SU field hockey nabs a number one seed, awaits first round opponent in NCAA tournament

Despite its early semifinal loss in the ACC tournament, SU field hockey remains the number two team in the nation, and heads its region in the 2013 NCAA tournament. Holding the top four spots in the NCAA rankings, ACC members Maryland, Syracuse, Virginia and Duke lead all four of the regions in the NCAA tournament. Each of the four, besides Duke, wait for a play-in game to determine its matchups. Syracuse awaits the result of Mid-American Conference (MAC) champion Miami (Ohio) – Big Ten champion Michigan State Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. The game will be played in East Lansing, Mich.

Both the RedHawks and the Spartans boast 12-9 records and are coming off conference championship victories.

Miami (Ohio) topped MSU in early October, 2-0, in the only meeting this season between the two. The RedHawks defeated Ohio and Central Michigan in the MAC tournament to win the conference and receive a bid into the NCAA tournament. The only top-25 team Miami (OH) recorded a win against this year was American; it suffered losses to Iowa, Boston University, Northwestern, Wake Forest, Penn State, and Maryland. The RedHawks have had a tough time on the road this season, as they are 1-6 outside of Oxford, Ohio.

Michigan State defeated Indiana, Ohio State, and No. 24 Iowa in the Big Ten tournament to punch its ticket to Wednesday’s play-in game. The Spartans defeated now top-25 teams Michigan and Iowa twice each, but fell to Delaware, Northwestern, Stanford, Old Dominion, Penn State, Princeton, and Syracuse. MSU boasts a 5-2 record in the friendly confines of East Lansing, Mich.

Syracuse defeated Michigan State 4-0 in the only meeting this season between the two, but hasn’t yet seen Miami (Ohio). The Orange play the winner of the play-in game at home Saturday at 11:30 a.m. Syracuse is 9-0 at J.S. Coyne Field this season. Three wins gets SU field hockey into the title game, the fourth win bringing home the NCAA title.