McCooey’s fourth quarter goal lifts Orange to third straight win
By Josh Rothert
Playing just a car ride away from where she grew up, Orange forward Grace Anne McCooey knew the stakes were higher in today’s ACC/Big Ten Challenge. So when opportunity presented itself and the ball found her stick, she didn’t hesitate.
The graduate transfer teed up the ball and slapped a crosser pass through the circle to set up teammate Fieve Franken for a go-ahead goal chance. But, the ball ricocheted out of play and Ohio State was awarded possession.
There was no time to dwell on the missed chance.
Just 30 seconds later, a redemption shot arrived. Syracuse forward Aubrey Turner went wide on the far side of the field and sent a shot whistling towards Buckeyes netminder Avery Alleva. The ball caromed off the freshman’s blocker and landed in the lap of McCooey, who was camped on the far post.
The former Princeton Tiger didn’t flinch this time. McCooey poked at the ball and sent it through the net to give No. 12 Syracuse (3-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) a lead it would not relinquish in a 3-2 win over Ohio State (1-2, 0-0 Big Ten).
Similar to last weekend, the Orange struggled to possess the ball from the get-go. Sienna Golden opened the scoring on a tap back pass off a penalty corner. Her shot from a straightaway just inside the circle crept past a wall of mixed red and white jerseys to beat Orange goalie Jessie Eiselin for the game’s first score.
SU responded with transition offense late in the first. Syracuse forward Taylor Bigbie showed off the wheels on an outlet run, which included a pass to herself and spanned nearly half the field. When Bigbie reached the circle, she sent a ball spiraling towards the far post, where attacker Hattie Madden deflected the ball upwards and into the net to tie the game.
The scoring continued in the second quarter. With eleven seconds to play in the first half, SU sophomore Sammie Goin tried her hand at spectacular playmaking. The midfielder threaded the needle to find a cutting Aubrey Turner, who went 180 degrees while dribbling the ball, and tapped in the go-ahead goal before the break.
Typically, head coach Lynn Farquhar had opted to substitute starting goalkeeper Jessie Eiselin at halftime and deploy sophomore Tane King for the final 30 minutes. Instead, Eiselin remained in the game.
In the third quarter, OSU midfielder Anne Marie Krebs dashed into the circle and sent a bouncing pass between the legs of Franken. Buckeyes forward Raleigh Kerst pounced on the ball and sent it past Eiselin for the equalizer.
McCooey’s game-winner was just after a player-up expiration following a green card on Ohio State’s Maddie Bogle.
Syracuse fought off another flurry of opposing penalty corners in the final frame. OSU had six APCs in the fourth, making SU a net minus-14 in that department in the fourth quarter this season.
Eiselin anchored the defensive unit, maintaining her save rate of 75 percent. The senior saved six shots on eight attempts.
With a first half goal each, Madden and Turner moved into a tie for the team lead with two goals. Orange freshman Jovie Weaver also has a pair of scores on the season.
The Orange have now come from behind in all three games.
Syracuse (3-0) finishes the ACC/Big Ten Challenge in Piscataway, N.J. at noon on Sunday. Live coverage of the game can be found on X @joshrothert and @CitrusTVSports.
