No. 9 Syracuse field hockey eyes redemption in clash with No. 2 North Carolina
By: Sydney Chan | @SydneyO_Chan
After a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to California on Sunday, No. 9 Syracuse field hockey sits at 2-3 in ACC play with just three conference games left. The Orange now face their toughest challenge yet: reigning ACC champion No. 2 North Carolina.
The Tar Heels have always been a field hockey powerhouse, boasting 27 conference titles, including eight straight through 2024. But the Cuse has shown before that it can rise to the occasion.
The last time the Orange topped the Tar Heels came in 2021, when SU, ranked No. 11 at the time, stunned No. 5 UNC 5-0 at J.S. Coyne Stadium. Five different players scored as Syracuse handed North Carolina its worst defeat since 2008 and its first shutout loss since 2016. Before that, Syracuse hadn’t beaten North Carolina since capturing the 2015 NCAA Championship — the first, and still only, women’s national title in university history.
The 2015 season remains one of the most memorable in program history. Syracuse beat UNC in the regular season, fell to them in the ACC title game, and then got revenge in the national championship. Since then, however, UNC has dominated the series. Besides the 2021 victory, the Tar Heels have won the last 13 of 14 meetings, including six one-goal heartbreakers. Two of those 2020 matchups ended in a 4-3 overtime loss for the Orange, and one came in the 2020 NCAA Tournament quarterfinal, when the Cuse rallied from a 2-0 deficit before falling in extra time. North Carolina went on to claim its third consecutive national title that season.
On Friday, Syracuse looks to flip the script once again. A win Friday would snap its six-game skid against the Tar Heels and give the Orange their first victory since that 2021 shutout. It would also mark SU’s sixth home win of the year, matching last season’s total.
On paper, this matchup is tighter than the rankings may suggest. Syracuse averages 3.31 goals per game to North Carolina’s 3.69 — driven by grad student Bo van Kempen, who ranks second nationally in goals. But the Orange actually hold a slight edge in assists per game (3.54 to 3.23) — thanks primarily to senior Pati Strunk, who shares the national lead in assists per game — and in shots-on-goal percentage (60.6% to 59.4%). UNC does hold the advantage in save percentage (.774 to .708) and total shots per game (17.2 to 16.6); but overall, the number suggests a competitive contest.
Syracuse has remained inside the NFHCA top 10 for six straight weeks — the longest stretch since 2021 — and will look to prove its ranking once again at Coyne.
The teams face off at 3 tomorrow, when the Orange aim to rewrite the rivalry and perhaps start another memorable run like 2015. Follow @SydneyO_Chan on X for live updates!
