Syracuse field hockey suffocated by stifling Princeton defense in NCAAT loss
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Syracuse players hung their heads as the final buzzer sounded Friday, prompting Princeton’s bench to run toward its goalie, freshman Josie Bianco. It came as a result of the Tigers’ dominant defensive effort.
SU’s offense has been inconsistent all season, but it could only be faulted so much Friday. Across from the Orange stood one of college field hockey’s best defenses, which backboned Princeton in its most impressive showing all season.
Whether it was Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year Ottilie Sykes stopping numerous corners to Bianco making a pair of great saves, No. 5 Princeton’s defense had SU’s number. No. 10 Syracuse (12-7, 4-4 Atlantic Coast) fell to the Tigers (14-5, 6-1 Ivy) 4-0 in the NCAA Tournament First Round Friday. The Orange recorded just six shots and couldn’t convert on any of their six penalty corners.
“There were opportunities, we had corners,” Syracuse head coach Lynn Farquhar said postgame. “It’s just a matter of finishing. In these games, that’s the name of the game.”
Princeton’s defense was stellar all season. The Tigers only allowed 5.9 shots per game, the lowest in program history, including only 3.8 over their last six matches.
The group, led by Sykes, allowed just 13 goals in the regular season. The only games Princeton lost all year were shootouts, where its defense wasn’t on the field.
Princeton’s defense started strong Friday, allowing zero Syracuse shots for the first 13 minutes. After the 13 minutes, Syracuse earned its first penalty corner. Aubrey Turner inserted into Ava Brewer, who trapped the ball for a shot from Hattie Madden. However, the ball didn’t even reach the cage, getting blocked by Sykes’ knee, resulting in another corner.
On the second corner, Jess Liddell slipped the ball behind her for another shot from Madden. The shot deflected off Fieve Frenken and out of bounds. At last, Princeton’s defense didn’t seem impenetrable after all.
The first quarter ended 0-0. Just four minutes into the second, Sykes scored her sixth goal of the season, proving she can do more than just defend. Six minutes later, Lydia Bills extended the Tigers’ lead to two.
With three minutes left before halftime, Princeton’s defense made a rare mistake after an unpressured Sykes passed the ball to Madden in the middle of the field. Sykes recovered and contested Madden’s shot with Gabriella Anderson, but Madden still put the shot on target. Bianco quickly stepped to the side and blocked the shot with her right side, making an incredible save and putting herself on the stat sheet.
By halftime, SU had only three shots, two off corners and one from a bad turnover. Already down two, its offense needed to step up, a tall task considering Princeton’s defense.
For 10 minutes, Princeton’s defense prevailed, not allowing a single shot while Molly Nye put another past Jessie Eiselin, increasing the Tigers’ lead to three.
Finally, with 3:10 remaining in the third quarter, Syracuse earned its third APC after not seeing any in the second. Similar to SU’s first corner, the shot hit Sykes and gave the Orange another. This time, the ball hit a defender’s foot, and the Orange got another chance. SU tried something new on its third try, having Taylor Bigbie take a shot. But Princeton prevented the ball from reaching Bianco, with the first runner blocking the shot out of the circle. Syracuse had three tries, and all three were extinguished by Princeton.
Moments later, an SU referral gave the Orange their fourth penalty corner of the quarter. While this corner told a different story, the ending was the same.
Syracuse passed around the first runner, sliding the ball to Turner with an open look on the left side. Turner aimed for the top corner, but Bianco lifted her stick and made another save in what was Syracuse’s last scoring chance.
While Princeton was blocking shots, its defensive impact wasn’t only felt close to the cage. Its constant pressure stymied Syracuse everywhere on the field.
“Our passes weren’t real clean,” Farquhar said. “The space that was there, we took a while to play it. Just really small things that make a big difference.”
By the fourth quarter, Princeton took a new approach by possessing for as long as possible. Already up three, its back line was in no rush to advance up the field. Still, the fourth proved to be its best quarter, not allowing any shots or corners for the Orange.
Instead, Princeton scored again in the waning minutes for a purely cosmetic goal, ending Syracuse’s season. The Orange netted only two shots on goal all game.
“They showed up,” Farquhar said of Princeton.
