Syracuse Field Hockey Team Downs No. 1 UNC to Get First Shot at NCAA Title

Story & Photo By: Robin Deehan

 

COLLEGE PARK, MD - The Syracuse field hockey team knocked off ACC Rival No. 1 North Carolina, 3-2 in a stroke-off, Friday to advance to its first ever NCAA title game.

“Speechless,” head coach Ange Bradley said.  “I want to thank Maryland for hosting the Final Four, and Carolina and the ACC, that was an amazing game for both teams, competitive to the very end and I’m happy we were able to get the result and advance.”

Junior midfielder Alyssa Manley scored the game-winning goal during the sudden victory stroke-off after two scoreless 15-minute overtime periods.

“I just knew that for the team, we just work so hard and that I just had to get it in,” Manley said.

It was a thrilling end to a game the two powerhouses battled over for more than 100 minutes in frigid 36-degree weather. UNC had beaten Syracuse 3-0 during the regular season, and the Orange won 3-2 in overtime in the ACC tournament. 

“We have similar styles, we had a really great match two weeks ago and that’s the game, you play high tempo there’s a lot of risk and a lot of reward, just two teams battling back and forth,” Bradley said.

Regulation

UNC (19-4) got on the board first when Emma Bozek scored off a penalty corner 15 minutes into the first half. 

Syracuse (18-5) evened the score with two minutes left before halftime when Emma Russell put the ball in from a rebound off UNC keeper Shannon Johnson's pads.

The Orange women took their first lead of the game after Alyssa Manley stole the ball from UNC at the top of the Syracuse circle and sent it to Lieke Visser who buried it.

It looked like the Orange would come away with the 2-1 victory in regulation but with just five minutes remaining in the game, with the Tar Heels' goalie pulled to give them an extra field player UNC’s Nina Notman scored off a penalty corner to send the game into overtime tied at two.

Overtime

Despite UNC outshooting SU 7-2 in the two 15- minute overtime periods and having a one-player advantage for five minutes due to yellow card on Syracuse, the Tar Heels couldn’t put the game away.

“Congratulations to Syracuse I thought that was a tough game by two really good teams,” UNC head coach Karen Shelton said. “I thought that Syracuse had the better of the regulation, but I think we kind of dominated the overtime.  So it was a bit disappointing that we couldn’t get one in the overtime period especially when we were man up for five minutes”

The Stroke-Off

In a stroke-off each team selects five players to take a moving stroke, or one-on-one, against the opposing team's goalie.  

If the attacking player does not score after eight seconds or if the ball is knocked out of the circle or out of bounds by the goalkeeper, the play is over. 

If the score is still tied after all five players take their moving stroke, the game goes into a sudden victory stroke-off.

Both the Orange and the Tar Heels had three players convert their moving strokes to goals.

And when SU forward Emma Russell couldn’t convert on hers to give the Orange the 4-3 advantage, the stroke-off went into sudden victory.
 

Sudden Victory Stroke-Off

UNC went first, and was denied when SU goalkeeper Jess Jecko blocked Emily Wold’s attempt.

SU’s Alyssa Manley was up next and with some tricky stick work, forced the UNC keeper to go right, she pulled left, buried it, and cemented SU’s spot in the title game.

“She’s smart and I think she’s an elite player and to be able to score on the running strokes twice in overtime was pretty special,” Bradley.

SU keeper Jecko finished with five saves on the day including the game changer against Wold.
 

“In the overtime she had some spectacular saves and her running strokes were fabulous we’ve been practicing that quite a bit the last two weeks,” Bradley said.

Syracuse and North Carolina each had seven penalty corners and the Orange only outshot the Tar Heels 17-16.

“I knew today was going to be a really tough game but when you get to this stage of the competition it’s always going to be a really tough game no matter who you’re playing,” Russell said.  “UNC is a fantastic team and it was a huge day for us today and obviously we are excited but we’re not satisfied yet and I think that’s really important that we realize that yes, we’ve made history but we want to keep going.”

The Title Game

 

Syracuse will battle former Big East rival and defending National Champion No. 3 Connecticut (19-3) Sunday in College Park, Md. at 1 p..m. 

UConn defeated No. 12 Albany (20-3), 1-0 to advance to the title game. 

“I think it’s great to resume the matchup, and we have great respect for Syracuse” UCONN coach Nancy Stevens said.

The last time the two teams met, the Huskies defeated the Orange 4-3 in the Big East Final on Nov. 4, 2012 in Louisville, Ky.

