Syracuse Field Hockey’s Senior Day dampened by Harvard

On a gloomy fall Sunday afternoon, Syracuse field hockey looked to defend its home blue turf and take down No. 7 Harvard for the first time since 2023.

A win would’ve marked the Orange’s second top-10 victory of the season. And adding to the stakes, it also marked Senior Day for Syarcuse.

But the Crimson rained on Syracuse’s senior day parade. Harvard took down Syracuse 3-1, fueled by a dominant first-quarter performance.

Just over two and a half minutes into the contest, Harvard forward Sage Piekarski blasted one past goalkeeper Jessie Eiselin to get the scoring started for the Crimson. The goal marked Piekarski’s seventh of the season, which is 2nd in the Ivy League.

Then, forward Emily Bronckers knocked a goal in for Harvard with just over two minutes to go in the first quarter. And midfielder Lara Beekhuis added another minutes later, marking her sixth goal of the year.

“I think we came out with energy that just wasn’t united, and we knew we were going to face a tough opponent. So, Harvard did a good job finishing early and kept putting on pressure,” Syracuse head coach Lynn Farquhar said after the loss. That pressure from the Crimson offense was seen in the game’s shot totals. Harvard took ten shots in the first half to Syracuse’s three. When asked about Harvard’s attack, Farquhar stated that it “took us a while to figure out a way through.”

But Syracuse showed signs of life after halftime. Forward Grace Anne McCooey found the back of the net on an assist from fellow forward Hattie Madden with 12 minutes to play in the third quarter.
The Orange shut out the Crimson in the second half and Farquhar attributed the defensive improvement to one main adjustment. “Really just playing collectively. When things aren’t going exactly as planned, you just have to trust the process sometimes” said the veteran head coach. Syracuse’s collective second half play was on display through their offensive action as well. Syracuse outshot Harvard 5-3 in the final two quarters and had three corner shot opportunities.

Despite the loss, Farquhar emphasized the significance of celebrating the team’s seniors. She stated that it was “a great day to honor our seniors, which is always special”. Syracuse recognized five seniors today: Hattie Madden, Bo Madden, Jessie Eiselin, Grace Anne McCooey and Grace O’Connor. “It’s a special group of people. I think they’re incredibly authentic. You can see their passion.” said Syracuse’s head coach.

Sunday’s loss marked the end of a grueling stretch of midseason play for the Orange. Harvard was Syracuse’s fifth straight ranked opponent. In its previous four matchups, Syracuse defeated No. 15 Virginia and No. 16 Louisville but fell to No. 3 Duke and No. 8 Wake Forest.

The Orange’s upcoming schedule offers some relief. After facing No. 9 North Carolina next Sunday, Syracuse will play three straight ACC home games against unranked opponents.

Farquhar said the team is looking forward to finishing the regular season at home.

“We love it,” Farquhar said. “We’re excited to be back again.”