Syracuse finishes at No. 8 in final NFHCA poll

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After ending the regular season ranked at No. 10, Syracuse moves to No. 8 in the final National Field Hockey Coaches Association poll of the season.  The Orange racked up 14 wins and suffered just four regular season losses. But three of those losses came at the hands of conference opponents, which resulted in SU being a No. 5 seed in the conference tournament.

Syracuse took on fourth seeded Boston College in the tournament quarterfinals. The Eagles got on the board first, but SU stayed calm and kept playing their game. Quirine Comans and Charlotte de Vries each netted a goal, giving Syracuse a 2-1 lead six minutes into the second quarter.

Boston College tied it at two a few minutes later. But from then on, the Orange dominated. A minute after BC tied the game, Eefke van den Nieuwenhof put SU back in front 3-2 off of a penalty corner. In the middle of the third quarter, Joy Haarman scored her seventh of the year, making it 4-2.

Comans opened the fourth by slotting home her 16th goal of the year. Willemijn Boogert closed it out with a goal off of a redirect two minutes after Comans’ score. Syracuse advanced to its third straight ACC semifinals with a 6-2 defeat of BC.

Syracuse took on undefeated UNC in the conference semifinals. Earlier in the season, the Tar Heels destroyed the Orange 6-1. With a tournament final bid on the line, both defenses put on a show. The first half ended scoreless, with Syracuse being outshot 7-2. 

UNC’s Erin Matson scored her 21st of the year off a penalty stroke. SU could not get anything going offensively as it was held shotless in both the second and third quarters. North Carolina doubled its lead in the first minute of the fourth quarter. Haarman got one back with nine minutes left to play, but it was not enough. 

After the loss, the Orange will take on No. 7 Princeton in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals on Friday.