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It’s been a while since we’ve checked in with the Syracuse Orange field hockey team but the defending national championships have been up to their usual tricks. Namely, winning.
They’re 4-0 on the season and for the first time since November 2015, they’re No. 1 in the polls. Previously No. 2, the Orange leapfrogged North Carolina and Duke to take over the top spot in the NFHCA Coaches Poll.
The Orange received 25 of the 41 available first-place votes. The other first-place voes went to No. 2 Duke (1), No. 3 North Carolina (7), and No. 5 Penn State (8). No. 4 UConn rounds out the top five.
SU opened the season with an 8-0 trouncing of Temple before beating then-No. 6 Maryland 4-1. This past weekend they took down No. 13 Liberty 3-2 in overtime followed by a 5-1 win over Hofstra.
Syracuse now puts it’s No. 1 ranking on the line when they host Boston College on Friday, which is also the day of the NCAA Championship banner unveiling. After that they host No. 14 Stanford on Sunday. Some of the other highly-ranked teams on their schedule include No. 9 Wake Forest, No. 3 UNC, No. 8 Louisville, No. 2 Duke, No. 11 Virginia, and No. 13 Boston U.
Orange Moves to No. 1 in @NFHCA Coaches Poll Heading into Home Opener: https://t.co/RM4GO2BzK1 pic.twitter.com/iMuYiFpQEM
— Orange Field Hockey (@CuseFH) September 6, 2016