At Madison Square Garden, First Loss Of Season For Orange

Story by Lizzy Gomez, Photos

by Lizzy Gomez and Michael Castellano

The Golden Bears led by 16 points with just over 16 minutes left to play in The Garden. A  Cal fan shown on the scoreboard video screen egged Syracuse Orange fans on as they booed him loudly.

But no amount of boos or chants of “Let’s Go Orange” was enough to give Syracuse the edge to ultimately avoid its first loss of the season, 73-59, to the Golden Bears on Thursday night in New York City in the semi-finals of the 2K Classic.

Offensive Troubles for the Orange

The Orange offense did not help out its own cause, as Syracuse made just 23 of 64 shots from the field.

Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim said the offense put the Orange defense in a less than desirable position.

“The game isn’t about defense tonight,” Boeheim said. “We scored 20 points in the first half.”

Shooting from the three-point line was just as unreliable for the Orange.

While Syracuse as a team made only 4 of 17 three-point attempts, Cal Sophomore forward Jabari Bird made four of his own for the Golden Bears.

Golden Bears Thrive at the Three-Point Line

Cal head coach Cuonzo Martin said he was happy with the way his players reacted to competing against the Orange in front of a Syracuse-friendly crowd at The Garden.

“They’re making progress,” Martin said. “Two or three weeks ago, I didn’t think we’d last in this environment.”

Much of Cal’s success on Thursday night came from the three-point line, as the Golden Bears made 8 of 19 attempts.

In the first half, both teams kept the game close until Cal put four straight threes through the hoop before halftime.

Work in Progress

While the Orange gave some life to the Syracuse-leaning crowd at MSG mid-way through the second half after a brief scoring run, the Golden Bears stole the momentum, making shot after shot.

On the other end of the court, the points weren’t coming so easily.

Orange center Rakeem Christmas made just three of 10 shots against Cal for eight points on the night.

Christmas fouled out with just over six minutes left to play, as the Orange fell behind by 14 points.

Kaleb Joseph and Michael Gbinije both scored 13 points, while shooting guard Trevor Cooney only made 3 of his 10 attempts.

Boeheim said only time and practice will put the Orange in a better offensive position through the rest of the season, citing the loss of players such as C.J. Fair and Tyler Ennis and the inexperience of current point guard Kaleb Joseph as a reason for the team’s slow start.

“None of this is going to happen, not only by tomorrow, it’s not going to happen by next week, or two weeks after that,” Boeheim said. “Kaleb is a good player and he’s going to get better, but none of this is going to happen right away.”

Next at MSG

The victory advances Cal (3-0) to the 2K Classic championship game against No. 10 Texas (3-0) on Friday night at MSG.

Syracuse (2-1) plays in the consolation game against the Iowa Hawkeyes (2-1) at 5 p.m.

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.

Syracuse Volleyball Drops Another Close Match

By Jessica Eley

Gosia Wlaszcsuck sets up the Orange offense.

The SU women's volleyball team came out empty handed again Sunday, dropping its 13th  conference match, this time to Boston College in the Women's Building.

The Eagles (11-14, 6-8 ACC) beat the Orange 25-23, 23-25, 25-22, 25-15.

The Orange (8-18, 1-13 ACC) was led by junior outside hitter, Monika Salkute, (12 kills) and senior middle blocker, Lindsay McCabe.(10 kills). McCabe was the most efficient hitter at .563 percent.


Unhappy with the effort

Head coach Leonid Yelin said he was disappointed with his team's effort during the match.

"Only new thing I can say the difference is in this game is unfortunately, we are trying less...less effort and for much shorter time,"Yelin said.

McCabe was equally disappointed after the team's loss.

"We always play better in the beginning of the set, but when it's crunch time and we need to play even better is when we're making some crucial mistakes," McCabe said.

The first set was full of errors on both sides. There were several serving errors that kept the score close throughout the set. The Orange was halted at 19 points by several BC kills before a kill from junior outside hitter, Silvi Uattara, and freshman middle blocker, Leah Levert cut the Eagles' lead to 23-21. But BC then finished it out, winning the set 25-21.

SU and BC were tied eight times during the second set. After being tied at 13, a kill from Uattara began the Orange's four-point run. A kill from BC cut the score to 17-14.  SU lost its lead after several kills from BC's Katty Workman, but eventually closed the set with a kill from Uattara to even the match.

The Orange fought hard through the third set, but lost 22-25.

After several point exchanges, BC ran away with the lead in the final set. Yelin called his first timeout after six straight points from BC. The Eagles scored twice more before SU earned a point. During BC's large scoring runs, the Orange appeared to have given up hope of winning the set and the match.

