2nd-half defensive struggles hinder Syracuse in 2-1 loss to Princeton
Despite holding Princeton scoreless in the first half, Syracuse’s defense struggled after the break, allowing two penalty corner goals. Courtesy of SU Athletics
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Syracuse’s defensive struggles in the second half of games this season have been well-documented.
Against then-No. 2 North Carolina on Oct. 17, SU held a 3-1 lead before allowing three second-half goals and falling 4-3. In the Atlantic Coast Conference Semifinals against then-No. 4 Virginia on Nov. 6, the Orange surrendered two goals after the start of the fourth period to fall 3-2 in a shootout.
When Syracuse led No. 6 Liberty 2-1 with 42 seconds left in the fourth quarter in Friday’s NCAA Tournament first round clash, Liberty’s Josefina Tomasi knotted the game at two and sent it to overtime. While the Orange eventually prevailed 3-2 in a penalty stroke-off, it was another instance of their defense crumbling late.
With a chance to advance to its first NCAA Semifinals since 2015 Sunday, Syracuse’s defense needed to hold No. 3 Princeton’s ferocious attack at bay in the second half after a scoreless first 30 minutes.
But it didn’t. Syracuse (13-7, 3-5 ACC) allowed two second-half goals in its season-ending 2-1 loss to Princeton (17-3, 6-1 Ivy League), failing to reach the semifinals for the 10th straight year. Although goalie Jessie Eiselin and the Orange’s defense had a solid first half, Pru Lindsey and Beth Yeager’s penalty corner tallies doomed SU in the final 30 minutes.
“Corners are a component of the game, and they were nice finishes,” SU head coach Lynn Farquhar said of Princeton’s two goals. “There’s only so much you can do, right?”
Despite losing the shot battle 5-2, Syracuse’s defense held up in the first half.
Midway through the first quarter, Eiselin kicked away Yeager’s penalty corner and her second chance was denied by Syracuse’s pressure. Yeager’s aggression continued throughout the half, but SU held her in check.
Even with the Tigers dominating possession early, they couldn’t string together clean passes without SU’s defense getting in the way. Princeton forced errant dishes across the pitch, giving the Orange numerous chances to break them up.
Through 30 minutes, it appeared Syracuse’s defense was keeping it in an otherwise ugly game.
The Orange, a woman-up due to a yellow card on Izzy Morgan, were in prime position for one of their first signature wins under Farquhar.
Everything flipped on its head after halftime.
Following a quiet first few minutes after the break, Princeton’s attack quickly peppered Eiselin with shots. Eiselin batted away Yeager’s initial shot before diving to stop Ella Hampson’s second effort.
The Tigers didn’t score, but momentum was shifting their way.
After Aubrey Turner’s goal that would’ve put SU in front was overturned midway through the third, Princeton kept suffocating Syracuse’s defense.
Fastbreak after fastbreak. Long pass after long pass. The Tigers wiped any momentum the Orange had before Turner’s shot and ran with it.
With just five seconds remaining in the period, Princeton had its first penalty corner of the second half. After going just 1-for-6 on penalty corners in its 3-1 win over Fairfield in the first round Friday, the Tigers cashed in.
Despite Eiselin’s strong defense, Lindsey’s diving tip-in gave Princeton a 1-0 lead.
Princeton outshot SU 4-1 in the period, and just like that, Syracuse had 15 minutes to salvage its season.
Other than its wins against Lafayette on Sept. 14 and then-No. 20 Penn State on Sept. 28, SU hasn’t come from behind to win a game this season. Trailing 1-0 entering the fourth quarter Sunday put the Orange in a perilous position, especially due to their defensive shortcomings in the third.
Bo van Kempen provided Syracuse a brief spark with her 23rd goal of the season on a penalty corner with four minutes left, but it was still in a precarious spot. SU has experienced plenty of heartbreak in 2025, headlined by its two losses to Virginia and collapse against UNC.
The final heartbreak of the Orange’s season came with just under two minutes in the fourth quarter. On a penalty corner, Lindsey inserted and quickly found Yeager. Without hesitation, she rifled one through Eiselin for the goal.
It was the finishing touch on a once-promising NCAA Tournament run and a microcosm of SU’s defensive collapses this season.
As much as SU’s offense fought in the second half, its defense crumbled late in familiar fashion, prompting the Tigers to celebrate on their home field.
Syracuse will have to wait another calendar year to return to its first Final Four in a decade.
“We played as one, so I’m proud of the team for doing that,” Farquhar said.
