No. 9 Syracuse field hockey bests Fairfield 2-1 in season opener
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Syracuse’s roster is taken from the fountain of youth.
The team boasts a whopping nine freshmen and a strong sophomore class led by Aubrey Turner and Taylor Bigbie, both National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division I Watch List members.
It’s widely different from SU’s 2025 team, which was led by Bo van Kempen and Pati Strunk, who’ve run out of eligibility. Van Kempen scored a team-high 23 goals, which ranked tied for third in the nation. Strunk totaled the same amount in the assist column, which led the country.
Replacing van Kempen’s production, which got the Orange to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, was a glaring question before the season.
Thus, there’s a risk less experience can lead to more mistakes, which could result in more chances for opponents. In the first quarter of Syracuse’s season, the fountain that its season was leaning on looked to be spilling.
Friday, that worry was quickly vanquished, as No. 9 Syracuse (1-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) walked into University Field and left with a 2-1 victory over Fairfield (0-1, 0-0 Coastal Athletic). After Stags forward Amanda Dressel broke the scoring open about nine minutes in, the Orange stopped the next three shots on net. Turner tied the game early in the second quarter, and in her collegiate debut, Jovie Weaver netted an unassisted game-winning goal later in the frame.
In the opening match of Lynn Farquhar’s fourth season helming the Orange, she decided to start an impressive eight underclassmen, including four freshmen. On the other hand, Fairfield entered the contest with 20 returning players.
From the first whistle, SU looked rusty. It started with a handful of missed passes, including some in its own half as it desperately tried settling in. The Orange also committed five fouls and remained at that pace in the remaining three quarters. They didn’t even record a penalty corner in the first frame, which resulted in their signature play last year — Strunk feeding van Kempen.
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Fairfield took advantage, forcing Ally Snyder into a green card with six and a half minutes left in the first quarter. Up a player, Fairfield intercepted a pass and sent the ball into the striking circle. After a misplay by two Orange defenders, Dressel poked the ball past goalkeeper Jessie Eiselin to put the Stags up one.
While the first quarter didn’t see a Syracuse shot on goal, it regathered during the break and entered the second with its nerves calmed.
After Eiselin stopped Konni Hofmann on a Fairfield penalty corner, Syracuse got two of its own. On the second, Jess Liddell drag-flicked a shot toward the net where Turner tipped it in, tying the game about 17 and a half minutes into play.
Around seven minutes later, a ball ricocheted off the post and sat in the middle of the circle. That’s where Weaver capitalized in her debut, ripping the ball over goalie Paige Jackson’s outstretched arms. Her goal capped off a dominant second quarter for the Orange. They registered six of their shots in the frame and took more penalty corners than the Stags.
The second half wasn’t quite as eventful as the first. Both sides produced just three shots, none of which were put away. Fairfield’s Camille Perlov had a chance early in the third, but Tane King, who swapped spots in goal with Eiselin at halftime, made one of her two crucial stops.
Senior Bo Madden put in a solid performance in the defensive midfield. Playing 54 minutes, Madden fended off Fairfield pressure with poise and made few mistakes. Fairfield’s Catherine Fitzgerald pressured SU constantly in her 29 minutes but only tallied one shot. SU’s scorers nearly notched braces, too, as Turner and Weaver both had shots on goal in the fourth.
Despite its slow start, Syracuse proved it can dig deep to come back and win games against quality opponents. The underclassmen also didn’t disappoint, with freshmen like Liddell providing an assist and Weaver scoring a goal in their first collegiate games.
For a squad that is now forced to rely on its young talent unlike last year, its first victory suggests there’s more in store.
