Sixth-seeded No. 10 Syracuse field hockey upsets third-seeded No. 6 Wake Forest, 3-1 in ACC Quarterfinals
By Sydney Chan | @SydneyO_Chan
CitrusTV Field Hockey Beat Reporter
LOUISVILLE, K.Y. — In the eighth minute of the first quarter, No. 10 Syracuse field hockey’s Aiden Drabick raced down the field, gliding through defenders in the circle and creating space. The midfielder blew past No. 6 Wake Forest’s Sarah Grace Raynes and found teammate Aubrey Turner in perfect position for a one-touch finish. The Orange got on the board first and never looked back.
That chemistry and collective effort carried sixth-seeded Syracuse (12-5, 3-5 Atlantic Coast) to a 3-1 upset of third-seeded Wake Forest (15-4, 7-1 Atlantic Coast) in the ACC Quarterfinals. The Orange built on the same principles head coach Lynn Farquhar emphasized after their season-opening blowout over Lock Haven: “work rate,” “energy,” and being “clinical.”
Turner scored again to open the second half. Defender Bo van Kempen delivered a massive aerial throw to Turner, who was waiting in the Demon Deacons’ circle. The freshman caught the ball and quickly flipped it over Wake goalkeeper Ellie Todd for the score. The goal extended SU’s lead to two and tied Turner’s career high for goals in a game.
A few minutes later, the Deacs earned a stroke opportunity after the ball hit Orange defender Pati Strunk’s foot on the goal line. Junior Mia Schoenbeck delivered, extending her conference-leading total to 23 goals.
Throughout the contest, it was one great defensive effort after another. Both teams worked hard to eliminate the midfield, transition quickly from defense to attack, with SU’s van Kempen and Wake’s Schoenbeck launching accurate, powerful aerials.
Orange goalkeeper Jessie Eiselin was outstanding, recording a career-high nine saves on 15 shots. The junior worked seamlessly with the defense, as van Kempen, Lotti Knights, Pati Strunk, and Danique Schuurman came up big on multiple occasions, especially in the third quarter. The Demon Deacons really upped their aggression on offense in that frame, recording seven shots, with six on goal.
Some extra physicality from SU’s Bo Madden late in the final quarter resulted in a green card, forcing the Orange to play with one less player for two minutes. But after Syracuse came back to even strength with 3:12 to go, Wake pulled goalkeeper Ellie Todd for an extra field player.
With two minutes remaining, Schoenbeck received the ball at the top of the circle on a Wake attacking penalty corner. The junior waited for SU flyer Bo Madden to commit before pulling to the right to create space and unleash a huge smash. Her shot deflected off Orange defender Taylor Bigbie’s stick and sailed toward the goal, but the officials quickly called for a video referral. The review ruled the initial shot was too high, and the goal was disallowed.
From then on, Syracuse worked hard to hold its lead for the final two minutes. Wake’s Mia Montag had one last reverse shot with 16 seconds remaining, but it knocked off the post. Van Kempen launched the ball downfield to Hattie Madden, who found the back of the net with one second left on Wake’s empty goal.
“Our team was so composed. I’m very proud,” Eiselin said postgame. “The connection with the team was amazing.”
Syracuse has less than a 24-hour turnaround before facing second-seeded No. 4 Virginia (15-1, 7-1 Atlantic Coast) tomorrow. Last season, the Orange upset the Cavaliers in the quarterfinals, but this year’s semifinals carry even higher stakes. This year’s regular season clash ended on a game-winning penalty stroke by UVA’s Mia Abello in the final minute. The teams face off tomorrow at 1:30. Follow @SydneyO_Chan on X for live updates!
