Syracuse field hockey celebrates Senior Night with commanding victory over Colgate

Two seniors and three freshmen led the Syracuse field hockey team to a commanding 5-1 victory against Colgate during Senior Night on Friday. 

Nicknamed “Cardiac ‘Cuse” for their recent nail-biters against ranked opponents, the No. 5 Orange had a high-energy performance on both sides of the ball Friday night, dominating possession and maintaining control for nearly the entire match. 

“Today, ironically, we had a lot of seniors contribute and our freshmen, which I think speaks highly of what our seniors have been able to do and the work the freshmen have done to catch up and keep the temp high,” head coach Lynn Farquhar said. 

The offensive effort was strong. The team outshot the Raiders 32-2, testing Colgate goalkeeper Claire van Kempen with 19 shots on goal. 

A foot foul against the Raiders inside the circle led to the Orange penalty corner. Graduate defender Danqiue Schuurman delivered a clean shot into the back of the cage, giving the Orange a 1-0 lead.

Later in the second period, Pati Strunk connected with freshman midfielder Sammie Goin who weaved around Colgate defenders in the circle and fired her first collegiate goal. 

The Orange continued the strong momentum after halftime and scored three goals in the second half of play. Graduate defender Bo van Kempen scored her 18th goal of the season off her signature drag flick.

Minutes later a chaotic scramble in the circle ended with  freshman forward Ally Snyder knocking the ball into the cage for her fourth goal of the season. Freshman midfielder Karsin Beatty scored the Orange’s last goal in the final 38 seconds of play to finish the game 5-1. 

The Orange defense held the Raiders to just three shots on goal, conceding only one in the third period. On the Raider’s first penalty corner of the match, freshman midfielder Taylor Bigbie  delivered a strong defensive block, clearing the ball from the circle before a shot was taken.The defensive pressure fueled Syracuse’s offense, helping the team put together a dominant performance.

“A lot of our success comes in our back field being able to read the pressure and move the ball,” Farquhar said. “Patience is a virtue there. The more our backs do that, the stronger we are.” 

Postgame, the Orange celebrated the eight seniors beside their parents, families and friends. During their four seasons on the team, the seniors held a 49-23 record and helped the Orange reach the NCAA tournament in all seasons. 

Farquhar said their leadership and competitiveness on and off the field will leave a lasting impact on the Orange field hockey program. 

“While we have them, we’re going to  embrace everything they bring from the laughter, to the jokes, to the intensity, to pretty hockey, ” Farquhar said. “All eight are huge pieces, so we’re going to roll with this season and do as much as we can and then we’ll figure out the future later.”

The Orange look to continue their win streak on the road in California facing Stanford on Friday and California on Sunday.