"When they got a run of points we got down and I think as you could see, we showed it," McCabe said. "We need to do better of when one person makes a mistake, everyone else steps up for them."

SU only has four more games left in the season. The Orange plays at Miami and Florida State on Nov. 21 and 23 before returning home for its last two matches against Virginia and Virginia Tech.

Syracuse Wears Down Hampton

 

Story and Photo by Robert Magobet 

 

Syracuse, N.Y - Underdog Hampton played No.23 Syracuse competitively Sunday—but ultimately the Orange put the clamps on defensively in the second half winning 65-47 Sunday in the second game of the 2K Classic at the Carrier Dome.

This game followed SU's 89-42 thrashing of Kennesaw State Friday night in the first game of the 2K Classic in which head coach Jim Boeheim made history winning his 949^th game. That's more wins than all other Syracuse coach combined.

His 950^th win on the day before his 70th birthday had more of a blue collar, roll-up your sleeves kind of a feel throughout the game, a kind of game that Boeheim is familiar with.

“We played very well down the stretch, that’s a good sign,” Boeheim said. “We made a couple of other defensive plays and we finally made a couple of shots. When the ball goes in the basket it’s an easier game. We struggled to score for a long time in the second half but our defense kept us in position to win the game.”

Defense

This game showed  a defensive theme from both teams all night shown by the final score—but Syracuse forward Rakeem Christmas contributed in multiple phases from the jump. He finished the game with 15 points and 16 rebounds.

“Coach (Boeheim) let me get the ball and I needed to assert myself early in the game,” Christmas said. “Coach (Mike) Hopkins wants me to go out and assert myself in the game and that’s what I try to do.”

Offensively the Orange moved the ball around before passing it down low to Christmas. When defenders collapsed on Christmas it opened up shots and driving lanes for forward B.J. Johnson and guard Trevor Cooney. Johnson scored eight points in the game going 2-of-5 from beyond the arc. Cooney scored eight points as well, shooting 2-of-7 behind the three-point line.

Freshman forward Chris McCullough contributed 13 points and three blocks.

A couple of defensive plays from Hampton causing Syracuse to turn the ball over twice really established the defensive struggle early. The first turnover at the 15:11 mark in the first half by Chris McCullough resulted in a fast break in which Hampton guard Darren Powers scored while being hacked by Syracuse forward Michael Gbinije. Powers completed the three-point play making the score 11-10 Syracuse early in the first half.

A couple of plays later Gbinije turned the ball over at the 14:14 mark in the first half. Hampton scored seven points off fast break opportunities in the first half.

Along with defensive intensity in the zone defense, points in the paint scored by the Pirates became an issue for Syracuse keeping the game close in the first half. Hampton scored 16 points in the paint versus Syracuse’s 10 in the first half which ended with Syracuse leading, 35-27.

Second Half: Syracuse finally takes control

Syracuse came out in the second half with its standard 2-3 zone defense. But in the second half the Pirates seemed to tire out. Syracuse conditioning appeared to be at a different level than Hampton. That might have had to do with the team being delayed by weather flying to Syracuse from Iowa where the Pirates lost Friday night. They arrived in Syracuse after noon on Sunday.

Hampton stayed competitive, closing the 12-point lead Syracuse opened early in the half, but a few plays here and there really changed the momentum.

A layup by Hampton guard Dwight Meikle made the score 45-40 at the 9:12 mark but that turned out to be the closest margin in the second half. Meikle finished with six points and four rebounds.

On the next play Syracuse guard Trevor Cooney drained a three-pointer igniting the crowed with 8:53 to go.

“At that time we were kind of struggling a little bit,” Cooney said. “Hampton made a good run so I know we needed a big basket and I was aggressive and got to the open spot. (Tyler) Roberson found me. It was a dagger--yeah.”

Pirate Positives 

Hampton stayed in the ball game early by scoring 28 points in the paint to 26 points in the paint for Syracuse.  Jervon Pressley used his big 6’8' frame to score six and grab five rebounds, banging among the Orange’s trees.

Defensively, Pirates guards Brian Darden, Ke’Ron Brown, Deron Powers and Dwight Meikle used their athleticism to fight over screens and communication contest Syracuse shooters.
Still, Syracuse, with a little more talent than Hampton, revved up its defensive intensity when it mattered most.

“We continued to stick to our game plan, “Syracuse point guard Kaleb Joseph said. “Guard the screens inside and outside real well. I don’t think we changed anything. I think it’s hard if you continue to do the same things over and over again. If you stick to it, it starts to work over time. They just got a little tired I think and we capitalized on that.”

Joseph finished with five points, five assists and three turnovers.

