SYRACUSE, N.Y. — No. 14 Syracuse Field Hockey defeated No. 16 California 2-1 via a shootout Sunday.
The Orange led for most of the game thanks to an early goal in the second quarter from sophomore Aubrey Turner. Syracuse’s defense excelled in the first half, holding Cal to just one shot on goal and no corner opportunities.
The Golden Bears came out of halftime with an aggressive offensive push. Cal put up five shots out of the locker room, including the equalizer from junior Liz Klompmaker.
Both teams locked down in the fourth quarter. Syracuse’s Tane King and Cal’s Carine Van Wiechen each had one save. The game then went into overtime. The Golden Bears seemed to have full control, outshooting Syracuse 5-1. But the Orange defense held strong and sent this game to a shootout.
Syracuse captured the win in the shootout period, 3-2. Each team missed its first, then made its second, but after another Cal miss, Hattie Madden capitalized for the lead. Cal’s Maria Scocco tied it at two apiece due to a Syracuse miss, then missed the fifth.
It all turned to the stick of Turner yet again. She bookended the game with the deciding goal in the shootout and sealed the ranked victory.
“It’s definitely a lot of pressure,” Turner said. “Tane has done a lot, and she kept us in this game. I need to put this in the back of the net.”
King also stood out, checking in after halftime for starting goalkeeper Jesse Eiselin, making five saves. The performance was a huge boost of confidence in the locker room.
“Tane showed up. That’s huge. She was ready, so she trusted the process. Our goalkeeper unit is strong and sturdy,” Syracusex head coach Lynn Farquhar said.
Syracuse will complete the regular season at home against Boston College on Oct. 30 at 4 p.m.
