Syracuse University
Monmouth
No. 7 Orange At Monmouth, Hosts Ohio To Open Season
8/23/2012 4:31:00 PM | Field Hockey
| No. 7 Syracuse (0-0) at Monmouth (0-0) | ||
| Game Details |
Friday, Aug. 24 | Monmouth, N.J. | 1 p.m. "So Sweet A Cat" Field | Directions |
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| Game Coverage |
Live Video | Live Stats Twitter: @Cuse |
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| Syracuse Links | Game Notes | Roster | Schedule | |
| Monmouth Links | Game Notes | Roster | Schedule | |
| No. 7 Syracuse (0-0) vs. Ohio (0-0) | ||
| Game Details |
Sunday, Aug. 26 | Syracuse, N.Y. | 1 p.m. J.S. Coyne Stadium | Directions |
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| Game Coverage |
Live Video | Live Stats Twitter: @Cuse |
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| Syracuse Links | Game Notes | Roster | Schedule | |
| Ohio Links | Game Notes | Roster | Schedule | |
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - No. 7 Syracuse field hockey opens its 2012 regular season this weekend, travelling to Monmouth on Saturday for a 1 p.m. game before returning to Syracuse to host Ohio on Sunday at 1 p.m. at J.S. Coyne Stadium.
• The Orange, coming off a 19-4 season in 2011 that saw it ranked No. 3 in the country in the final NFHCA poll, opens the 2012 campaign against a pair of quality non-conference opponents that were a combined 34-11 last season.
• As always, admission is free to all games at J.S. Coyne Stadium.
GAME COVERAGE
• Friday's opener at Monmouth can be watched free of charge on Hawk Vision at gomuhawks.com. Free live stats will be available as well. Both links can also be found at SUAthletics.com.
• Sunday's home opener vs. Ohio can be watched online on Orange All-Access. Free live stats will also be available at SUAthletics.com.
IN OPENERS
• Syracuse is 25-15 all-time in season openers, including a perfect 5-0 under Ange Bradley. The Orange is 12-4 in season openers since 1996.
• Last year, the Orange opened at home vs. Monmouth, winning 4-0. In 2010, SU defeated Northwestern, 6-1, at Coyne.
• Syracuse has started the season 2-0 in four out of five seasons under Bradley. The lone 1-1 year was last season, when SU dropped its second game at North Carolina, 3-2.
SERIES VS. MONMOUTH
• Last season's opener at Coyne Stadium against Monmouth was the first time the Orange and Hawks had ever met. Four different Orange scored in the 4-0 victory.
• Leonie Geyer, Haether Susek, Amy Kee and Nicole Nelson all tallied goals, while Leann Stiver made one save to get the shutout in goal.
• Syracuse dominated the game throughout, outshooting MU, 33-3, and outcornering it, 15-2.
SERIES VS. OHIO
• Sunday's game will be the first ever between the Orange and the Bobcats.
• Syracuse is 11-5 all-time against teams from the state of Ohio. The Orange will host Kent State (3-2, SU) on Sept. 16.
SCOUTING MONMOUTH
• The Hawks are coming off a 15-5 overall season in 2011. Monmouth went 6-1 in NEC play, finishing second in the conference and lost to Rider in the conference championship game.
• Monmouth returns its top three scorers from last season: Michelle Pieczynski (19g), Patricia O'Dwyer (16g) and Alex Carroll (7g).
• Pieczynski is Monmouth's all-time leader in points. The 2011 All-Mid Atlantic Region first-teamer enters the season with 94 points on 41 goals and 12 assists.
• Between the pipes, junior Teresa Mathews returns after playing every minute in goal for the Hawks in 2011, posting a 1.69 goals against average and a .748 save percentage.
• Carli Figlio is in her sixth season as head coach. The Kent State alum is 46-50 in her career.
SCOUTING OHIO
• The Bobcats are coming off a 19-5 campaign in 2011. They went 9-1 in the Mid-American Conference, winning the regular season and tournament titles. Their season came to end with a 4-0 loss at No. 1 North Carolina in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
• Ohio returns seven starters from last season, including its top three goal-scorers, all of which posted double-digit goals: Taylor Brown (15g), Cathryn Altdoerffer (10g) and Jessica Jue (10g).
• WIth the loss of senior goalie Jen McGill (19-5), the Bobcats turn to sophomore Brittany Walker between the pipes. She saw action in four games, positing a .750 save percentage and 3.25 GAA.
• Neil Macmillan is in his eighth season as head coach. The Loughborough alum is 93-62 entering the year.
TOP 10 STREAK REACHES 43 WEEKS
• Syracuse was ranked No. 7 in the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I Preseason Poll released on Aug. 21. It marked the 43rd straight week that the Orange has been ranked in the top 10 in the country, dating back to Aug. 28, 2008.
• Syracuse debuted at No. 5 in the poll in 2011 and spent nine of 11 weeks in that fifth position before finishing the season ranked No. 3 in the final poll.
FACING THE NATION'S BEST
• SU will face a challenging schedule in 2012. Eight of the Orange's regular season opponents are ranked in the top 25 of the preseason NFHCA poll: No. 2 North Carolina (H-9/1), No. 4 Princeton (A-9/23), No. 6 Connecticut (H-10/27), No. 11 Stanford (N-10/12), No. 14 Boston University (A-9/9), No. 17 Boston College (H-10/21), No. 18 New Hampshire (A-9/7) and No. 23 Louisville (H-9/29).
