Saturday afternoon the top-ranked Syracuse field hockey [9] team extended their home winning streak to 33 games as they shutout Louisville 3-0.
Leonie Geyer [10] had a goal and an assist to lead the Orange (10-0) (3-0 Big East) over the Louisville Cardinals [11] (7-4) (1-1 Big East). Lauren Brooks [12] scored her team-leading eigth goal, and Stephanie Hussey added another for the Orange.
The current core of seniors also saw the 100th goal scored against Big East foes. Since the 2008 season began, the Orange have outscored Big East teams 100-23, playing to a 19-1 record. They have been Big East Champions each of the last three years.
“It's a mental focus we have,” goalkeeper Leann Stiver [13] said. “We have the expectations that we want the shut outs for this year; we want to break records.”
Although the scoreboard did not show it, the game was not played as well as the players and coaches would have liked. Much of that can be attributed to the Cardinals' defensive game plan that frustrated the Orange offense at times.
“It wasn't our best game, so we definitely have to improve,” Geyer said of the struggles the team faced. “But it's another win in the Big East and it's another shut out.”
Coach Ange Bradley acknowledged that this was a style many teams will be likely to use against the Orange in the future.
“There's definitely a different way that you have to play,” Bradley said. “You have to be more patient in your attack, more careful with your passes in traffic.”
Bradley also noted that Yale will probably employ the same tactic on Sunday, and she expects the team to be more prepared to deal with it.
The Orange take on the Bulldogs at J.S. Coyne Stadium Sunday at 2 pm.
