No. 11 Syracuse Field Hockey wraps up opening weekend with a 5-2 triumph over Fairfield

The stands may be empty now, but just a bit ago on Fill Coyne Day, Orange Nation packed the place. With the crowd behind them, No. 11 Syracuse rode the energy to a 5-2 win over Fairfield. SU forward Patti Strunk recorded two assists and tossed some credit to the fans. 

“It’s super amazing when we have all these fans here. We really love it, and it helps our energy rise. We’re super proud to have everybody here,” Strunk said.

“We had some amazing attendance on some of our student athletes and our students back on campus, so we really appreciate that. We love it. Go ‘Cuse!” SU Head Coach Lynn Farquhar added.

Coming off a 15–0 win in its home opener, Coach Farquhar highlighted the team’s focus on off-ball movement. After this game, she said there’s still room for improvement.

“It’s coming. We want it to be a little bit sharper,” she said. “I think part of sport, too, is being sharp as you go. It doesn’t matter what was done, it’s being present in the moment, and that’s something that we’ll continue to key in on. It’s pretty when it comes together; it just requires off-ball work — off-ball work that puts you in a good position to then do what’s next. It’s a true team sport, and you can see that.”

Next weekend, the Orange hit the road for the first time this season and head to Columbus to compete in the ACC/Big 10 Challenge. SU first faces Rutgers on Friday at 1. Reporting from J.S. Coyne Stadium, Sydney Chan, CitrusTV.