Syracuse field hockey’s roadmap to win 1st-ever ACC Tournament title
Syracuse enters the ACC Tournament as the No. 6 seed and will play No. 3 seed Wake Forest in the first round. Here's SU's potential path through the tournament. Tara Deluca | Contributing Photographer
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Syracuse’s best start since 2017 is now a faint echo.
The Orange started the year 6-0 behind four multi-goal wins, a stretch punctuated by a 5-2 win over Lafayette on Sept. 14. But since then, SU has gone a mediocre 5-5. Due to its inability to close out games and its stagnant offense, Syracuse has stumbled to a 3-5 Atlantic Coast Conference record after falling 3-2 to Louisville on Saturday.
Syracuse’s recent struggles don’t bode well for its ACC Tournament chances, with a measly 4-9 record in the competition since 2016. It’s failed to reach the ACC Championship since 2015, the same year it coincidentally won its first-ever national title.
As the No. 5 seed in 2024, Syracuse upset No. 4 Virginia 1-0 behind Lana Hamilton’s second-period tally and Louise Pert’s six saves. But SU’s conference title hopes grounded to a halt with a 3-1 semifinal loss against No. 1 North Carolina, a squad it’s defeated just once since 2015.
Here’s No. 6 seed Syracuse’s (11-5, 3-5 ACC) path to claiming its first ACC title in program history:
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Quarterfinals: No. 3 Wake Forest
Wake Forest is one of the hottest teams in field hockey. Before its loss to No. 2 seed Virginia, it won 15 straight games — 10 of them by multiple goals. The Demon Deacons scored the second-most goals in the ACC (66), have the second-highest scoring margin (plus-2.28), tallied the most shots (352) and recorded the second-most saves (67).
Junior Mia Schoenbeck, who ranks second nationally with 22 goals, spearheads WF’s attack, only behind Iowa’s Dionne van Aalsum’s 26.
If SU wants any chance of an upset, it starts with containing Schoenbeck, something it couldn’t do in its Sept. 19 loss to Wake Forest. Despite Syracuse jumping out to a 1-0 lead over WF, Schoenbeck’s equalizer and Lauren Storey’s game-winner sunk the Orange in their first loss of 2025.
Getting past the Demon Deacons may seem unlikely, but if SU plays disciplined hockey and doesn’t force shots, it might have a fighting chance.
Semifinals: No. 2 Virginia or No. 7 Stanford
If Syracuse upsets Wake Forest, it’d take on either Virginia or Stanford, who’ve had vastly different seasons so far.
On one hand, UVA has a stellar 14-1 record. The Cavaliers display an ability to win close games, taking six one-score contests and recently squeaking by then-No. 7 Liberty 1-0 on Oct. 14.
Superb goaltending this season has anchored Virginia. It leads the ACC with a .873 save rate, allowing multiple goals in just two games all year. UVA’s nine goals surrendered are the fewest in the ACC.
Syracuse downed the Cavaliers in the ACC Tournament last year, but it fell to them at J.S. Coyne Stadium this season on Sept. 21. The two squads were deadlocked at one, until Mia Abello’s penalty stroke went through Tane King’s outstretched arms for a game-winning goal. The game was a microcosm of the Orange’s struggles in close contests and the Cavaliers’ success in them.
If Syracuse can avoid late-game, self-inflicted wounds and careless turnovers, it could sneak past UVA. Otherwise, SU will keep searching for its first signature win of 2025.
On the other hand, if Stanford miraculously beats the Cavaliers, the Orange should have no trouble beating the Cardinal. The Cardinal rank near the bottom of the ACC in numerous key metrics. Their 28 goals scored and 32 allowed are both second-worst, while their minus-0.25 scoring margin and 17 assists are dead-last.
On Oct. 10, SU staved off a late Stanford rally to win its 12th game in 13 tries against the Cardinal. Stanford could give Syracuse a fight if the two squads face off, but the Orange shouldn’t have difficulty keeping the Cardinal’s offense at bay.
Finals: Likely No. 1 North Carolina or No. 4 Duke
It’s not impossible for Louisville and California to make runs to the championship, but SU would likely face North Carolina or Duke if it made an improbable run to the final. It’d take a miracle for the Orange to exorcise their demons against the Tar Heels, but the Blue Devils should be a manageable task.
There’s no way around it: UNC’s had Syracuse’s number over the last decade. Seven straight wins. Multiple ACC Tournament triumphs. It’s been utter domination.
And this season, North Carolina is as dominant as ever. It leads the ACC in goals (68), scoring margin (2.94), assists (61) and corners (131). It has also scored at least four goals nine times, with two of those performances coming against ranked opponents.
The Tar Heels’ ferocious attack is led by Charly Bruder and Ryleigh Heck, who’ve combined for 31 goals and eight game-winners. When SU hosted North Carolina back on Oct. 17, Bruder’s hat trick doomed the Orange in a loss where they squandered a two-goal lead in the second half.
Containing UNC’s high-octane offense would be a step in the right direction, but far more has to fall into place for the Orange to pull off a monumental upset. They’d need to play a nearly-perfect game of field hockey, something they’ve continually failed to do against the Tar Heels.
The odds of Duke dethroning North Carolina are low, but not zero. Despite a 1-2 start to the season, Duke has won 10 of its last 14 games to enter the tournament as the No. 4 seed.
The Blue Devils have conceded the second-fewest goals in the ACC with 16, and they’ve only surrendered more than three goals in a game once this season. On the other end, Duke’s offense is powered by Alaina McVeigh, who ranks eighth in the conference in goals (10) and assists (eight).
Outside of McVeigh, though, Duke’s offense hasn’t been spectacular. It ranks third-to-last in the ACC with 183 shots, and those offensive deficiencies led to its 1-0 defeat against then-No. 6 Syracuse on Sept. 26. The Orange outshot the Blue Devils 12-6, unleashing eight across the second and third quarters en route to their victory.
The keys to another win over Duke are simple: Attack goalie Kaiya Chepow early and keep McVeigh in check. If Syracuse does those two things, it should have no problem beating Duke to claim its first ACC title.
