No. 12 Syracuse field hockey defeats Ohio State 3-2 in ACC/Big Ten Challenge
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For No. 12 Syracuse field hockey, it’s never too early to make a case for the playoffs.
The ACC/Big Ten challenge pits Atlantic Coast Conference teams against the Big Ten. The challenge impacts teams’ records like any other game, but it holds heavy playoff implications given how strong the conferences are.
Last season, Syracuse participated in the challenge for the first time. The Orange went 2-0, defeating host Ohio State and Rutgers en route to the NCAA Tournament. This season, Syracuse was slated to play the same opponents with hopes of repeating history.
Despite falling behind early, No. 12 Syracuse (3-0, 0-0 ACC) powered through for a 3-2 victory over Ohio State (1-2, 0-0 Big Ten) in one of its biggest nonconference matchups of the season. The teams combined for 30 shots, but Orange goalkeeper Jessie Eiselin made six saves to help SU to victory.
The win was SU head coach Lynn Farquhar’s 40th with the program and 147th all-time win after earning 107 with Saint Joseph’s. On a negative note, Bo Madden was helped off the field by two teammates, including her twin sister, Hattie, late in the game. The ball appeared to ricochet off the top of her foot after an Ohio State shot. She didn’t return, posing questions for Sunday’s matchup against No. 20 Rutgers.
The Orange entered the match after two wins last weekend against Fairfield and Northeastern. Both games were decided by a single score. It marked the sixth straight season Syracuse started 2-0 and the second time in the last three years it came from two true road games.
The Buckeyes started the season shaky after losing six starters in the offseason. In Friday’s match, they were also without starting goalkeeper Maddie Stevens. Instead, head coach Jarred Martin relied on freshman Avery Alleva between the posts for the second straight game.
Ohio State came out swinging, keeping possession early. In under four minutes of game time, the Buckeyes earned their first of many penalty corners. The ball found a wide open Phillippa Jowett, who gave Ohio State the lead by ripping a shot past Eiselin.
OSU kept up the pressure, but to no avail. Eiselin kept the Orange in the game early, earning two saves in the first quarter on Ohio State’s seven shots.
With SU looking stagnant everywhere except in front of the goal, sophomore Taylor Bigbie took matters into her own hands, driving the ball from her own half to inside the circle. Bigbie then dished the ball toward the cage, where senior Hattie Madden redirected it past the freshman goalie Alleva to tie the game.
The goal ignited a spark within Syracuse. Minutes later, Ohio State looked like it’d get the best of SU once again, as a ball in the circle drew Eiselin off her line. The Buckeyes had an open look at goal, but freshman Jess Liddell blocked the shot with her stick on the line.
Syracuse came out sloppy again in the second quarter, giving the Buckeyes a penalty corner early in the quarter. SU quickly focused in, though, resulting in a back-and-forth 15 minutes with only three combined shots.
One of these shots occurred just 11 seconds before halftime. Sammie Goin found an open Aubrey Turner in the middle of the circle. Sensing the goalie closing in, Turner remained composed, spun the ball to her backhand, and finished with grace, propelling the Orange to a 2-1 lead at the break.
As the two teams took the field for the second half, Syracuse drew a different look. Head coach Lynn Farquhar elected to keep Eiselin in the game instead of splitting halfs with Tane King, as SU did in the first weekend.
The third quarter resembled the offensive avalanche that occurred in the first. Ally Snyder didn’t hesitate to set the tone for the half, quickly seeing an opportunity and taking a shot.
Ohio State needed a high-energy play to get back in the game, and it found it after 40 minutes of game time. Anne Marie Krebs received the ball on the wing, where she passed the ball through the legs of an Orange defender to find Raleigh Kerst in the middle of the circle. A quick wind-up sent the ball past Eiselin to tie the game.
Entering the fourth quarter tied 2-2, someone needed to step up to put the game to rest. And with just over eight minutes remaining, the needle moved.
Turner found the ball on the wing of the circle, looking for her second goal of the game. She tested Alleva with a high shot, but the freshman blocked the attempt. However, Grace Anne McCooey found the rebound and put it away for her first goal of the year.
With eight minutes on the clock, Ohio State switched up its strategy. The Buckeyes turned up the pressure and earned six corners in the fourth quarter alone. After no success, they pulled their goalie with 3:43 to play.
Unfortunately for OSU, Eiselin’s three fourth-quarter saves were enough to hang on, sealing the contest and continuing SU’s flawless start.