• As always, Syracuse's non-conference schedule is one of the nation's best. Six of SU's 11 non-conference games are against top 25 teams in the NFHCA preseason poll.
• The Orange will face six of the 15 other teams that played in last season's NCAA Tournament.
BIG EAST SUCCESS
• Syracuse won its sixth BIG EAST Championship tournament title on Nov. 6 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 shutout No. 3 seed Villanova in the semifinals, 3-0 before defeating top-seeded Connecticut, 3-2, in the championship game.
• Syracuse has also won seven BIG EAST regular season championships, the last coming in 2010.
ORANGE-HOT AT HOME
• The Orange has been dominating at J.S. Coyne Stadium since sixth-year head coach Ange Bradley took the reins in 2007 as it currently rides a 28-game home winning streak dating back to 2009.
• Syracuse is 43-5 (.896) overall, including 29-3 (.906) in non-conference games and 14-2 (.889) in BIG EAST games.
• In 2011, Syracuse went 13-0 at home and outscored the opposition, 65-9.
• SU's last home loss was on Sept. 6, 2009 vs. No. 7 Princeton, 3-2, in overtime.
PRESEASON HONORS
• Laura Hahnefeldt was named Preseason BIG EAST Co-Defensive Player of the Year, headlining four Orange to be honored as the conference announced its field hockey preseason awards and poll on Aug. 14.
• Joining Hahnefeldt on the All-BIG EAST Preseason Team are teammates Lauren Brooks, Leonie Geyer and Iona Holloway. Geyer was one of five unanimous selections on the 12-member team.
• Syracuse, the two-time defending BIG EAST Tournament Champion, was picked to finish second in the Preseason Coaches' Poll, receiving two first-place votes and 32 total points.
FOREIGN FLAIR
• Syracuse head coach Ange Bradley recruits the best talent not only in New York and the United States, but from around the world. This season, the Orange has eight players born outside the U.S.
• The Orange has three players from Ireland. All-American Liz McInerney (Dublin) is joined this season by freshmen Gillian Pinder (Dublin) and Emma Russell (Enniskerry).
• Germany is the next most common country with two Orange players. Preseason All-BIG EAST selections Leonie Geyer (Neuss) and Laura Hahnefeldt (Hamburg) are both juniors.
• From the United Kingdom, Syracuse boasts decorated seniors Iona Holloway (Glasgow, Scotland) and Amy Kee (Hertford, England). Holloway is a Preseason All-BIG EAST pick, while Kee is a three-time All-Region selection.
• Sophomore Stephanie Hussey was born in Argentina and lived her first 13 years there before moving with her family to Miami, Fla. She holds dual citizenship.
• Orange assistant coach Natalie Barrett is also a native of Glasgow, Scotland.
• 2011 SU alum Martina Loncarica (Argentina) is the program's all-time leader in points (139) and assists (65).
SEVEN NEWCOMERS JOIN THE RANKS
• Three-time BIG EAST Coach of the Year Ange Bradley welcomes an seven-player freshmen class for the 2012 season.
• The talented group is comprised of Sarah Clark (Newton, N.J.), Erin Dickey (Harrisburg, Pa.), Jessica Jecko (Clinton, N.Y.), Alyssa Manley (Lititz, Pa.), Mailyn Nishiguchi (Chula Vista, Calif.), Gillian Pinder (Dublin, Ireland), and Emma Russell (Enniskerry, Ireland).
2011 IN REVIEW
• The Syracuse field hockey team enjoyed a successful 2011 season, which concluded with a 19-4 record and ranked No. 3 in the final NFHCA poll.
• The 2011 campaign saw the Orange win its sixth BIG EAST Tournament title in program history and reach the NCAA Tournament for the four consecutive season, and seventh appearance all-time.
• SU concluded its season with a heart-breaking 2-1 overtime loss to No. 4 Maryland in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament in College Park, Md. after the Orange had defeated Richmond in the First Round, 2-0.
• At one point during the year, the Orange had an 11-game winning streak where it was outscoring its opponents 57-9. SU was also a perfect 13-0 at home in J.S. Coyne Stadium during the year.
• Three Orange were named All-Americans by the NFHCA: Liz McInerney (first team), Heather Susek (second team) and Kelsey Millman (third team).
AMONG THE NATION'S BEST
• Syracuse catapulted near the top of the national statistics rankings throughout the 2011 season. Leann Stiver was ranked in the top-five in goals against average and is first in save percentage among active Division I student-athletes. Kelsey Millman is ranked 29th in assists per game (0.57) and 17th in points per game (2.22).
• The Orange were fourth in the country with 0.39 shutouts per game (nine this season). SU was also ranked in the top-ten in goals against average (sixth), goals-per-game (sixth), points-per-game (seventh) and scoring average (eighth), and top-five in winning percentage (fifth), scoring margin (fifth), and assists-per-game (fifth).
TAYLOR GIVES OLYMPICS ORANGE HUE
• Former Syracuse All-American Shannon Taylor represented the United States - and the Orange - as a member of the USA Olympic Team in London this summer.
• The 2008 BIG EAST All-Conference and All-American performer scored the lone goal in the U.S.'s 1-0 win over world No. 2 Argentina at the Olympics.
• Taylor has been Team USA's leading scorer over the last year, including a key goal in the Americans' 4-2 win over Argentina in the 2011 Pan American Games, qualifying them for the 2012 Olympics.
