Syracuse field hockey falls short of Final Four in 3-2 double overtime loss to UConn

After beating Harvard in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the Syracuse Orange field hockey team needed just one more victory to get back to the Final Four. Unfortunately, they fell 3-2 to UConn in double overtime. Their national title defense ends short of the final weekend.

The teams played a tight game early on, with the Huskies getting on the board first in the 23rd minute, then equalized shortly thereafter by SU’s Serra Degnan in the 25th. UConn nabbed a 2-1 lead 10 minutes later — which held strong until Roos Weers’s late goal in the 66th minute knotted the score at two apiece.

In overtime, the Orange defense really clamped down, preventing UConn from getting a shot off until the deciding goal by Charlotte Veitner in the 91st minute. Syracuse out-shot the Huskies in the latter half of the game and overtime, but it just wasn’t enough to seal the victory.

"First off, credit to UConn for advancing to the final four," head coach Ange Bradley told Cuse.com. "They have a stingy defense and it took a while for us to figure out how to manipulate and beat it, but as time went on we were able to do that. I was proud of our kids because they didn't quit and we were able to get back in it."

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Syracuse finishes the year at 15-4, and while they failed to win another national championship, they still put in a fine effort this season. This coming offseason will be the real test, however. SU loses a ton of seniors and will have to reload quickly if they want to continue their current string of success. The outgoing seniors possess the third-best four-year winning percentage (.824) in program history.