Syracuse University
#6 Stanford
Top-6 Clash Kicks Off Field Hockey Season
8/27/2015 5:07:00 PM | Field Hockey
No. 4 Orange travels to No. 6 Stanford, UC Davis and Pacific on West Coast Run
| No. 4 SYRACUSE at No. 6 Stanford, UC Davis and Pacific | |
| Date & Time    | Stanford - Friday, Aug. 28; 7 p.m. EST UC Davis - Saturday, Aug. 29; 7 p.m. EST Pacific - Monday, Aug. 31; 2 p.m. EST |
| Location  | Stanford, Calif./Stockton, Calif. |
| Web Stream | Stanford - Pac-12 Bay Area |
| Game Notes | Syracuse |
| Live Stats | Cuse.com |
| Cuse Twitter | @Cuse |
| Field Hockey Twitter | @CuseFH |
High Expectations
- The Syracuse field hockey team enters the 2015 season coming off the program's first NCAA title game appearance in 2014.
- Many of the key pieces return for the 2015 campaign, including the starting goalkeeper Jess Jecko, team's leading scorer Emma Russell and eight players who started 10-or-more games last season.
77-Straight Weeks
- The Orange enter the 2015 season ranked No. 4 in the Penn Monto/NFHCA Poll, which is the 77th-straight week the program has been represented in the poll.
- 'Cuse received 973 points and 7 first place votes behind UConn 1,060 pts. 27 first place votes, North Carolina 1,042 pts. 12 first place votes and Maryland 999 pts. 11 first place votes.
- Syracuse plays 10 of the 20-ranked teams in the regular season, including six contests against the other ACC opponents (every league team is ranked), No. 6 Stanford, No. 15 Princeton, No. 18 UMass and No. 20 Boston.
- Syracuse has been ranked every week in the 20-team poll since the preseason poll of the 2008 season.
All-ACC
- Seniors Emma Russell and Alyssa Manley were named to the All-ACC preseason team this week.
- The team was picked to finish in second overall in the ACC Preseason Poll, with 31 points and two first-place votes. North Carolina edged out the Orange with 34 points and four first-place votes.
'Cuse vs. Stanford
- SU is 6-0 all-time against the Cardinal.
- Most recently, the Orange defeated Stanford 3-1 in Albany, N.Y. on Sept. 28, 2013.
- This is only the second time Syracuse has played at Stanford, winning the only previous matchup 3-2 on Sept. 4, 2005 in overtime.
- Then sophomores, both Alyssa Manley and Emma Russell each scored in that contest, with Manley finishing off a rebound and Russell scored off a feed from Lauren Brooks.
- Jess Jecko stopped two of the three shots she faced while in net during that contest.
- Manley has three-career goals against Stanford in her two games against the Cardinal, including her first-career multi-goal game during a 4-1 win in October of 2012.
- Head coach Ange Bradley is 6-1 all-time vs. Stanford, with her only loss coming while she was the head coach or Richmond in 2003.
- Stanford finished 19-3 last season, falling to eventual NCAA Champion UConn 3-1 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
- Stanford was picked as the preseason favorite in the America East West Division.
'Cuse vs. UC Davis
- The Orange has never squared off with UC Davis.
- Head coach Ange Bradley has never faced UC Davis in her career either as the Aggies formed its program in 2009.
- The Aggies finished third in the NorPac Conference Tournament last season after defeating Pacific and Cal in the conference tournament in 2014.
- UC Davis joined the America East West division, which was formed this year with Stanford, Cal and Pacific.
- The Aggies tied for second in the America East West Division Preseason Poll, which was released this week.
'Cuse vs. Pacific
- The Orange is 2-1 all-time vs. Pacific with the most recent matchup taking place in 2005 on the campus of Cal.
- The last win Syracuse had vs. the Tigers was a 2-1 overtime victory at J.S. Coyne Stadium on Sept. 6, 2004.
- The Orange also defeated Pacific in its only contest at Pacific, winning 3-0 on Sept. 12, 1997.
- Ange Bradley is 1-0 vs. the Tigers, with her only matchup coming in 2004 when her Richmond team defeated Pacific 3-0.
- Pacific joined the America East West division, which was formed this year with Stanford, Cal and UC Davis.
- The Tigers were picked to finish in a tie for second in the league's preseason poll.
U-S-A, U-S-A
- The Syracuse field hockey team was well-represented on USA Field Hockey teams this summer.
- Senior midfielder Alyssa Manley won gold at the Pan-Am Games with the U.S. National Team and scored a goal in the semifinal.
- Sophomore Laura Hurff and junior Emma Lamison were each tabbed to the U.S. U21 team.
- Freshman Jennifer Bleakney joined Hurff and Lamison at the U-21 camp.
Milestone Watch
- Senior forward Emma Russell has her sights set on the program's all-time goal scoring record.
- Russell is just five goals shy of tying Lindsey Conrad at 47 and six goals from becoming the all-time leader. She currently ranks second on the list.
- Russell also is only 36 points shy of owning the program record for points. She sits in fifth with 103, seven points behind Leonie Geyer for fourth, nine behind Conrad, 17 behind Maggie Befort and 36 behind Martina
Loncaria.
- Senior Jess Jecko is currently sixth in goals against average at Syracuse (1.46). Cheri Herr owns the program record with a 1.00 goals against average.
California Girls
- The Orange is 10-2 all-time against teams from the state of California.
- Syracuse has also played four games in the state in program history, going a perfect 4-0 in the Golden State.
