No. 5 Syracuse field hockey drops 1-0 at California to close West Coast trip
By Sydney Chan | @SydneyO_Chan
CitrusTV Field Hockey Beat Reporter
BERKELEY, C.A. — Just two days ago, No. 5 Syracuse field hockey (10-3, 2-3 Atlantic Coast) survived a late surge from Stanford after the Cardinal pulled their goalkeeper in an attempt to tie the game. Today, the Cuse tried the same tactic, pulling Tane King with 4:10 left in a desperate effort to score against California (6-5, 2-3 Atlantic Coast), but it came up short. The Orange fell 1-0 to the Golden Bears, handing Cal its first win over a top-ranked opponent in two seasons and its biggest victory in the ACC.
In the third minute of the second quarter, Cal’s Liz Klompmaker lifted the ball into the net after a chaotic scramble in front of goal. The reigning ACC Freshman of the year scored her twelfth goal of the season — and what would eventually be the only score of the afternoon.
The Cuse earned six penalty corners in the first half but still couldn’t break through, with few open looks for either side in the second quarter. The Golden Bears came out of the break with a chip on their shoulder, and their defense held strong.
Pre-game, the commentators noted that SU head coach Lynn Farquhar said there were moments in Friday’s matchup against Stanford where the Orange played up to their standard. However, there were also moments where the Cuse needed to play smarter and be more efficient offensively.
Unfortunately, today, Syracuse wasn’t quite able to finish its chances. The Orange outshot the Golden Bears 16-6, with a 9-4 advantage on goal, and earned 15 corners to the Cal’s 4, but just couldn’t convert.
The Cuse has just three conference matches remaining before the ACC Tournament kicks off on November 4. The tournament features the top eight teams from the nine-team conference, and securing a favorable seed is never easy. With today’s result, both teams now sit at 2-3 in ACC play, tightening the race for positioning as the regular season winds down.
SU returns home to face reigning ACC champion No. 3 North Carolina, who has won the conference title 27-times, including eight straight through 2024. Play is set for Friday at 3. Follow @SydneyO_Chan on X for game updates.
