Jessie Eiselin’s ‘big-time’ performance carries SU to NCAA Tournament 2nd Round
Syracuse goalkeeper Jessie Eiselin recorded five saves to help the Orange upset Liberty and snag their first NCAA Tournament win since 2023. Courtesy of SU Athletics
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As Dara Semmartin stepped up to take a penalty stroke for Liberty, Syracuse was looking down the barrel of another epic meltdown.
The Orange struck first on a penalty corner from Bo van Kempen to take a 1-0 lead early in the second half. From there, Syracuse’s difficulty protecting leads haunted it once again, with Kyleigh Faust equalizing for the Flames late in the period. With Liberty growing into the game to start the second half, the Flames earned a penalty stroke, threatening to take a 2-1 lead.
Semmartin’s shot, a high screamer headed for the top left corner, deflected off flying SU goalkeeper Jessie Eiselin’s pads onto the crossbar and out of harm’s way. The save kept the Orange in the game and halted Liberty’s momentum.
Eiselin’s big save was just a small part of the defensive clinic she put on for No. 10 Syracuse (13-6, 3-5 Atlantic Coast) in its 3-2 upset win over No. 6 Liberty (17-3, 7-0 Big East) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Friday. The Orange won 4-2 on penalty strokes after two overtime periods, securing SU’s first NCAA Tournament win since 2023, when they also beat Liberty in the first round.
“In tournament time, she’s stepped up,” SU head coach Lynn Farquhar said. “Jessie was big-time today. She’s been playing really well.”
Eiselin ended the game with five saves, none bigger than her flying stop to deny Semmartin in the third period. Minutes after the save, the Orange countered down the field after a Liberty corner. Hattie Madden pounced on a loose ball in front of the Flames’ net, giving Syracuse a 2-1 lead.
After Liberty tied the game with just 42 seconds left in regulation, Eiselin stood tall for the Orange through two overtime periods. When Liberty earned a penalty corner with six seconds left in the second overtime, Eiselin again played hero with another save to send the game to penalty strokes.
In the first round of strokes for Liberty, Eiselin denied Josefina Tomasi to give Syracuse an early 1-0 lead. She followed that up with another save in the third round of strokes, shutting down Mia Santana to preserve the Orange’s lead.
Eiselin’s defensive clinic was a complete reversal for Syracuse from its ACC Tournament Semifinal loss to Virginia. The Orange fell 4-1 on penalty strokes, with Tane King in goal for Virginia’s first three goals in the stroke-off. On Friday, Farquhar opted for experience with Eiselin in net instead of the freshman King.
“She was on the line for strokes, she was on the line for shootouts and her defense was being pressured,” Farquhar said. “ She did outstanding. I thought she did a great job standing strong.”
Eiselin and King operated in a timeshare during the regular season, with each goalie playing in all 17 regular-season games for the Orange. After Farquhar pulled Eiselin for King in Syracuse’s loss to Virginia, she opted to keep Eiselin in goal for Syracuse on Friday. It was a risk, but it paid off.
With the win, the Orange advance to the NCAA Tournament semifinals, where they’ll face No. 3 Princeton. Syracuse beat the Tigers 1-0 in overtime on Sept. 12, but the Orange will still have a difficult task against another one of the country’s top-10 teams.
Syracuse might head into the game as underdogs, but after Eiselin’s defense clinic on Friday, the Orange can feel confident about their last line of defense while looking to make their first trip to the national semifinals since 2015.
“It’s hard to beat a team twice, so for us it’s another game of hockey,” Farquhar said. “It’s a new season. It’s the postseason, NCAA Tournament time, and we’re excited to play hockey again.”
