Syracuse field hockey bounces back with 1-0 win over Duke

After two tough losses against ranked ACC opponents, No. 6 Syracuse Field Hockey bounced back Friday night, beating No. 7 Duke 1-0 at J.S. Coyne Stadium.

The Orange celebrated a special night honoring the 2015 NCAA Division I National Championship team and retiring former midfielder Alyssa Manley’s jersey. 

The 2015 team was the first in program history to win a national title, and Manley earned numerous accolades during her time at Syracuse. Those include NFHCA First-Teal All-American and NCAA All-Tournament honors to name a few.

“It’s so fun, it’s really nice to be able to be out there and get to reminisce about our time here at Syracuse,” Maanley said after the halftime ceremonies. “We were such a special group and I had so much fun playing with all my teammates, so it is really nice to be back here with a lot of them.” 

The 2025 team did not disappoint the special guests in attendance. 

Syracuse started off strong in the first period with defender Bo van Kempen scored her 16th goal of the season off a penalty corner, assisted by forward Liz Stange making that her seventh on the season.

The rest of the game was dominated by defense. Both teams fired few shots, and Syracuse only allowed one penalty corner in the second half. The Orange outshot the Blue Devils 12-6, and a combination of doubled offensive effort and error-free defense led to a close but well-earned victory. 

“The past was in the past, and we knew that,” head coach Lynn Farquhar said. “What we worked on in training was how to regroup from it, so today was another opportunity to play a solid team. That’s what ACC play is all about, being where our feet are, and realizing that every second matters.” 

The Orange continue to face challenging ranked opponents as No. 20 Penn State visits J.S. Coyne stadium for a Noon matchup on Sunday