Revamped defense propels Syracuse field hockey to 3-1 start
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Lynn Farquhar’s team doesn’t look anything like her previous ones.
There’s no Bo van Kempen, no Lieke Leeggangers and no Pati Strunk. Despite losing three of Syracuse’s most productive players from 2025, SU’s fourth-year head coach isn’t worried about the Orange’s current direction.
“Probably 75% of our squad is new,” Farquhar said before last weekend’s ACC/Big Ten Challenge. “It’s exciting, and we are going to learn as we go.”
Syracuse’s fresh faces are most prevalent on its backline. Farquhar said the entire defense is in its first year playing significant time for SU.
Newcomers Jess Liddell and Elisa Carvajal are major reasons why Syracuse (3-1, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) has a winning record through four games despite averaging just 2.25 goals per contest. The Orange’s new-look defense has also let Farquhar experiment with a more defensive playstyle early in the season after playing aggressively with van Kempen last year.
“When you’re looking at the NCAA, we have two of the best first runners in the nation,” Farquhar said.
Syracuse has held opposing teams to under 14 shots per game and allows just 1.5 goals per game, which is tied with Duke for the fourth-best mark of the ACC’s nine teams.
Zoey Grimes | Design Editor
Of course, a key reason for opponents’ lack of goals is the return of goalies Jessie Eiselin and Tane King. While Eiselin has played the lion’s share between Syracuse’s posts and been lights out when in, King has also been an excellent backup, allowing two goals and saving six shots in 60 minutes.
Eiselin played almost the entire ACC-Big Ten Challenge, which included an eight-save performance versus Rutgers Sunday.
“Their job is to make our job tougher with the rotation,” Farquhar said about the goalies’ playing time. “When you look at presence, they both have it, so we’ll continue to take care of them and decide as we go.”
As Syracuse transitions from an aggressive playstyle, the hallmark of the van Kempen era, to a more defensive style, Liddell has shined in her first four games. She’s specifically excelled in SU’s defensive penalty corner unit, which allowed zero goals on 12 Northeastern attempts in a 3-2 win on Aug. 30.
SU’s DPC has limited opponents’ chances so far, and Fairfield is the only team that converted a penalty corner against Syracuse on Aug. 28.
“When you are celebrating putting the gear on and getting hit, it’s a sign of a strong group,” Farquhar said of Syracuse’s DPC.
Youth, however, comes with growing pains. Syracuse has five green cards, and while that’s not alarmingly high, it’s struggled defending down a player, leading to costly goals.
However, SU’s most costly goal allowed was on a one-player advantage. With under five minutes remaining against then-No. 20 Rutgers, RU’s Olivia Fraticelli beat the Orange’s defense to tie the game at one.
Soon after, Syracuse’s inexperience showed when Taylor Bigbie was assessed a yellow card and nine-minute penalty after crashing into the Scarlet Knights’ Anna Cogdell.
Bigbie left the field under a minute before overtime, forcing Syracuse to defend down a player for the majority of the extra period. SU’s young defenders rose to the occasion, and with Eiselin’s stellar play, the Orange brought the game to a shootout despite Rutgers dominating overtime, outshooting Syracuse 6-2 in the period.
Probably 75% of our squad is new. It’s exciting, we are going to learn as we go.Lynn Farquhar, Syracuse head coach
But you’ve seen this movie before — Syracuse ran out of magic. SU fell 4-1 in the shootout and 2-1 overall. Despite the loss, SU could take positives from its defense. It went toe-to-toe with its first ranked opponent of the season and defended expertly against one of the nation’s most potent offenses for five periods.
Syracuse’s defense has played exceptionally well through four games, and it’s the reason it has three wins to its name. If SU was marginally worse defensively, it would’ve at least one embarrassing loss. While the start starkly contrasts last year’s season-opening six-game win streak, that’s not a bad thing. It means Syracuse will be more battle-tested for its ACC gauntlet, where it plays five teams in the current National Field Hockey Coaches Association Poll.
Sure, Syracuse’s loss and the three wins before it came with discipline issues and sloppiness.
However, with a team this young, those issues aren’t surprising. As Farquhar said, it will learn and improve as the season progresses. The real question isn’t how Syracuse is playing now but how the Orange grow and mature when the postseason comes in November.
