Orange, Huskies Play For BIG EAST Crown

BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIP No. 3 Syracuse (17-1, 6-0) vs. No. 5 Connecticut (17-2, 5-1)
Game Details	Sunday, Nov. 4 \| Louisville, Ky. \| 1 p.m. Trager Stadium \| Tickets \| Directions
Game Coverage	BIG EAST Championship Central \| Bracket Watch \| Live Stats Twitter: @Cuse \| #cusefh Facebook: /SUFieldHockey
Syracuse Links	Game Notes \| Roster \| Schedule \| Stats
UConn Links	Roster \| Schedule \| Stats

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - No. 3 Syracuse field hockey (17-1) plays for its third-straight BIG EAST Championship on Sunday when it faces No. 5 Connecticut (17-2) at Trager Stadium at 1 p.m. The top-seeded Orange defeated Providence, 3-1, in Friday's first semifinal game and the second-seeded Huskies beat Louisville, 2-1, in overtime in the second semifinal.

• The winner of Sunday's championship game receives the BIG EAST automatic berth to the 16-team NCAA Tournament.

GAME COVERAGE
• Sunday's final will be webcast live on BIGEAST.tv. Free live stats will also be available via BIGEAST.org. Links to both will be provided at SUAthletics.com.
• Fans can also follow the Orange on Twitter.com/cuse, the official Twitter home of Syracuse Athletics, or search #cusefh, as well as on Facebook at Facebook.com/SUfieldhockey.

ORANGE TOPS FRIARS IN SEMIS
• No. 3 Syracuse field hockey (17-1) received goals from three different scorers to defeat Providence (9-9), 3-1, in the BIG EAST Tournament semifinals at Trager Stadium and send the top-seeded Orange to its fifth-straight championship game on Sunday when it will face second-seeded Connecticut at 1 p.m.
• Laura Hahnefeldt, Kelsey Millman and Gillian Pinder scored for the Orange as it controlled play throughout most of the game, outshooting the Friars, 22-5, and drawing seven penalty corners to PC's four.
• The Orange, seeking its third-straight BIG EAST Championship, will play the No. 5 Huskies, who defeated host Louisville, 2-1, in overtime in Friday's second semifinal.
• Hahnefeldt opened the scoring in the 21st minute when the junior back scored her second goal of the season, taking a pass from Jordan Page near the top of the circle on a penalty score and beating PC goalie Kathi Weidman.
• With 3:25 left in the first half, Millman made it a 2-0 game when she made a diving tip-in on a lead pass from Pinder for the senior captain's team-best 12th of the season.
• Millman's goal upped her career points total to 90, passing Kelly Hambleton's (1996-99) 89 points for eighth all-time at Syracuse.
• The Friars got a goal back early in the second when Henni Tietze scored on a penalty corner shot just 1:05 in, cutting the SU lead to 2-1.
• Pinder provided the Orange with an insurance goal in the 46th minute, dribbling into the circle from the left and blasting a shot by Weidman for the freshman's ninth of the season.

SU IN THE BIG EAST TOURNAMENT
• The Orange is making its 22nd and final appearance in the BIG EAST Championship, as it will join the ACC in 2013. Syracuse has a 17-15 record overall and 8-2 under Ange Bradley with three titles: 2008, 2010 and 2011.
• Syracuse won its sixth BIG EAST Championship tournament title on Nov. 6, 2011 with a 3-2 victory against Connecticut. After going 5-1 in BIG EAST play during the regular season, the Orange secured the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament.
• SU shut out No. 3 seed Villanova in the semifinals, 3-0 before defeating top-seeded Connecticut, 3-2, in the championship game.

IN THE REGULAR SEASON MATCH-UP
• No. 3 Syracuse captured its third BIG EAST regular season title in the last four years, defeating No. 4 Connecticut, 3-2, in the regular season finale on Saturday at J.S. Coyne Stadium.
• It was fitting on Senior Day at Coyne Stadium that two of the Orange's goals came from those honored in a ceremony prior to the game. Graduate student Liz McInerney scored the game's first goal and senior captain Kelsey Millman recorded the second, putting the Orange ahead for good.
• Freshman Gillian Pinder scored the Orange's third goal with 7:53 remaining, giving the home team a 3-1 lead, and that proved to be the difference as the Huskies scored with 4:48 remaining to make it a one-goal game but could not get the equalizer.

VS. RANKED OPPONENTS
• Syracuse is a perfect 8-0 against ranked teams this season.
• Syracuse is 41-51 against ranked teams since 2007, but is an impressive 15-4 in its last 19. SU is 8-0 in 2012 and was 7-4 last season, including a 3-2 win over No. 4 Connecticut in the BIG EAST Championship game.
• The Orange is 17-31 against top 10 teams since 2007.

Syracuse University Athletics

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