Syracuse University
No. 2 University of North Carolina
No. 5 Syracuse Unable to Hold On at No. 2 North Carolina
9/2/2011 9:14:55 PM | Field Hockey
Box Score
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The fifth-ranked Syracuse University field hockey squad surrendered a 2-0 halftime lead at No. 2 North Carolina this evening. Senior forward Heather Susek and senior midfielder Liz McInerney both scored for the Orange, but the Tar Heels scored three times in the game's final 20:24. Junior goalkeeper Leann Stiver recorded a career-best 14 saves in the effort. Syracuse moves to 1-1, while North Carolina improves to 3-0.
“It was a good game of two quality teams,” fifth-year head coach Ange Bradley said. “North Carolina was a worthy opponent and it was a great challenge and opportunity. We are however, disappointed with the result.”
In the 23rd minute of play, Susek took a pass from sophomore midfielder Leonie Geyer and sent a shot into the upper left corner of the cage for her second goal of the year.
Less than three minutes later, SU scored again, on its first penalty corner of the game. Sophomore back Laura Hahnefeldt sent a ball to the right-side of the cage and McInerney directed it in for a two-goal lead that the Orange would carry into halftime.
The Orange was leading 2-0 after playing more than 49 minutes of shutout hockey when UNC's Abby Frey put Carolina on the board with her first score career goal. Stiver saved UNC's initial shot on a penalty corner in the 50th minute of play, but Frey grabbed the rebound and sent it in to pull UNC within one.
Just more than 10 minutes later, on another UNC penalty corner, Caitlin Van Sickle got her stick on the rebound following a save by Stiver and set the ball in to Kelsey Kolojejchick, who scored from the right side of the cage.
The score was tied at 2-2 for two minutes before Kolojejchick scored the gamewinner. Stiver saved a shot by Samantha Travers, and the ball ended up just in front of the goal line. Kolojejchick dove to push it in and give the Tar Heels a 3-2 lead they'd hold for the final seven minutes of play.
North Carolina outshot Syracuse, 22-3, including a 17-1 edge in the second half. UNC also recorded 12 penalty corners, including 11 in the second half. SU only managed two.
Syracuse remains in Chapel Hill and will battle No. 11 Wake Forest tomorrow at 7 p.m. The Orange and Demon Deacons last met in the 2008 National Semifinal. WF advanced to the Championship Game with a 3-2 overtime win.
