No. 9 Syracuse field hockey uses second quarter to earn 2-1 Opening Day win over Fairfield
By Josh Rothert
Fresh off an appearance in the NCAA tournament quarterfinals, 9th-ranked Syracuse field hockey was hoping to roll the momentum from a playoff run straight into the new campaign. SU (1-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) used a lopsided second quarter to pick up a 2-1 win over Fairfield (0-1, 0-0 Coastal Athletic Association) to open the season.
Right from the opening whistle, Fairfield’s press offered signs of trouble for Syracuse, which went almost the entirety of the first frame without possession, stopping only on moments to deflect passes near the circle or try a quick outlet, which was immediately stopped.
‘Cuse forward Ally Snyder received a green card late in the first quarter, which led to the game’s first score.
Stags forward Camille Perlov dribbled past the 25-yard line and sent a pass to midfielder Emily Carney, who sent a wobbly entrance through a couple Syracuse defenders, leading to a quick finish for forward Amanda Dressel right on the doorstep with 5:46 to play in the opening frame.
The change in pace arrived in the second quarter. A minute into the frame, Fairfield was awarded a penalty corner after a misfire. Stags forward Konni Hoffman’s chance was saved by Orange netminder Jessie Eiselin for the keeper’s lone save of the afternoon.
SU broke out in transition after the stop and was awarded a corner on the attacking end. A tic-tac-toe effort from forward Aubrey Turner and midfielder Belle van de Pas set up a strike from defender Jess Liddell. Turner, who started the corner, tipped the ball past Stags goalkeeper Paige Jackson to tie the game at one with 12:24 to play in the half.
Syracuse kept its foot firmly on the gas pedal. In a sequence later in the quarter, midfielder Hattie Madden rifled one on cage, forcing a save by Jackson. After a brief fight for the ball, Orange forward Josie Weaver slapped one that sailed airborne and found the back of the net to propel Syracuse to a 2-1 lead with just over five minutes to play in the second quarter.
Head coach Lynn Farqhuar made a switch at the break, opting to swap starting goalkeeper Jessie Eiselin for sophomore Tane King to start the second half. Both netminders stopped a shot apiece in an even split of playing time.
The final charge for the Stags arrived in the waning moments of the fourth quarter. Jackson was pulled from her net to create a player-up opportunity, van de Pas was shown a green card to give Fairfield a two-player advantage in the attacking end.
Syracuse forced a change in possession and thwarted the comeback attempt with crisp passing to wind the clock down and escape with the victory.
A timely Syracuse offensive attack balanced by solid defense kept the score paused for the remainder of play. SU’s offense mustered seven shots on net, compared to just four for Fairfield.
Syracuse travels to Boston to take on Northeastern on Sunday at noon. Live coverage of the game can be found on X @joshrothert and @CitrusTVSports.
