Orange Set to Host the ACC Tournament for the First Time

Thursday will be the first time a conference tournament game will be play at J.S. Coyne Stadium in Atlantic Coast Conference history. The Orange, who earned a 4-2 regular season ACC record, are the hosts for a conference tournament for the first time since 2011 for Syracuse when they hosted their last BIG EAST Tournament. In 2013, 'Cuse joined the ACC and the rest is history; Syracuse earned its first ACC Regular Season title in 2015 and went on to win the University's first National Championship by a women's team in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Nov. 22, 2015.

The Orange are the No. 2 seed and will have home field advantage playing at Coyne in front of a home crowd when they take the field Thursday, Nov. 4 for the quarterfinal against No. 6 seed Duke.

10 things to know before the ACC Tournament starts on Thursday:

1. Be There

All games of the 2021 ACC Field Hockey Tournament will be held at J.S. Coyne Stadium on the campus of Syracuse University. Parking is FREE in the Manley South Parking Lot next to the stadium. The Tournament begins Thursday with three quarterfinal games taking place. Friday is the semifinals and the championship game is slated for 12 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 7.

2. Inside the Matchup

Syracuse will face Duke in the quarterfinals at 3:30 p.m. Thursday in the second game of the ACC Tournament. It's the third time in conference tournament history that the two are meeting, all of which have been played since 2018. Duke won the first ACC Tournament between the two on 4-1 in the 2018 ACC Tournament, the Orange won 3-2 in overtime last fall. The Orange and Blue Devils played on Oct. 16 in a road game which Syracuse had seven different goal scorers in a 7-2 win over then-No. 23 Duke. Syracuse went on to finish the regular season ranked No. 9 at 4-2 in the ACC and 12-4 overall while Duke dropped out of the top-25 for the first season this week with an 0-6 ACC record and 6-10 overall mark. The winner of Thursday's game will advance to face the winner of No. 3 seed North Carolina and No. 6 seed Wake Forest at 3:30 p.n. Friday.

3. Where to Watch?

The ACC Tournament will be televised in its entirety, beginning Thursday, Nov. 4 at 1 p.m. with the quarterfinals and concluding with Sunday's championship game at noon on ACC Network. Mike Corey be handling play-by-play and Leah Secondo will serve as color commentator. ACC Network FAQ | ACC Network Programming Schedule

4. Ticket Information

Tickets for the ACC Field Hockey Tournament are available on site. Tournament books, good for all games, cost $10. Adult single-game tickets cost $5 and all children 18 and under are FREE.

5. The Last Time...

The last time Syracuse hosted a conference tournament at home was 10 years ago for the 2011 BIG EAST Tournament. Syracuse won the championship game, 3-2, over BIG EAST conference rival UConn after beating Villanova 3-0 in the semifinals.

6. Tournament Bracket and Schedule

Quarterfinals
Thursday, Nov. 4 (ACC Network)
1 pm - #4 Boston College vs. #5 Virginia
3:30 pm - #2 Syracuse vs. #7 Duke
6 pm - #3 North Carolina vs. #6 Wake Forest, 6 p.m.

Semifinals
Friday, Nov. 5 (ACC Network)
1 pm - #1 Louisville vs. Thursday's game 1 winner
3:30 pm - Winner of Thursday's game 2 vs. winner of Thursday's game 3

Championship
Sunday, Nov. 7 (ACC Network)
Noon - Winners of Saturday's games

7. Syracuse in the ACC Tournament

The Orange have an all-time ACC Tournament record of 5-8 and are 2-1 in games played as a No. 2 seed. Syracuse is 1-1 all-time against Duke in the ACC Tournament losing the first meeting as a No. 7 seed in 2018, 4-1, and advancing with a 3-2 overtime win as the No. 3 seed in 2020 behind junior Laura Graziosi's golden goal in the 63rd minute. The Orange reached their first ACC Championship game as the No. 2 seed in the 2013 Tournament in Newton, Mass. UNC won the match up 1-0. Syracuse has twice played in the ACC title game, both times North Carolina escaped with a one-goal win. (1-0 in 2013 and 2-1 in OT in 2015).

8. A Chance to win a Championship at Coyne

Syracuse has played for a conference title at J.S. Coyne Stadium twice before. In 2011, the Orange earned a 3-2 win over top-seeded UConn for the championship. 'Cuse took a commanding 3-0 lead in the first 19 minutes of play before the Huskies responded with two late in the first half. Syracuse's defense preserved the win in the second half, limiting UConn to just one shot in the final 35 minutes and only two penalty corner opportunities. In 1999, Syracuse lost the championship game to Connecticut, 2-0. Syracuse could have its third chance in program history to win a tournament title at home should the Orange advance to Sunday's title game at noon.

9. Title Game History

Syracuse has played for two ACC and 11 BIG EAST field hockey tournament championships. The Orange are 0-2 in the ACC and 6-5 in title games played during their time in the BIG EAST. Syracuse won its first tournament title (BIG EAST) in 1993 and won again two years later in 1995. The Orange claimed their third in 2001 and since head coach Ange Bradley took the reigns in 2007, the Orange have played in seven more title games winning in 2008, 2010 and 2011 (BIG EAST).

10. How We Got Here

Syracuse stands at 12-4 overall entering the postseason and is ranked No. 9 in the latest top-25 poll. The Orange started the season ranked No. 14 in the Penn Monto/NFHCA Coaches Poll and climbed as high as No. 6 during a nine-game win streak, the program's longest since the 2015 national championship season. The Orange finished the ACC season 4-2 after a 4-0 start and ended the regular season with a 6-0 Senior Day win in non-conference action against Cornell on Oct. 31.

To stay updated on Syracuse Field Hockey throughout the postseason, follow @CuseFH on Twitter and Instagram.