No. 9 Syracuse drops regular-season finale to Louisville 3-2
No. 9 Syracuse field hockey lost 3-2 to Louisville in its regular-season finale Saturday, marking its third loss in its last four games. Christian Calabrese | Asst. Photo Editor
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Heading into the second period against Louisville on Saturday, Syracuse needed an offensive spark.
The Orange were unable to score in the first period, their second straight game without doing so, and had just one shot on target. Offensive struggles aside, Syracuse’s defense had a strong performance in the opening 15 minutes, holding the Cardinals without a shot. If SU’s offense could bounce back in the second quarter, the Orange would be in full control.
Instead, it was Louisville’s offense that came alive, scoring just 19 seconds into the period to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead. Louisville’s goal gave its offense a boost, which turned into two second-half goals to overpower Syracuse’s struggling offense.
On Saturday afternoon, No. 9 Syracuse (11-5, 3-5 Atlantic Coast) dropped its regular-season finale against Louisville (8-9, 2-6 ACC), losing 3-2. The Orange outshot the Cardinals 14-7 and also had six more penalty corners, but Syracuse was unable to capitalize on its opportunities.
The loss was Syracuse’s third in its last four games, and its fifth in ACC play after starting the season 6-0 overall.
Both Syracuse and Louisville came out flat in the first period, with neither team mustering any momentum on offense. The lone shot from either team came on Syracuse’s penalty corner midway through the period, but Hattie Madden’s shot missed wide off the insert from Pati Strunk.
While Syracuse’s offense sputtered, Louisville’s was sharp to open the second period. Gracie Potter inserted a penalty corner for the Cardinals that earned a penalty stroke, which Aubreigh Uba calmly fired into the bottom left corner to give Louisville a 1-0 lead.
Just five seconds later, Louisville’s Annabel Sep charged down the field to force a save from Syracuse goalkeeper Jessie Eiselin. Keeping Syracuse’s defense on the back foot, the Cardinals’ offense had another breakthrough, but Uba’s shot was off target.
As the two teams traded possession, the Orange’s offense was kept in check, ending the first half with just one shot attempt.
Louisville picked up where it left off to open the third. An unmarked Rylie Wollerton dribbled past Bo van Kempen and Syracuse’s defense, firing a shot past goalkeeper Tane King to give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead less than 90 seconds into the second half.
The frustration continued to build for Syracuse when Lotti Knights earned a green card two minutes later. But SU’s offense showed its first signs of life since Madden’s early shot by earning a penalty corner with six minutes left in the third period.
Sammie Goin’s shot was blocked by the Cardinals’ defense on the insert by Strunk, and Louisville quickly responded with a shot from Izzy Bianco and a penalty corner of its own. Taylor Bigbie blocked a shot from the Cardinals on the insert and countered down the field to set up SU’s second penalty corner of the game.
On another insert from Strunk, Danique Schuurman found the breakthrough for Syracuse when her shot deflected off Chloe Cuzzupe’s stick high into the back of the net for her fifth goal of the season.
Trailing 2-1, Schuurman’s goal gave the Orange the offensive momentum they needed. She had another shot blocked on another penalty corner less than a minute later, then both van Kempen and Lieke Leeggangers had a chance on goal before the end of the third period.
Aubrey Turner forced a save from Louisville goalkeeper Emily Young to start the fourth period, and Syracuse’s offense kept the pressure by earning a penalty corner a minute after Turner’s shot. On the insert, van Kempen had another attempt blocked before Young saved Madden’s shot off the rebound.
Louisville countered with an open play goal from Tyler Everslage, who cleaned up a rebound after King blocked Wollerton’s shot. Everslage’s goal gave the Cardinals a 3-1 lead with 13 minutes remaining. Syracuse’s attack searched for an answer, finding one with a penalty corner.
Goin and van Kempen were both stuffed on the insert, but the Orange earned another corner. It allowed Strunk to tap home a shot from van Kempen at the back post, cutting into Louisville’s lead.
With seven minutes left, the Orange went into desperation mode, bringing on an extra field player and leaving the net empty. Syracuse’s final chance of the game was for Madden, but Young denied her to preserve Louisville’s lead.
The Orange continued to put the pressure on offensively, forcing a yellow card from Wollerton, but Syracuse was unable to capitalize on the advantage, as Louisville handed the Orange their fifth ACC loss.
