SU aims for NCAA Championship

The Syracuse Orange field hockey team did not receive a top four seed in the NCAA tournament, and therefore will not play host to any games in the tournament.

After ousting Providence College 3-1, in the Big East semifinals, the Orange fell to the UConn Huskies, the team they had beaten 3-2 the weekend before for the regular season Big East championship, in the Big East Championship 4-3.

The Orange's record fell to 17-2, a half game worse than the Huskies' record of 18-2, which earned them the No. 3 seed, and home field advantage for the first two rounds of the tournament.

In the Big East Championship, the Orange were led by junior Laura Hahnefeldt's two first half goals, both of which were assisted by sophomore Jordan Page. The Orange led 2-1 at halftime and 3-1 after an unassisted goal off a penalty corner just under three minutes into the second half by graduate student Liz McInerney.

Ten minutes later, the Huskies' Marie Elena Bolles set up leading scorer Chloe Hunnable to pull UConn back within one. Katherine Baker tied the score up with twenty minutes left in the game.

Bolles connected with Hunnable again with just six minutes left. The three unanswered goals spelled the end of the Orange's four year run of Big East titles.

This is the fifth straight NCAA appearance for the Orange, and eighth overall.

The Orange will head to University Park, Penn. this weekend for what they hope will be two games. The Orange are set to tangle with the UMass Minutewomen, the very team that snapped their undefeated streak four weeks ago.

Should they win, the Orange will take on the winner of the No. 4 Penn State vs. Albany, who they defeated 7-3 in their first exhibition game.

Other Notes

• Senior Iona Holloway was named Big East Defensive Player of the Year.
• Kelsey Millman and Leann Stiver were selected for the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division I Senior Game.
• Laura Hahnefeldt, Kelsey Millman, Jordan Page and Gillian Pinder were named to the Big East All-Tournament Team.
• Coach Ange Bradley won Big East Coach of the Year for the fourth time in six seasons with the Orange.