Against ranked opponents, Syracuse can’t close out games

Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.

On Oct. 1, then-No. 10 Syracuse field hockey (9-3, 1-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) fell 6-5 to then-No. 14 Harvard. Despite the loss, the Orange applied constant pressure, tallying 13 shots on goal as opposed to the Crimson’s seven.

It was Syracuse’s third loss of the season to a ranked opponent, continuing its trend of failing to finish against tougher competition. The Orange are currently 2-3 against ranked teams, as they won two in a row prior to the Harvard loss. But a common theme throughout 2023 has been SU’s inability to consistently score versus top 20 teams.

The Orange were outscored 16-12 during their games against Duke, Virginia, Penn State, Boston College and Harvard — who were all ranked at the time. In their only two victories over the Nittany Lions and the Eagles, they couldn’t pull away, winning by one goal in each.

Against then-No. 6 UVA on Sept. 22, Syracuse fell 3-2 in double overtime. The Orange scored once in the second and fourth quarter, but couldn’t muster enough production despite taking nine shots on goal.

After the loss, SU head coach Lynn Farquhar defended the performance and said competing in high-intensity situations improves her team.

“We want to embrace that pressure. When we can draw it out and play around it, that’s a really good sign,” Farquhar said.

The following game, Syracuse showed it can come out on top in close games versus ranked teams. Against then-No. 16 Penn State, the two teams were scoreless at halftime. Pieke van de Pas scored three minutes into the third quarter, and the Nittany Lions responded with an equalizer four minutes later. But, this time, the Orange put the game away.

With less than four minutes remaining in the third, Charlotte de Vries dribbled through a group of Penn State defenders, unleashing a rocket into the back of the cage. The Orange escaped with a 2-1 victory while winning the shots on goal battle 10-5.

Through five games against ranked teams, Syracuse has allowed a 0.457% shot on goal conversion rate. SU, though, has just a 0.255% conversion rate against top 20 competition.

The trend has been apparent during both wins and losses. In a Sept. 29 matchup with then-No. 12 BC, Syracuse sent 12 shots on target compared to the Eagles’ four. Yet, the Orange still allowed the game to go into double overtime. Eefke van den Nieuwenhof scored a penalty stroke to give SU the 3-2 win, but its inability to consistently finish on offense kept the game close.

Plus, the Orange have faltered defensively in these close battles. They’ve often let up quick-response goals, giving up leads quickly.

Against Boston College, the Eagles’ goal to tie the game at 2-2 came four minutes after Syracuse’s second consecutive goal. And in the loss to Harvard, the Orange scored two straight to lead 2-1 at the end of the first quarter. But just over three minutes into the second period, the Crimson evened the score at 2-2.

Then, during the game’s final minutes, SU allowed another quick response. Van den Nieuwenhof scored an equalizer to make it 5-5, but was outdone nearly two minutes later by Harvard’s Bronte-May Brough, who scored the game winner.

Although the Orange have outscored opponents by 24 goals, the production hasn’t been consistent during top 20 contests. As it approaches a grueling three-game stretch against No. 3 North Carolina, No. 18 Cornell and No. 5 Louisville, Syracuse must improve its finishing and limit goals during fast turnarounds.