#2 Orange Wins Battle Of Unbeatens At #3 Princeton, 2-0

Sunday, September 23

Princeton, N.J.

2 p.m.

Syracuse University

(9-0)

Princeton

(7-1)

Syracuse

Princeton

Leonie Geyer scored the game-winner with 14:54 left.

Photo by: Michael J. Okoniewski

#2 Orange Wins Battle Of Unbeatens At #3 Princeton, 2-0

9/23/2012 4:34:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

Box Score | Season Stats

PRINCETON, N.J. - Leonie Geyer and Emma Russell scored second-half goals to lead No. 2 Syracuse (9-0) to a 2-0 victory at No. 3 Princeton (7-1) on Sunday afternoon at Bedford Field as the Orange stayed undefeated on the season and beat its second top-three ranked opponent.

The victory improves the Orange to 9-0 on the season, the second-best start in program history behind 2008 when SU started 14-0 on its way to a Final Four appearance. The loss is Princeton's first of the season, and combined with Virginia Commonwealth's loss to Drexel on Sunday, leaves Syracuse and No. 5 Connecticut as the only unbeaten teams remaining in NCAA Division I.

"The team really played well and it was a total team effort," Syracuse head coach Ange Bradley said. "The defense was amazing for us today."

Senior goalkeeper Leann Stiver and the SU defense stymied the nation's top scoring offense and the nation's top scorer, Kathleen Sharkey (four shots). Stiver made six saves to earn her second-straight shutout and fifth of the season. It is the 52^nd win of the senior's career and 17^th by way of shutout.

After each team's goalkeeper made two saves in a scoreless first half, Geyer broke the scoreless tie with 14:54 when she blasted a shot by Tigers goalie Christina Maida off a penalty corner. Jordan Page and Kelsey Millman assisted on the junior's fifth goal of the season.

The Orange added an insurance goal with 5:32 to go when Russell scored unassisted on a breakaway, sending a shot inside the far post for the freshman's fifth goal of the season.

Syracuse outshot Princeton, 16-10, while the Tigers held a 6-5 edge in penalty corners.

The win is the second shutout of the season by Syracuse over a team ranked in the top three in the NFHCA poll. On Sept. 1, the then-No. 7 Orange defeated second-ranked North Carolina, 1-0, in overtime.

The 2-0 win capped off a pair of shutouts for the Orange in New Jersey as it opened the weekend on Friday with a 6-0 win at Rutgers in BIG EAST action.

The Orange returns home to J.S. Coyne Stadium, where it has won 32 straight games, to host Louisville on Saturday at noon and Yale on Sunday at 2 p.m.