No. 5 SU Field Hockey Opens ACC Play This Friday at No. 1 UNC

Story by Robin Deehan

Photo courtesy cuse.com 

The fifth-ranked Syracuse field hockey team is set to open conference play this weekend at ACC rival, and number one team in the country, North Carolina (4-0) in a battle of the unbeaten.

In the new Penn Monto/NFHCA rankings released today UNC rose to the top spot after beating former No. 1 Maryland 3-1 this past weekend.  SU held steady at No. 5 for the second week in a row.

The Orange women are on a six game win streak scoring a combined 28 goals in the process.

This will be the conference opener for both teams and the importance of a win is not lost on Jordan Page.

“Last year we lost our first ACC game to Boston College and it was just kind of a downer for us, but I think going into Carolina and wanting to open up with a win is definitely what we’d like to do,” Page said.

A Rivalry is Born

Last year, SU’s inaugural ACC season, the Orange closed out the regular season with a 1-0 win at home against the Tar Heels.  Six days later SU met UNC again in the ACC semi-final and lost 1-0.

“I think we definitely created a rivalry with them, we just really enjoy playing against them,” Page said.  “It’s always a really good game and we’re just really excited to get to go down there and play and open up ACC play.”

Lauren Brooks (photo) is the team’s leading scorer with seven goals so far this season and says she is ready for her shot at the number one team in the country.

“I’m really excited, we need to prepare hard this week, really focus on what they’re working with, and then focus on our game, and just make sure we come out prepared and strong,” Brooks said.

Preparation

The Orange women have six games under their belt, the first four in the course of just five days while on the road, and that was no accident.

“You have to look at it as, it’s your first conference game and you want to be able to get the bye in the conference because that tournament is grueling,” head coach Ange Bradley said.  “That’s what we practiced last week, four games in that time frame, to be able to do it in the beginning so if something happened that we’re not in first, we know we can do it in the end to hoist that trophy over our heads.”

For SU, executing the game plan is key, and every conference game counts for the team to have life in November.

“I think we just prepare and it’s about Syracuse getting better right now and we’ve got a lot of things to work on,” Bradley said. “Chances are real good we’ll see Carolina in the ACC tournament and if we’re fortunate, in postseason; so it’s about November not September.”

Game time set for 5pm. Friday.