners of the Atlantic 10 conference, earned a spot into the tournament following a 2-0 play-in win against Cal earlier today. The Spiders are led by Katelin Peterson, who has 16 goals and 11 assists this season. Joining her are Chelsea Davies (10 goals, seven assists) and Rebecca Barry (10 goals, three assists).
Anna Zarkowski has posted a 1.31 goals against average in more than 1400 minutes in the cage this season along with an .821 save percentage and 14-6-0 record.
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