Orange and Tar Heels Field Hockey: "Both Really Good Teams"

Story by Robin Deehan
Photo by Michael Castellano


SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The No. 4 Syracuse Orange will face ACC Rival No. 1 North Carolina in the first of the NCAA tournament semi-final games this weekend in College Park, Maryland after defeating Penn State 3-1 last weekend.

SU's head coach says she expected to be there.

“I didn’t have a doubt with our kids. It’s more we wanted to get to the Final Four and expected it, and our quest is to be prepared for Friday night's match against North Carolina and be able to get one more,” Ange Bradley said.

This will mark the second time in three seasons the two teams will play in an NCAA tournament semi-final game, on November 16, 2012 North Carolina defeated Syracuse 6-1 in Norfolk, Virginia. 

“We’re both really good teams and we play a really nice brand of hockey, both teams, and I expect it’s going to be a good game of hockey,” Bradley said.

Syracuse and North Carolina have already traded victories twice this season during conference play.

The Orange (17-6) lost the first meeting in Chapel Hill 3-0 back on September 12^th and later avenged the loss, defeating the Tar Heels (19-3) in the ACC tournament semi-final game 3-2 in overtime on Nov.7 in Durham, N.C.  

“I think we just need to focus on how we’re going to play, and play our own game and kind of just work on keeping the passing going and creating the space,” junior captain Emma Russell said. “If we play like that I know it’s going to be a really good game as Ange [Bradley] said so it’s just kind of preparing ourselves for Friday and executing the plan.”

The second semi-final game will start at 4:45pm and will feature the defending National Champions No. 3 UCONN Huskies (18-2) against the No. 12 Albany Great Danes (20-2), who are making their first final four appearance.
 

The winners of the semi-final games will play for the title on Nov. 23 at 1 p.m. 

Players to Watch

Emma Russell (Syracuse): Recently named to the Longstreth/NFHCA First Team All-Mideast Region, the junior from Ireland leads the Orange in points and goals, with 44 points on 20 goals and four assists.  She is a clutch goal-scorer for the Orange and has had seven game winning goals this season, including four in overtime.

Alyssa Manley (Syracuse): For the second year in a row the midfielder was named to the Longstreth/NFHCA All-Mideast Region First Team.  Despite only having 14 points on three goals and eight assists, the junior from Lititz, Pa.serves as the quarterback of the team who plays tenacious defense and excels in the midfield transition to get the ball up to Russell and the rest of the forward line.

Emma Bozek (North Carolina):  Bozek was named to the Longstreth/NFHCA All-South Region First Team, she leads the Tar Heels with 15 goals and 10 assists. She is a junior from Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.

Charlotte Craddock (North Carolina): The two-time All American senior from Wolverhampton, England was also named to the Longstreth/NFHCA All-South Region First Team for her 12 goals and one assist despite missing eight games this season due to a back injury.