Syracuse University
No. 2 University of North Carolina
Syracuse Begins Difficult Road Swing
9/1/2011 9:54:00 AM | Field Hockey
Game Notes | Live Stats (Fri)
The fifth-ranked Syracuse University field hockey team (1-0) travels to the state of North Carolina for two contests. The Orange will face No. 2 North Carolina (2-0) on Friday, September 2 at 6 p.m. and than battle No. 11 Wake Forest (0-2) on Saturday, September 3 at 7 p.m. Both contests will be played at Francis E. Henry Stadium on the campus of UNC.
Syracuse is 20-16-2 (did not play a road game in 1972) all-time in its first road contest of a campaign. The Orange has won its last four road openers, including a 2-1 overtime victory at No. 14 Ohio State last season.
SU is also 16-12 all-time in its first neutral game of the year. Syracuse has won four of its last five neutral game openers, but suffered a 2-1 overtime setback to Kent State (at Columbus, Ohio) last season.
The Orange is looking to start the season 3-0 for the fourth consecutive year.
Series Notes
Syracuse is 0-2 all-time versus North Carolina. The Tar Heels defeated the Orange 3-0 in 1991 and 6-0 in 1996. Both games were neutral site contest with the game in 1991 being played at Penn State and the game in 1996 being in Amherst, Mass.
The Orange is 0-1 all-time against the Demon Deacons. Wake Forest handed Syracuse a 3-2 overtime setback in the 2008 national semifinal in Louisville, Ky.
Scouting the Orange
Syracuse opened the season with a 4-0 victory versus Monmouth on Saturday, August 27.
Four different players scored for the Orange including sophomore midfielder Leonie Geyer, senior forward Heather Susek, junior back Amy Kee and senior midfielder Nicole Nelson. Three different players also recorded assists for SU, including senior midfielder Martina Loncarica, junior forward Kelsey Millman and senior midfielder Liz McInerney.
Junior goalkeeper Leann Stiver only needed to make one save in her seventh career shutout.
Three time BIG EAST Conference Coach of the Year Ange Bradley welcomes back all three All-Americans and six regional All-Americans from the 2010 BIG EAST Championship squad.
Senior midfielder Martina Loncarica returns for her final year ranked first on SU's all-time assists list with 56. The three-time All-American is also second on the all-time points list with 118 (two points shy of tying for the top spot).
Scouting North Carolina
The second-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels (2-0) opened the season with a 5-0 win at No. 9 Michigan and a 2-0 victory at Iowa last weekend.
Senior Elizabeth Stephens led the way for UNC with five points off two goals and one assist. Junior Kelsey Kolojejchick and freshman Samantha Travers each scored twice for the Tar Heels. Senior Katelyn Falgowski dished out a team-best two assists. Sophomreo Caitlin Powers and freshman Sassi Ammer shared time in the cage, combining to make five saves.
North Carolina, the 2010 NCAA runner-up, received four first place votes and is the preseason favorite to claim the 2011 Atlantic Coast Conference Field Hockey Championship, according to a vote of the league's six head coaches.
The 2011 All-ACC Preseason squad is headlined by the 2010 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, UNC junior Caitlin Van Sickle. Two other Tar Heels, Kolojejchick and senior Falgowski, joined Van Sickle on the preseason squad.
The Tar Heels finished the 2010 season with a 22-3 record as the NCAA runner-up after falling to Maryland in double-overtime in the championship game.
Scouting Wake Forest
The 11th-ranked Wake Forest Demon Deacons (0-2) began the 2011 season with losses against Iowa (3-2) and at No. 9 Michigan (2-1).
Freshman Anna Kozniuk, senior Kaitlin Piosa and sophomore Kari Walkley all scored goals for WF. Junior Jillian Anzalone and sophomore Taylor Rhea both dished out assists for the Demon Deacons. Junior Kaitlyn Ruhf was in the cage and made 10 saves.
Wake Forest was selected in a tie for fourth in the 2011 Atlantic Coast Conference preseason poll.
WF's top three scorers from 2010 return in senior Faith Adams, junior Lizzie Rae and Walkley. Ruhf also returns in cage for the Demon Deacons.
McInerney Takes Season's First BIG EAST Honor
Senior midfielder Liz McInerney claimed the first BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week award and junior back Amy Kee earned a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll, the league announced. The pair helped propel the Orange to a 4-0 season-opening victory versus Monmouth on August 27 at J.S. Coyne Stadium.
McInerney led the Syracuse defense that limited Monmouth to only three shots (one on goal) and three penalty corners. She also provided an assist on SU's third goal of the day.
Kee was Syracuse's main offensive threat in its victory versus Monmouth. Kee scored one goal and recorded a team-high 10 shots, including a team-best tying four shots on goal. She was also instrumental in helping SU preserve the shutout.
Last Time Out
Fifth-ranked Syracuse opened the 2011 season with a 4-0 victory versus Monmouth inside the friendly confines of J.S. Coyne Stadium. The Orange recorded 33 shots and 15 penalty corners, to just three shots and one corner for the Hawks. Four different players scored for Syracuse, including sophomore midfielder Leonie Geyer, senior forward Heather Susek, junior back Amy Kee and senior midfielder Nicole Nelson.
Nothing Like Your First Time
Five members of the 2011 team stepped onto the field for the first time in their careers last Saturday. Freshman forward Stephanie Hussey started the game for Syracuse. Fellow freshmen Lauren Brooks and Jordan Page came off the bench. Redshirt freshman forward Adrian Chambers and junior midfielder Haley Bomboy also played in their first game as a member of the Orange.
BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year
Senior midfielder Martina Loncarica was named the BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year in a vote by the conference's seven head coaches, the league office announced.
Loncarica returns for her final year ranked first on SU's all-time assists list with 55. She is also second on the all-time points list with 117 (three points shy of tying for the top spot). The three-time All-American recorded a team-best 29 points off a team-high 11 goals and seven assists last season.
All-BIG EAST Preseason Team
Senior midfielder Martina Loncarica, sophomore back Laura Hahnefeldt, senior forward Heather Susek and junior back Amy Kee were all selected to the All-BIG EAST Preseason Team. Loncarica, Hahnefeldt and Susek were all unanimous selections.
Hahnefeldt was recognized on the Longstreth/NFHCA Division I All-American Second Team last season. The sophomore helped limit SU's opponents to just 1.14 goals per game in 2010.
Susek earned third-team Longstreth/NFHCA Division I All-American honors after recording 21 points off nine goals and three assists in 2010.
Kee earned a spot on the Longstreth/NFHCA Division I All-Mideast Region First Team in an injury laden season. The junior also tallied 14 points off five goals and four assists in 2010.
BIG EAST Field Hockey Preseason Poll
The three-time defending champion Orange garnered 32 points, including two first-place votes, and was picked to finish second behind Connecticut. The Huskies received 35 points, including the remaining five first-place votes.
Orange At Home
The Orange has been dominate at J.S. Coyne Stadium since fifth-year head coach Ange Bradley took the reins in 2007. Syracuse is 31-5 (.861) overall, including 21-3 (.875) in nonconference games and 10-2 (.800) in BIG EAST games. The Orange has won its last 17 games at J.S. Coyne Stadium and has only lost twice since the start of the 2008 season.
2011/NFHCA Division I Preseason Poll
Syracuse received 664 points and a No. 5 ranking in the 2011 Kookaburra/NFHCA Division I Preseason Poll. SU ended the season ranked fourth nationally after advancing to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. All but five of SU's 19 opponents are either ranked in the top 20 or receiving votes, including four top-10 teams.
