Previewing Syracuse field hockey’s NCAA tournament path
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For the 15th time in program history, No. 10 Syracuse (13-5, 4-2 Atlantic Coast) is going to the NCAA Tournament. The Orange lost in the ACC Tournament’s semifinals against North Carolina last weekend. But on Friday at noon, SU will have a chance to redeem itself on a national stage when SU faces off against No. 4 Penn State (14-5, 6-2 Big Ten) at College Park, Maryland.
Penn State lost in the semifinals against the eventual Big Ten Tournament champions, Rutgers.
Here’s what to know about the No. 4 ranked team going into Friday’s match.
All-time series
Penn State 4-24-1.
Last time they met
In 2014, when Syracuse was one year away from winning the NCAA Championship, SU defeated the Nittany Lions 3-1 to advance to its then-third Final Four in program history.
On their home turf at J.S. Coyne Stadium, the Orange cracked Penn State’s defense, entering into the Nittany Lions’ shooting circle just six minutes into the game and capitalizing when Laura Hurff threaded a pass to Emma Russell. Two other goals from Lies Lagerweij and Lauren Brooks eventually put the Orange over the top. After the second round match, Syracuse eventually went to the tournament’s championship against UConn.
Penn State report
The Nittany Lions’ play in the Big Ten — the strongest conference in field hockey this season — has been some of their best in years. After going through a rebuilding 8-12 season in 2019 and a season affected by COVID-19 in 2020, Penn State has rebounded this year by cementing itself as a top-five team in the country with a 14-5 record.
With an offense led by Sophia Gladieux, a top-3 goal scorer in the Big Ten with 17 goals, and a midfield backed by the sophomore and other All-Big Ten picks Mackenzie Allessie and Elena Vos, Penn State has accumulated over 49 goals throughout the season. In the cage, the Nittany Lions’ starting goalie, Brie Barraco, has notched three shutouts and posted a .748 save percentage in 2021.
How Syracuse can beat Penn State
On corners throughout the season, Syracuse has gained 136 opportunities, and the set piece is Syracuse’s most volatile offensive weapon. For example, in the ACC Tournament, the Orange went 4-for-5 on corners and scored four out of their five goals on the offensive opportunity against Duke. Against North Carolina, though, SU went 1-for-11.
Syracuse head coach Ange Bradley has continually called out her team during its 2021 campaign for having a high shot count, including on corners, but failing to capitalize on them. Similar to what it did against Duke, Syracuse has to continue to create more offensive schemes off corners than just feeding Eefke van den Nieuwenhof — SU’s main corner shooter — and hoping for the best. If they can, and if their defense — which has only allowed 1.17 goals per a game this season — holds up, the Orange have a shot at making it into the second round.
Stat to know: 83 saves
Penn State has accumulated 83 saves throughout the season with its seasoned starting goalie Barraco. The Nittany Lions have the advantage in the cage, outsaving Syracuse with it’s 50. Although Syracuse freshman Brooke Borzymowski has shown why she deserves the starting goalie with a .726 save percentage throughout 17 games, she’ll still be playing in her third career postseason game — and against the No. 4 team in the country’s offense.
Player to watch: Sophia Gladieux, No. 3
In her freshman season last year, Gladieux garnered All-American honors and has made a name for herself as one of the nation’s most prolific goal scorers. The First Team All-Big Ten midfielder has garnered a team-leading 17 goals and 36 points. With a hat trick against Bucknell, Gladieux has scored in 11 out of Penn State’s 19 games this season with a shot percentage of .163. Although Syracuse has allowed a relatively low number of goals this season, with 1.17 a game, Gladieux could be a problem for Borzymowski and the rest of Syracuse’s defense.