The Chievous factor

Hampton guard Quinton Chievous, the son of Derrick Chievous, Missouri’s all-time leading scorer, played the game aggressively contributing 17 points, five rebounds and one steal. Chievous' aggressiveness in the game really kept the Pirates in striking distance. In the first half he scored nine points and three rebounds.

Scoring eight points in the second half, he slithered his way through small seams in the Syracuse zone defense taking advantage of his assertiveness, length and athleticism.

What’s Next

Syracuse will take on the California Golden Bears in the 2K Classic semi-final on Thursday in Madison Square Garden.  Trevor Cooney has his sights on the Golden Bears.

“California is a really good team,” Cooney said. “We played them the last couple of years. We know that there a good team. They got some really good players and well coached. We’re looking forward to it.”

On Friday night Syracuse will play either Texas or Iowa who meet in the other semi-final.

 

 

 

 

 

Peterson Lifts Syracuse over Fordham in Season Opener

Story by: Lauren Foti
Photo courtesy cuse.com

Syracuse, N.Y.-- The Syracuse Women’s basketball team opened its season the way any team would want to, although the game did not start the way Coach Quentin Hillsman would have liked.  With a 59-42 victory over the Fordham Rams (0-2) the Syracuse Orange is 1-0.

Early struggle

In the first half the Orange struggled to make buckets, shooting only 34-precent from the field. The first half proved to be troublesome for both the Rams and the Orange. Fordham converted just seven of its 27 field goal attempts.

With a little help from Alexis Peterson (photo) , the Orange managed to head into halftime leading the Rams 22-21.

“We want to be able to attack in transition and get up and down the floor,” Hillsman said. “I thought Petey did a really good job getting us into our transition offense.”

The sophomore guard from Columbus, Ohio had a career-high of 19 points in Sunday’s game.

“It was really exciting.” Peterson said. “ I was like, ' I can step up and help my teammates out.'”

Peterson’s three baskets to end the first half it were the boost the Orange needed.

Second half improvement

The Orange came out of halftime with a quick 10-2 run over the Rams. That run was powered by key defensive stops courtesy of Peterson and Cornelia Fondren. That gave Hillsman the momentum he wanted so he could use the press against the Rams.

" We did a real good job getting pressure on the ball," Hillsman said. "I thought that changed the game."

Syracuse's pressure contributed to Fordham's 22 turnovers. SU outscored the Rams 37-21 in the second half.

The Orange’s defensive efforts kept Fordham shooting just 29-percent for the entire game. Briana Day protected the basket blocking a career-high three shots.


Notes:

• Hillsman made quick rotations getting eleven players in the game, making it easier to use the press.
• Guard Brittney Sykes did not suit up for this game because of an ACL injury from last spring. Hillsman said she has been practicing and every day is one step closer to returning to the court.
• The Orange travels to Pittsburgh to take on Duquesne this Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 7:00 p.m. 

Syracuse Field Hockey Headed to the Final Four

Story & Video Recap By: Robin Deehan

Photo By: Michael Castellano

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The No. 4 Syracuse field hockey team is headed to the NCAA final four after a 3-1 win over No. 6 Penn State at J.S. Coyne Stadium Sunday.

 “We were outstanding,” head coach Ange Bradley said. “We moved the ball incredibly well, moved off ball, countered, and our passing game was really good today.”

This will be the second final four appearance for the Orange in the last three seasons.

“I’m just so proud of these women, we have a lot of freshmen doing something for the first time, and they’re a really special group,” Bradley said.

The Orange got a head start to the final four just five minutes into the game when Laura Hurff found Emma Russell on a breakaway.

“I think it was really important that we started out strong in the first 10-15 minutes, so to come out and in control and score the first goal was really important for our team, it was really good to start off the game strong,” Russell said.

Just 14 minutes after Russell’s goal Lauren Brooks scored on a reverse shot to the far post to extend the Orange lead by two.

Minutes before halftime Lies Lagerweij found the back of the cage after diving for a ball at the near post.

“I was laying on the ground, just kind of doing something with my stick, and it just went in,” Lagerweij said.

The Orange went into halftime with a comfortable 3-0 lead that held until the 68^th minute when Penn State scored its first and only goal of the game.

SU goalkeeper Jess Jecko had seven saves on the day including a crucial stop on a Penn State penalty stroke.

The Orange will face ACC rival No. 1 North Carolina, for the third time this season, Nov. 21 in College Park, MD in the national semi-final. The Orange lost at Chapel Hill, 3-0 on Sept 12, then beat the Tar Heels, 3-2 in overtime in the ACC Tournament semi-final in Durham.